February 27, 1939

On February 27, 1939, in Essex, England, the Borley Rectory, the infamously most haunted house in England, burnt to the ground. The Borley Rectory was a Victorian house that gained its notoriety after being described as such by the psychic researcher Harry Price in 1937. He wrote about several incidences that had happened to the previous owners and occupants, and the newspapers and public went gaga over it. Turns out everyone loves a good ghost story, even back in 1937. On February 27, 1939, the new owner of the rectory, Captain W. H. Gregson was unpacking some boxes and accidentally knocked over an oil lamp, causing the fire that destroyed the house. An investigation by the insurance company said that the ghosts and poltergeists were not at fault this time. They said Captain Gregson set the fire for the insurance money. A couple of years later, when the remains of the house were demolished, the new owners of the land did uncover that the house was not built on an ancient Indian burial ground and that Satanic cults were not using the site for eldritch ceremonies. Certain segments of the public were disappointed. In 2015, Dr. Charles Greene of the University of Farmington was asked if the activity described by Harry Price could be due to alien activity. He emphatically said, “What? What? Did they SEE any crop circles? No, it’s not aliens. Do I look like Giorgio Tsoulakas?” No, Dr. Greene doesn’t look like Giorgio Tsoulakas. Dr. Tsoulakas has much better hair.

About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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