Old Rectory, Epworth facts for kids
The Old Rectory in Epworth, Lincolnshire is a beautiful building. It was rebuilt in 1709 in a style called Queen Anne. Today, it is owned by the Methodist Church of Great Britain. They have restored it and now use it as a museum.
This rectory was the home of the local church leader, called a rector. From 1697 to 1735, Reverend Samuel Wesley lived here with his wife Susanna. They had 19 children! One of their sons, John Wesley, grew up to start a major Christian movement called Methodism.
In 1709, while the Wesley family lived there, the original wooden rectory burned down. It was then rebuilt using bricks. The Old Rectory is a very important historical building, listed as Grade I.
In 1954, the Church of England sold the rectory to the British Methodist Church. The World Methodist Council helped with money to buy it. An architect named Thomas Rayson helped restore the building. Some parts of the outside were changed back to how they looked when the Wesleys lived there. Today, a group of trustees manages the Old Rectory. These trustees are chosen by the British Methodist Church and the World Methodist Council.
The Mystery of Old Jeffrey
The Old Rectory is also known for some strange stories. People claim that unusual events happened there in 1716. The Wesley family was living in the house at the time.
The Wesley Poltergeist Claims
The stories about the Epworth Rectory are some of the most famous English poltergeist claims. A poltergeist is said to be a ghost that makes noises and moves objects. From December 1716 to January 1717, people claimed the house had many loud noises. There were knockings that happened regularly.
Wesley's daughter, Hetty, gave the spirit a nickname: "Old Jeffrey." People said Old Jeffrey made his presence known to everyone on Christmas Day in 1716. Mrs. Wesley described a lot of noise upstairs. She said it sounded "as if several people were walking, then running up and down stairs." She worried the children would be scared.
According to the story, Mrs. Wesley and her husband searched the house. They looked for who was making the noise but found no one. Yet, "Old Jeffrey" kept "rattling and thundering in every room." He even supposedly blew an invisible horn very loudly. The stories say "Old Jeffrey" disappeared in January 1717, just as suddenly as he had appeared.
Looking for Explanations
Over the years, people have tried to explain these strange events. Addington Bruce wrote about the haunting in 1908. He noticed that the earliest records were different from later stories. Bruce said the original records from the 1700s described only creaking, knocks, footsteps, or groaning sounds.
He believed that people's memories might have made the stories bigger over time. He suggested that Hetty, one of the Wesley daughters, might have caused some of the strange events herself.
Another person, Trevor H. Hall, wrote a book in 1965 called New Light on Old Ghosts. In his book, he also offered natural explanations for what happened at the Rectory. He suggested that there were logical reasons for the noises and events.
