The 31 Colleges that comprise the University of Cambridge are housed in beautiful historic buildings set in stunning grounds, with the oldest, Peterhouse, being established in 1284 by the Bishop of Ely it's hardly surprising that many Colleges are believed to be haunted. In this blog post Haunted Isles takes a look at some of the ghosts of the Cambridge Colleges:
Peterhouse
Two of Peterhouse's ghosts have been subject to exorcism, a poltergeist was exorcised from a student's room during the 18th century, also a "presence" in the old courtyard was exorcised by a College Dean. However during the 1990s the ghost of an 18th century Peterhouse Senior Fellow, Francis Daws narrowly escaped exorcism.
Francis Daws, 18th century Senior Fellow of Peterhouse College, committed suicide in 1789, apparently in an act of remorse following his part in the election of the unpopular Master, Frances Barnes. It is believed that the ghost of Francis Daws was responsible for the 1997 paranormal activity that took place in the vicinity of the Combination Room used by college Fellows.
It was on a Friday night in April 1997 that both the assistant Combination Room butler, Mr Paul Davies, and the Combination waiter, Mr Matthew Speller, saw a cigar shaped, person sized apparition moving about a foot off the ground before vanishing near the bay window.
The sound of knocking from behind wood panels and drops in temperature were also reported by staff members. This ghostly activity continued on an occasional basis until November when the college bursar, Dr Andrew Murison, was able to describe the apparition as a slightly built, balding man holding a hat and wearing a large Pilgrim type collar.
Paranormal investigator and author of a number of real ghost story books, MJ Wayland, along with his team, investigated these events and ruled out the usual non-supernatural causes of knockings such as central heating pipes.
Eventually the College Dean decided to seek help from the diocesan exorcist who requested that all college domestic staff and fellows attend a requiem mass, not everyone was willing so the exorcism did not take place.
Kings College, Cambridge
MR James, perhaps the most famous 20th century writer of ghost stories, Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University ( 1913-15) and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905-18), is said to have found inspiration from the King's College ghost for his famous ghost story, "Casting the Runes."
The King's College Grade I listed Gibbs Building, which dates back to 1724, is the site of the haunting by a past Fellow of King's, Barrett.
Barrett, a rather eccentric character, who kept a coffin in his Gibbs Building rooms, was said to be haunted by dark spirits, involved in esoteric studies, and believed by many to actually sleep in the coffin he kept in his room. One night screaming was heard from Barrett's apartments and in the morning the body of Barrett was found dead in the coffin.
Ever since it's said that screams can be heard coming from the Gibbs Building on the anniversary of Barrett's death,
MR James tells of this in his autobiography and although he himself never heard the ghostly screams he knew others who had.
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
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Sidney Sussex College founded in 1596 by Lady Francis Sidney, Countess of Sussex is home to one of the more bizarre Cambridge ghosts, a severed head, seen floating above the ground in Chapel Court. Some believe it to be the severed head of Oliver Cromwell.
Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England was, upon his death in 1658, buried in Westminster Abbey but a few years later in 1661 when Charles II was restored to the throne his body was exhumed. His remains, along with the copses of the other regicides, was taken to Tyburn where it was hanged and then beheaded. The bodies of the regicides were buried in the Tyburn communal burial pit. Their heads were displayed on spikes on the roof of Westminster Hall, where King Charles I had been tried.
Cromwell's head remained on the roof of Westminster Hall until the late 1680s when it was blown from the roof during a storm. Legend says it was picked up and taken home by a sentry from whom it passed to various private collectors eventually being bequeathed to Horace Wilkinson.
Wilkinson wanted Cromwell's head to have a Christian burial and on 25th March 1960 it was buried in a secret location at Sidney Sussex College which Cromwell had attended as a young man between April 1616 and June 1617.
Almost immediately after the secret burial of Cromwell's head claims that it was seen hovering over Sidney Sussex were made. Also students reported seeing a pale yellow emaciated head floating in the Chapel Court area, it was apparently accompanied by a drop in temperature and the smell of rotting flesh.
Images:
Peterhouse :Azeira at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Kings: Chris Boland on Unsplash
Cromwell's head: Anonymous (unsigned - both pages of the 1911 article were examined, at archive.org), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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