A ghost quits newly-weds
A ghost who forced a young, newly-wed couple to move out of their flat has now been forced to move out himself. The Bishop of Exeter, Dr Robert Mortimer, held a service of exorcism in the flat on Sunday. During the thirty-five minute service Holy water was sprinkled in all the rooms. And yesterday, Mr John Durston, 21, and his wife Carol, 20, had breakfast in their flat after sleeping there for the first time this month. Their ground-floor flat in an old farmhouse at Abbotskerswell, Devon, which is divided into three apartments. John and Carol moved in on August 31.
Carol said yesterday that they heard footsteps at night, saw a “misty figure of an old man” in the flat, watched their wardrobe shake and move away from the walls, and were conscious all the time that someone else was there. She said: “We went to relatives. Several times we moved back, but had to leave again after a night or two.”
The Rev. Gordon Langford, the vicar of Abbotskerswell, said: “I spoke to earlier tenants and a former owner and became satisfied the house was haunted. I obtained evidence from independent sources from as far back as 1925, when the house changed hands after a suicide there.”
He said that after he reported the matter to the Bishop, the Bishop’s Chaplain, the Rev. Sir Patrick Ferguson-Davie, made his own investigation and also became satisfied that it was haunted.
Daily Mirror, 14th November 1963.
Bishop exorcises country house ghost.
The Bishop of Exeter, Dr Roberrt Mortimer, has conducted a service of Exorcism to rid a country house in South Devon of a “ghostly presence.” The special visit was made last Sunday. All has been quiet there since.
The Bishop was called in by the Rev. Gordon Langford, Vicar of Abbotskerswell, who said yesterday: “The service was held at Aller House, Aller, near Newton Abbot, when after lengthy investigations I was satisfied that there was some ghostly presence there. We actually sensed it when we went there to hold this special service. The room temperature suddenly dropped alarmingly and we all shivered as though we were standing in an icy blast. The Bishop conducted the service and all the tenants living there were present.”
Aller House has been turned into three flats. The haunted flat was on the ground floor and in the home of Mr and Mrs John Dunton, who are newly-married. They had complained to the vicar of furniture being moved, the wireless being switched on in their absence and seeing a white form pass through their flat. For two months they had been afraid to sleep in the flat and spent the nights at Mr Durston’s mother’s house in the village of Kingskerswell near by. Mr Langford said, “I made a full investigation before reporting the matter to the bishop. His chaplain made further enquiries, and, as a result, the bishop decided to come down for theh purpose of exorcising the spirit.”
Mrs Durston, whose husband, aged 21, is an apprentice engineer, said: “It’s been a terrifying experience. One could sense something evil, and I don’t want to talk about it.” Mr Langford added: “On Monday last I went back and celebrated Holy Communion at the house. Since last weekend there has been a very different feeling about the house.”
Birmingham Daily Post, 14th November 1963.
Bishop scares ‘the ghost’.
Exorcism service frees newly-weds from terror.
Ghost terror has been lifted from an old country house by a bishop who held an exorcism service. For 35 minutes the Bishop of Exeter, Dr Robert Mortimer, said prayers and sprinkled holy water at Aller House, near Newton Abbot, Devon. And last night newly-wed Mrs Carole Durston, who had been driven in fear from her flat there, said: “We are sure the ghost has been driven away. We can live here again.”
More than 40 years ago, a man committed suicide at Aller House and there have been complaints of ghosts ever since. The house is now converted into three flats. The Bishop was called in by the Reverend Gordon Langford, vicar of nearby Abbotskerswell, who had heard tenants’ eerie stories of footsteps, misty figures and moving furniture. Said Mr Langford: “I made a thorough investigation and was satisfied there was a presence in the Durstons’ flat. After the Bishop’s chaplain had investigated, Dr Mortimer came down on Sunday to conduct the exorcism. Even the Bishop commented on the icy blast as he came into the room. But on Monday I celebrated Holy Communion at the house and there was a different atmosphere about the place.
Mrs Durston, aged 21, told of the nights of terror she and her husband spent at Aller House when they moved in last August. She said: “We heard footsteps shuffling up and down the passage, but found no-one there. The wardrobe was violently shaken and moved away from the wall. Ornaments moved by themselves along the mantelpiece. And several times we both saw a misty figure in our living room. After only a fortnight we went to my mother-in-law’s because we couldn’t bear to stay another night.”
Another tenant, Mr Leonard Culley, said: “Even when the Durstons were away we could hear furniture and crockery moving in their flat.”
Daily Herald, 14th November 1963.
The ghost goes west after bishop’s blessing.
By Michael Charleston.
The Bishop of Exeter, Dr. Robert Mortimer, has personally conducted a secret 35-minute service to exorcise a ghost. And last night a young couple who left their farmhouse home because of the ghost said: – “We believe it has really gone. Since the bishop ended the service the house has been at peace again.”
John Durston, a 21-year-old agricultural engineering apprentice, and his wife Carol live in a ground floor flat in the house at Aller, a Devon hamelt near Newton Abbot. The building is believed to be about two centuries old, and in September, a fortnight after the Durstons moved in, they met the ghost.
“It began with loud measured footsteps in the night in the passage outside our flat. Then the noises came in,” Mr Durston said. “It was when I actually watched our heavy wardrobe being shaken and moved that we decided we just couldn’t stand it. We got our things together, and though it was one a.m. we walked a mile to my mother’s house and moved in with her.”
Carol added: “Twice we tried to convince ourselves we were mistaken, and went back for a night. Each time something happened. Ornaments and crockery were removed, and when we were out the radio was switched on. We both actually saw the ghost – a white mist roughly in the shape of a man moving across the room.”
Her husband went on: “The ghost appeared three times in all. A few minutes before the exorcism my mother saw this odd mist, too. The room was always deathly cold no matter how much heating we put on. The ghost seemed to get more and more violent and noisy, and I actually saw our ornaments being moved. We finally decided to ask the vicar for help. We could not have lived in the flat as long as the ghost stayed, and flats are awfully hard to find.”
The vicar of nearby Abbotskerswell, Rev. Gordon Langford, investigated and reported to the bishop, who sent his chaplain Rev. Sir Arthur Ferguson-Davie, to make another inquiry. Mr Langford said yesterday: “When he got the report of his chaplain the bishop decided to carry out the service himself. In my inquiries I was satisfied no human agency was involved. I traced the case back through independent witnesses to 1925 when the house changed hands after a suicide. Tenants since were satisfied the place was haunted.”
Yesterday, after the Durstons had spent their first night back in the flat, they said: “When the bishop began the service we could both feel the presence of the ghost standing right behind us. The impression was very vivid – and part way through the service we both felt him go. The atmosphere in the house was completely changed.”
Daily Express, 14th November 1963.
Albert the ghost gets a new flat.
A bishop was called in to banish the ghost which haunted a bed-sitter in an old mansion. The ghost vanished from the bed-sitter. But soon afterwards it turned up in a flat just across the corridor. Now a medium is to be asked to deal with the wandering ghost of Aller House at Abbotskerswell, Devon.
About forty-five years ago a man committed suicide in the house – which has since been converted into flats. In the bed-sitter live Mr John Durston, 21, and his wife Carol. They were frightened by a misty figure, which they called “Albert.” The Durstons sent for the Bishop of Exeter, Dr Robert Mortimer, who held an exorcism service at the house.
Later Albert reappeared in a flat occupied by Mr Leonard Culley, 46, his wife Phyllis and their two daughters. Mr Culley said yesterday: “I was alone doing some accounts when I saw the ghost – a man aged between forty and forty-five dressed in Edwardian clothes. The ghost was there for several seconds. Then it vanished.” Mr Culley added: “The only answer is for a qualified medium to come and find out why the ghost isn’t resting. I’m going to ask the Metaphysical Society in London to send someone.”
Dr Mortimer said yesterday: “It looks as though I have failed to get rid of the ghost – although it HAS moved from one flat to another. I don’t think I will be going there again to conduct another exorcism service.”
Daily Mirror, 9th December 1963.
Season of Goodwill – Even for a Ghost.
The Christmas spirit of goodwill has been extended to Albert, the Kingskerswell ghost. Attempts to release him from his earthbound existence at Aller House have been postponed. The occupiers of the flat where Albert made his last appearance, Mr and Mrs Leonard Culley, have decided that nothing will be done until after Christmas. “My wife and I think this is not the time to disturb him,” said Mr Culley. “He has done us no harm, and we do not mind in the least if he joins us in our Christmas festivities. After all, apparently this house was his home before we came to live here. We hope to see him around our fireside on Christmas Day, then I am going to speak to him and ask him why he is still here.”
Four Newton Abbot mediums volunteered to lay the ghost this week, but their evening visit to Aller House was called off by Mr Culley after he had received a visit from an investigator of the Society for Psychical Research, who will be submitting a report to the London headquarters. A spokesman for the four mediums said: “It might be resentful because of other people now occupying the house. A medium would have a quiet talk with Albert to try to explain the circumstances, and it would then likely enter the spirit world and cause no further trouble.” The spirit is believed to be that of Victor Judd, a former resident, who committed suicide there in 1915.
It was last seen by Mr Culley in his living-room when he was working at a table. The temperature of the room appeared to drop despite a roaring fire in the grid. “I immediately looked over my shoulder and there it was – the figure of a rather good-looking young man dressed in Edwardian clothes with stiff collar and turn-down points and bow tie. For a few seconds it was there and then it vanished.” Mr and Mrs Culley have both heard unexplainable footsteps in their flat during the night. They claim all this has happened in their home since a service of exorcism was carried out at the house by the Bishop of Exeter (Dr. R.C. Mortimer) last month. Earlier, the ghost had been heard by Mr and Mrs J. Durston, who live in a different part of the house.
Express and Echo, 20th December 1963.