Ghost blamed for fires in house.
Evil spirit is exorcised.
All is quiet now at lonely Pounsley Lodge, near Hadlow Down, Sussex, since a priest recently blessed every room to exorcise a fire-raising poltergeist. And all details of the blessing are being kept quiet by the Church authorities and Brigadier Richard W. Jelf, owner of the two-storeyed lodge. A London insurance firm, it is understood, has now settled a claim for fire damage caused soon after Brigadier Jelf, his wife, and their four children moved into the house. Six smaller fire outbreaks occurred. Police could find no trace of intruders or any normal reason for the fires.
In Paris, where he is serving with SHAPE, Brigadier Jelf said: “I have given my word and I am afraid I can say nothing about it. It is true that the house was blessed and the trouble has ended. I have maintained silence, but I suppose the story was talked about by someone in the insurance office.” Brigadier Jelf declined to say whether a supernatural being had been recognised by the insurance company as having caused the fire damage.
The blessing of the house was arranged by the Bishop of Croydon, the Right Rev. Cuthbert Bardsley. The bishop said at Folkestone: “I am pledged to secrecy. I would like to tell you more about it, but I have given my word. Brigadier Jelf, who is a friend of mine, approached me and asked whether I could help. It was a matter entirely new to me, but I knew of a priest who had done the same sort of thing – blessed the rooms – before, so I gave Brigadier Jelf his name. Before doing so I got into touch with the Bishop of Chichester because the house was in his diocese. He gave his permission, and asked that the matter should be kept as quiet as possible.”
The Singapore Free Press, 1st July 1952.
Insurance paid for goblins’ damage.
London, Sat.
A London insurance company has paid a claim for fire damage allegedly done by a poltergeist – a noisy ghost. Seven times in nine months Uckfield brigade put out fires in a Sussex home, Pounsley Lodge, bought by Brigadier R. W. Jelf (44). The brigade could find no apparent cause.In th ehouse were Jelf’s wife, their 4 young children, his mother-in-law, sister-in-law and two German maids.
Once flames came from a wardrobe and in the morning children’s toys were scattered about the floor and paintings and carpets found damaged. Police set strings in ground floor rooms to ring bells if they were touched. Several times the bells rang but no intruder was found. Scotland Yard forensic laboratories examined the fire damage without finding a clue to the cause.
From service with Allied Supreme HQ in Paris Jelf returned to find a frightened household except for his 8-year-old twins who spoke casually of “the goblins.” Authorities say that in every report of a poltergeist troubling a house at least one inmate has been a child.
Bishop of Croydon, Rt Rev C. K. N. Bardsley arranged for a clergyman to bless every room in Pounsley Lodge. Said Jelf, “It is true that the house was blessed and that the trouble ceased, but I have given my word not to discuss it. I suppose it was talked about at the insurance office.” The sum paid is a secret.
Sunday Times (Perth), 13th July 1952.