RON BOWERS AND THE MEDIEVAL PRISON (THE CAGE)
AT ST. OSYTH, ESSEX, ENGLAND
PART ONE

     The village of St. Osyth, near Brightlingsea, Essex, suffered more than most communities in Essex during the witchcraft hysteria that swept East Anglia. Surviving records from the 1582 trial held in Chelmsford, indicate that fourteen women from St. Osyth were charged with Witchcraft. Of these, ten were charged with 'bewitching to death' which carried the death penalty.
     The trial, presided over by local magistrate Bryan Darcy, appears to have been brought about by local quarrels and vendettas. At the heart of the affair was Ursula Kempe, an impoverished local woman who made a living as a nursemaid and midwife, and had a reputation for removing spells from those who thought they were being attacked by black magic.
     Witnesses swore that Ursula Kempe had cured Davy Thorlowe, of illness, using incantations but had later taken offense when the boy's mother, Grace Thorlowe, had refused to use her as a nursemaid for her daughter. When the baby girl fell out of her cot and broke her neck, Kempe was suspected of using witchcraft. Ignoring the rumors, Thorlowe asked Kempe for treatment for arthritis and Kempe suggested a method she had learned from an old Wise Woman. Thorlowe refused to pay Kempe's charge of one shilling, upon which her condition worsened. At this point, Grace Thorlowe decided to make a complaint to the authorities. At Ursula Kempe's ensuing trial, Brian Darcy persuaded Kempe's illegitimate eight year old son, Thomas Rabbet, to testify about his mother's activities as a Witch, and then offered her clemency if she admitted her guilt. Kempe accepted the offer, and confirmed her son's account. Ursula Kempe testified that she kept four Familiars, two cats called Titty and Jack, a toad called Pigin and a lamb called Tyffin. She claimed to feed them on white bread or cake, beer, and drops of her own blood. The black cat called Jack caused the death of Kempe's sister-in-law, while the lamb had caused the death of the Thorlowe baby. Kempe then went on to name other women, who she claimed were also Witches. Alice Hunt, Alice Newman, Elizabeth Bennet and Margery Sammon, were then brought to court and not only did they confess to being Witches, but also named Joan Pechey, Agnes Glascock, Cicely Celles, Joan Turner, Elizabeth Ewstace, Anis Herd, Alice Manfield, Margaret Grevell and Alice Hunt's sister, Anne Swallow.
     At the end of the trial, two were not indicted, two were discharged but held in prison on other charges, four were acquitted, four were found guilty but reprieved, only Ursula Kempe and Elizabeth Bennet were sentenced to hang.
     In 1921, two female skeletons were discovered in St. Osyth, both had iron rivets driven into their knees and elbows, a common method of stopping Witches rising from the grave. They are believed to be Kempe and Bennet.

     I was first invited to The Medieval Prison at St. Osyth, Essex, England on the evening of 24th October 2009 by platform medium John Morgan. I had been told that the owner, Vanessa, had been experiencing spirit phenomena. The two pictures above were taken on my first visit to The Cage Medieval Prison on 24th October 2009 and have been examined by experts - one being John Frazer of the Spontaneous Cases Committee (SPR) in Kensington, London. Last year, in late November, I had been told that John Frazer and one other person from SPR visited the Cage and were taken back with what they felt and examined with their electronic equipment.

     That night, I took many pictures in the property with some different results from previous times at alleged haunted locations. Most unusual of these being a 'Large Hare' shaped shadow (above left) that appeared to be sitting on the sofa. Before the photo was taken, an English Pit Bull type dog had been sitting on the other sofa and, just as I was about to take the shot, the dog whimpered and ran out of the room.
     The following month, I returned to The Medieval Prison to take pictures whilst a known Demonologist, Kelly Bevington, carried out a house clearing exercise. During the course of the event, I carried on taking photos even though I did not feel happy with the feeling I had for that evening and, again, this was to be proved with one of the pictures I captured in a bedroom that resembled something of a dark nature of energy (above right).

     I had never encountered anything like the dark energy picture before and it was not until one year had passed that I went back to St. Osyth, this time with 'Ghost Hunter' David Mayhew on 21st October 2010 to take pictures after Vanessa had reported there was activity still taking place. That evening felt calmer to me - not like my last experience - and I happily took pictures where I sensed spirit which showed in two of the shots. Before the picture was taken I heard footsteps that sounded outside the bedroom on the landing then, again, in the bedroom. All the pictures were taken in total darkness.
     The photo (above right) shows a shadow figure on the staircase with the light coming from a downstairs lamp.

Copyright (c) 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012  The Night Watchman - All Rights Reserved