Southern Paranormal - Investigations
Peterborough Museum Investigation
Saturday 21st November 2009
Attending Investigators - Julie Harwood, Maria Street, Mark Wright, Amanda Horley, Simon Steadman, Rachel Steadman and Rob Butler.
Guest Investigator - Cameron Goater
Host - Stuart Orme
Introduction
Information from - www.peterborough.gov.uk
The museum building is reputed to be the most haunted in Peterborough!
Given the museum building has a long and varied history, this is perhaps not surprising.
The following are just some of the best known or most common phenomena reported:
A grey figure, said to be the 'Lonely ANZAC', First World War soldier Thomas Hunter who died in the building in 1916 from wounds received in France. His ghost is seen on the stairs or first floor corridor, and has most recently been seen in June 2009. A strange figure was also caught on camera on the stairs in April 2007.
A ghostly kitchen maid who fell to her death on the back stairs, did she fall, did she jump, or was she pushed? Female visitors report the impression of being pushed from behind by invisible hands, many people feel unwell in this area and strange noises have been heard.
A dark male presence has been seen and felt lurking near our recreation of a period shop on the first floor. Footsteps have been heard here, most recently in June 2008.
A ghostly Roman soldier is said to be connected for eternity to his sword, on display in our archaeology gallery. He has been most recently seen in September 2006.
A white lady who follows visitors around the upper floor of the building was seen most recently by two visitors in October 2008.
Poltergeist activity has been reported in one of the ground floor rooms - furniture has been found mysteriously moved overnight, most recently in September 2007.
A little girl returns in spirit form in the Geology gallery, leaving messages on tape recordings as well as terrifying a workman. She has also been seen on rare occasions, most recently in December 2008.
Our eerie ancient cellar has a particular reputation, where slamming doors, strange noises and a threatening male presence have been reported. Items have been thrown at some ghost hunters, most recently in April 2009. In addition a hooded figure, that looks like a monk or priest, has been seen in the cellar, again most recently in February 2009.
Banging doors, ghostly footsteps and voices, unaccountable smells, mysterious lights and orbs have all also been reported around the building...
Our knowledge of the Hauntings
Normally we approach each investigation with a sense of ignorance when it comes to its history of sightings however on this occasion (so I was able to see how the team managed it) we asked our host to give us the full low down on previous sightings, hot spots etc. This is something completely new to us as we never had this kind of briefing before an investigation. As a team manager I was interested to see how this effected members and if their experiences were heightened or lessened now they knew the history and history of sightings.
History of Peterborough Museum
The museum is situated on Priestgate in Peterborough city centre. This street dates back to the twelfth century when the current town plan was set down by the monks of Peterborough abbey. The origins of the name of the street are unknown.
The first recorded house on the museum site was in the 16th century, when a grand mansion was built there for the Orme family, who were given land in the area by King Henry VIII in 1538. This house, called Neville Place, is marked on a 1611 map of Peterborough and can be seen in a 1731 drawing of the city. The Orme family were MPs and magistrates for the city and were chiefly responsible for building the Guildhall in Cathedral Square which still stands today. Some stonework probably still survives from this original house in the cellars under the museum, and there may be more elsewhere in the building.
The main part of the current building dates from 1816, when it was a grand Georgian house for former Manchester businessman, now Peterborough magistrate, Thomas Cooke and his new wife Charlotte. He lived in the building until his death in 1854.
In 1856 the Priestgate mansion was sold to the 3rd Earl Fitzwilliam, who allowed it to be used as the city's first hospital, the Peterborough infirmary from 1857 until 1928. The building was altered after a fire in 1884, with wings being added on the side and an extension to the rear. The infirmary (left), run by a charitable trust, continued to outgrow the building, leading to the construction of a new hospital as a memorial to Peterborians killed in the First World War. Upon completion in 1928 the hospital was moved to this building, which is today part of the Peterborough District Hospital.
The museum building was acquired by Percy Malcolm Stewart, chair of the London Brick Company, and donated to the Museum Society. It was opened as the Museum in 1931, with the art gallery added in 1939.
The Peterborough Natural History Society and Field Club was founded in 1871 to promote interest in local natural history. Members included the surgeon at the hospital, Dr Walker (right) and local chemist Mr. Bodger. Within a decade the society had widened its interest and laid the foundation of a museum and a library. It became the Natural History, Scientific and Archaeological Society and in 1947 took its modern title of the Museum Society. When the Society began assembling the museum collections, with the first collection was kept in a cardboard box under a member's bed! Various buildings have housed the collection during its history, including a house on Park Road and a former chapel in the Cathedral Precincts.
The museum and its collections have been managed by the council since 1968, when the Museum Society gave them to the city. Many of the original Georgian features can still be seen today, as can traces of its use as a hospital - our modern conservation room is the old operating theatre!
Teams
We mixed up teams for the night and everyone had the chance to work with each other, changing teams each vigil. This was a much different way for us to work.
Vigil Area's
Ground floor (including 2 main galleries), reception area etc.
1st floor
2nd floor
Top floor (small area)
Itinerary
7.30pm Meet in Museum car park
8.00pm Meet our host Stuart
8.15pm Tour of the building
8.45pm Start equipment set up
9.45pm Pre vigil break
10.00pm Vigil 1
11.00pm Break
11.15pm Vigil 2
12.15am Break
12.45am Vigil 3
1.45am Break
2.00am Vigil 4
3.00am Pack upv
3.45am Depart
Personal Reports
Amanda Horley
When we arrived on what was a very wet and cold night it was a delight to find this building was very warm and welcoming. Stuart gave us a walk round, and as an experiment, Julie asked him to tell us some of the history and paranormal happenings to see how this affected the night for us, if at all. Whilst we were stood at the bottom of the stairs I felt that there was a child on the second floor watching us through the banisters. When we got to that level it felt to me like it was probably a boy, and Stuart confirmed that a child had been picked up in that area, but very little information had been got about it. Also on the second floor, in the Victorian kitchen area, I could smell wood smoke, particularly by the washtub. Again, Stuart confirmed that this had also been picked up on other occasions. When we walked down the office corridor I felt quite sick and uncomfortable, and when we got to the top of the servants' stairs, I really didn't want to stand with my back to the door leading into the corridor. It felt like I was going to be pushed. However, the floor did tilt forward slightly towards the stairs, and this could have affected how I was feeling. I was however slightly alarmed when Stuart confirmed that there were stories of a maid, who was pregnant, who ended up at the bottom of the stairs, and no-one knows if she jumped, fell or was pushed!
Vigil 1
On the first vigil, I was with Simon and we initially joined up with Julie and Rob for a glass divination in the first floor office. Despite having been recently decorated (it smelled of paint when we were doing the walk round) there was a distinct musty slightly sweaty smell in there. It felt like it was related to a man and my back felt incredibly cold. I was sitting near the window (which was shuttered) and Julie took the temperature on my back as 27°C. At the same time Julie who was sitting next to me felt that someone had breathed on her arm. I got the impression of a man in a top hat that was a "Sir" and possibly the name Peter. After a time the smell faded and my back felt a lot warmer. A further temperature reading showed that it had increased to 28.5°C. There seemed to be a couple of knocks in the room, but the glass didn't move.
We then split up and Simon and I went into the Roman room. This area was quiet for me. After a time we switched with Julie and Rob and went into the Dinosaur and Wildlife areas. The Dinosaur area felt very light and airy but I kept getting the impression that there was someone just around the corner. Stuart had talked about a young girl being sighted in this area, so I could have been expecting something based on that information. The only thing I can say is that when we walked into the wildlife area which was very dark, I did not feel uncomfortable, and enjoyed examining the display case containing numerous stuffed animals and birds, and particularly liked the kestrel which was hung in a hunting position. This is not normal for me as I hate looking at cases containing stuffed animals and birds, and actively avoid museums containing them.
As the vigil was coming to an end, we went back to join Julie and Rob who were looking for a sword. We had been told that something in the Roman room moved around from time to time, and Rob felt that he had to find a sword, which we assumed to be the item in question. We located a roman sword and assumed that to be the piece, until we left the room and returned to the corridor. Immediately Rob became very animated and started pointing at a case containing a Bronze Age sword. His arms were covered in goosebumps and his hands became sweaty as he was leaving palm prints on the glass of the case. He was talking in a different way to normal as well, using short sentences and being very authoritative. Several times he said that he was pleased that he had found it, and also that it was now safe. The card with the sword talked about it being found in the River Nene, and I assumed that this was what he was referring to. On the break, we talked about this to Stuart, and he told us that shortly after the sword was put on display, it was stolen and was missing for 13 years before being found in Germany and returned to the museum. It is one of the museum's most important pieces. None of that information had been given to us prior to the vigil, and Rob couldn't possibly have known it.
Vigil 2
On the second vigil I was with Maria, Mark and Simon and we started in the top floor operating theatre. For me this was quiet, although there were a couple of knocks on the windows that we couldn't replicate by rattling them. I also found the Norman Cross room quiet, as was the Victorian kitchen, which had no smell of wood smoke this time round.
Vigil 3
For the third vigil I was with Julie on the ground floor. We started off in the team room and again picked up on a gentleman with a top hat. We moved on to the Victorian schoolroom and both got the impression of someone who felt they were more important than they really were, a "snobby clerk". Neither of us felt particularly comfortable in there, and there were a couple of knocks that we couldn't explain. We then moved on to the front photo gallery, which felt like a very masculine room. Whilst sitting there we heard footsteps in the corridor coming towards us, but no one passed the door. A short time later Stuart came along the corridor and confirmed that no one else had been in the corridor to his knowledge.
Vigil 4
For the fourth vigil we split into two groups with the girls in one and the men in the other. We went back up to the first floor, and again started in the office. Again the glass didn't move, but again I had a cold back, despite sitting in a different place. We also went into the shop area, and the Roman room, but both were quiet for me.
I really enjoyed this investigation. On occasions I do know a little of the history of places we investigate, but I think on the whole I prefer to be kept in the dark. It was an interesting experiment to be told about the history and paranormal happenings but personally I don't feel that this influenced me particularly, as I was generally picking up on things that we hadn't been told about. Also, although Rob was right about it being a sword that gets moved around in the Roman room, that wasn't the one he was picking up on, and in the dark, we didn't actually see that one. Big thanks have to go to Stuart for looking after us so well, and this is definitely a place I would go back to.
Robert Butler
On arrival at the museum the weather was absolutely awful, the rain and wind were lashing around the building; perfect conditions for an investigation.
The building itself was lovely with so much history embedded in the walls and rooms themselves making for an interesting evening. The history curator took us on quick tour of the building and then we were ready to start the investigation.
Vigil 1
Julie and Rob with Amanda and Simon 1st floor.
We first went into the conference room by the little shop and tried to do glass divination. Whilst there I got a real sense of not being alone; there seemed five of us and not four. The glass failed to move for us but Amanda and Julie both felt the presence of a man in the room.
Julie and I went into the dinosaur room where a young girl had been sighted by other paranormal teams. We were calling out and I had this picture of what appeared to be a young girl in my head. She looked kind of street-urchin type with a dirty face, grubby feet and tatty clothes but from what I could sense she was happy and content with her life being grateful for what she had. I was then overcome with sadness and wanted to weep for some unknown reason. Julie took a photo of me and saw tears in my eyes. It was quite strange how I felt so sad then felt happy. We moved onto the history room where all the old Roman weapons and swords were kept. As Julie and I were walking around we again had the distinct feeling we weren't alone and there was lots of tapping noises.
As we were walking round the room I could feel the sense of power and authority as if something was mine, it was there and I was looking for it. We kept walking around the room and I couldn't sense anything was mine until we left the room and in front of us in the corridor was a large glass cabinet with what appeared to be an old rusty sword in. I was overcome with happiness that I had found it and then Simon and Amanda joined us in the corridor and was asking me questions about the sword and what it was used for. I continued to say that it was thrown in a river as an offering to me and at last I had found it. Amanda said my voice had changed to that of someone very regal. My arms were sweating and I was shaking like mad!
Eventually they managed to pull me away and the first vigil ended. During the break I asked the curator about the sword and he said it had been stolen from the museum and was found in an auction in Germany some years later. The sword was used as an offering to a person of high status or a god maybe and that the sword was the most important find in the museum. That was a great end to the first vigil.
Vigil 2
Julie Rachel Rob and Cameron 1st floor building
We then all went up together for the second vigil in the same rooms as the first one .As in the first room there was no glass movement although Rachel did have a rather dull thumping headache and couldn't explain why she had it. We then went again into the old weapon room and again I had the urge to look at the sword and talk about it although I didn't. We wanted to see if Cameron and Rachel would pick up on it but they never did. We then went back into the dinosaur room and started calling out to which we got definite knocking response to questions As we were in the room Rachel noticed that the trigger object we had put in there (a teddy rabbit) looked like it had moved slightly so I checked on my camera and had realised I had taken the picture at the wrong angle. I mentioned it and left it at that it wasn't until after the investigation that I got a message from Rachel which contained what appears to be a young girl laughing when I said I had taken it at the wrong angle!!. The vigil ended quietly and we then went for our second break.
Vigil 3
Maria and Rob second floor
Maria and I went up to the second floor for our third vigil. We went into the old kitchen room and began calling out. Although there was a feeling of not being alone nothing happened in this room.
We moved into the prisoner room and again began calling out. Nothing happened although there were a few taps and feelings of not being alone again but nothing substantial. We then met up with Rachel and Cameron and decided to go to the back stairs where a nurse was supposed to have died. We began calling out and the EMF meter started to respond when we asked questions. This was very interesting as the EMF meter did fluctuate considerably on the stairs and the temperature dropped a little then rose again. I was sat on the bottom stairs of the staircase and did saw a large anomaly out of the corner of my eye. The vigil ended quietly and we went for our break.
Vigil 4
Mark, Simon, Rob and Cam: Cellar
This was our final vigil in the cellar, which was reputedly the area of some hideous activity. As we entered the cellar we noticed a web cam set up on a pipe. This is apparently a live feed web cam for the museum website so people can watch for anything paranormal. We went to the end of the cellar and switched the lights off and began calling out. Mark decided to throw an object along the corridor to see if it would be thrown back but nothing happened. It was so dark in there we couldn't see a thing. We tried lots of different approaches when calling out but sadly nothing was seen felt or heard.
Overall then night at Peterborough museum was mixed for me with highs and lows and I would say definitely a beautiful and majestic building and some activity I could explain and some I couldn't. I would love the opportunity to go there again and see what else we can unravel about its past.
Maria Street
This was to be a long drive and my car was just not up to it, so thank you very much Amanda for the lift! We set off with Rob and Julie at12.30pm, and after a couple of stops, we reached Peterborough at around 5.30pm. We checked in to our hotel and just relaxed for a while before setting off for the museum. The weather was dreadful, torrential rain and gales, but this is just how I like it. As we drew up to the museum, we could not believe how grand it was. You could be forgiven for thinking it was actually a town hall. We met our host, Stewart, and we set up in our kit room. Stewart very kindly conducted a grand tour for us and it whilst we were on the walk round that I witnessed the best activity of the night for me. We were stood in the Portrait Gallery and Steward decided to close the door. I, however could see a member of our team out there and nearly said so but I did a head count first, only to discover, we were all accounted for. I asked Stewart if there had been sightings outside the room and he confirmed there had been. There was nobody else in the building but us that night so who could it have been?
Vigil 1
As the group was small we were split into teams of two for the first vigil. I was with Rachel and our first vigil was on the ground floor. We decided to start in the kit room and sat down to try a glass divination. We called out many times but the glass refused to move. We decided to ask for other things, such as taps or bangs instead, but this proved fruitless, so we made our way to the portrait gallery, from where I had seen the dark figure earlier. We settled down and called out. Apart from the sound of the lashing rain and the howling wind, we could not hear anything. It was very silent, even through the parabolic microphone. There were no light anomalies on the camcorder either and soon it was time for a break.
Vigil 2
For our next vigil we were in teams of four and I was with Simon, Mark and Amanda. We started in the old operating theatre. We called out and were interested to hear thumps, seemingly in answer to our questions. Further investigation proved this to be a window banging in the gale force winds. Once again, nothing showed on the camcorder. We moved on to the landing and Amanda had sensed a young child here earlier in the evening, peering through the banister rail at us. I had an image of a red haired boy and got the name of George. It all proved rather quiet though so we carried on to the exhibition room. We called out again but all remained quiet once more. We made our way to the French Prisoners of War room where Simon was feeling decidedly drunk! I was okay where I was stood and we soon moved on to the back stairs where I had the name of Catherine known as Kitty or Katie. Cam was holding the EMF meter on the stairs and it was ticking continuously. When we asked if this was the person's name, the EMF meter ticked a lot faster. I asked if she was with child and it ticked faster again. Other than this, the whole vigil was quiet for me, with no response to further calling out and no light anomalies found on the camcorder.
Vigil 3
For our third vigil, we split into two groups of two and Rob and I made our way to the old Victorian Room. There have been reports of a man laughing in here so we called out for him. It was all to no avail however so we made our way to the French Prisoners of War room. We decided on a different tack and called out in our schoolchild French. Fits of giggles ensued and we both felt quite merry in here.
Vigil 4
For our final vigil, it was girls versus the boys. The boys all headed down to the cellar whilst us girls explored the upper floors. We made our way to the Victorian room again and called out. However, all remained quiet again so we made our way to the old shops where the sighting of a little girl has been reported in the reflection of the glass. Although it was a little eerie, we could not evoke a response. All in all, Peterborough Museum was very quiet for me. On this particular night, they decided not to play. A big thanks to Stewart, our host, and to Amanda for the lift!