The Phantoms of Edgehill

The Battle of Edgehill was the first battle fought during the English Civil War. Arriving at an impasse with the Parliamentarian government, King Charles l declared war and led his soldiers against the Parliamentarian army.

Parliamentarian cavalry break
through lines of the Royalist army.
Illustration by Ron Embleton

The King's troops were marching from Shrewsbury toward London when the Parliamentarian or Roundhead forces lead by the Earl of Essex intercepted them at Edgehill midway between Banbury and Warwick.

Over 30,000 troops clashed in this 3-hour battle on October 23, 1642. A thousand men were killed, and neither side was able to declare victory. The dead bodies were looted for their clothes and money, and the wounded were left to die where they lay.

Three months later these corpses were still strewn across this battlefield. Just before Christmas of 1642, a group of shepherds saw a strange sight. They watched, as the Battle of Edgehill was re-enacted in the sky above them.

They heard the cries of men as they died and horses’ screams. They also heard the clash of armor. They described to the local priest what they had seen and heard. He told them that he had also seen these phantom fighting soldiers.

After this, there were so many reported sightings of this unusual battle, a pamphlet by the Kineton villagers, detailing the sightings entitled, A Great Wonder in Heaven was published in January of 1643.

News of this ghostly activity reached King Charles’ ears. He sent a Royal Commission to investigate. These men also witnessed this phantom battle. They even reported recognizing some of the deceased soldiers' voices.

Fight for the standard.

One voice they recognized was that of the king’s standard bearer, Sir Edmund Verney. He had been captured during the battle and refused to give up the standard, so the Roundheads cut off his hand to take it. When the Royalists recaptured this standard, it is said that Verney’s hand was still attached to it.

The ghostly activity became so pronounced at Edgehill that the villagers decided they best give the fallen soldiers a Christian burial. When this was done, the sightings appeared to stop.

However, even today, people still report odd sounds and sights at Edgehill. Witnesses have heard the sounds of screams, battle cries, cannon fire, and the thunder of horses’ hooves. Apparitions are still seen.

It is stated these sights and sounds become more pronounced on the anniversary of this battle.

Monument at battlefield today.

Screaming Skulls

The myths surrounding Screaming Skulls are almost always connected to stately homes in England. These skulls, which are believed to contain a spirit, are still kept within these homes because it is believed that if they are removed it will result in a relentless haunting. 

Over the years not many investigations have been done because most of the homes that own these skulls are privately owned and are not open to the public. So separation of truth from myth has not been established but nonetheless these haunted skulls and the folklore that surrounds them is intriguing.

Most Screaming Skull stories have several elements in common. 

It is often stated that these skulls were discovered somewhere hidden in these homes and that they are the remains of a person who directly wished to be buried there. But it is these last wishes that cause the hauntings—for if these skulls are removed from the home and given a proper burial chaos ensues. 

This chaos includes strange noises, hauntings and even poltergeist activity if this deceased person’s last wishes are ignored. Early on, the people who encountered this activity tried to rid themselves of these skulls in a variety of ways. Some threw these skulls into lakes and rivers others tried to grind them up to get rid of them, others tried to burn them but it is stated that these skulls would reappear regardless of the method of destruction that was attempted.

Once these skulls were removed-- terrifying screams were heard along with other unnatural loud grunts and groans until finally these skulls were physically retrieved and placed back within the house. 

Because of this many of these skulls are kept in a prominent place in these homes—at the top of the stairs, on a ceiling beam or on a centrally located table. Some are even kept in glass cases. All in an attempt to show these spirits that their last wishes have been respected.

These stories often recount that these homes experienced bad luck when these skulls were removed. It is stated that terrible storms occurred, crops failed, livestock died or even family members died as a result of these skulls being removed. 

In contrast it is believed that if these skulls are left alone they actually bring good luck to the home and the family that resides within. Hence the prominent position they are given in most of these homes so they can rest in peace.

Screaming Skull stories are all relatively recent in English history. Most date from the middle of the 16^th century. One famous story surrounds the Bettiscombe Manor located in the village of Bettiscombe in Dorset, England.

This story involves a man, Azaniah Pinney whose involvement in the English Civil War, he supported the Duke of Monmouth, caused his banishment to the West Indies in 1685. 

While in the West Indies he became a successful businessman so when he returned to Bettiscombe Manor in England he was a wealthy man. He brought back with him an African slave. This slaves’ existence was one of misery and the legend states he died as a result of foul play. It is not known if he murdered someone or someone murdered him.

As this slave lay dying he announced that his spirit would not rest in peace until his body was taken back to his homeland. Pinney, contrary to his slave’s last wish had his body buried in a local churchyard. Soon after his spirit started to haunt in protest. Screams were heard coming from the grave and strange noises were heard within the house.

This continued until Pinney was forced to have the corpse dug up at which point it is said that he stored the body within the manor's attic. When several more attempts were made to rebury the body the screaming would always start up again. 

At some point during this process the body was lost and only the skull remained. The skull was then thrown into a nearby pond but the noises became so unbearable the skull was retrieved and it has been at Bettiscombe Manor ever since.

This story has been debunked in more recent times. It was discovered that this skull probably is that of a female and is much older than what was originally thought. Despite this the Bettiscombe Skull is still kept for good luck. It is kept in a box in a bureau drawer. In future posts I will share other Screaming Skull stories.

The Golden Arm

The following is an English fairy tale by Joseph Jacobs. This story has many variations.

 In a previous post, I mentioned a children’s story Teeny Tiny about a little old woman who finds a bone in a graveyard and takes it home to make soup. The ghosts then come and demand it back from her with the classic “Who has my bone... You’ve got it!” The Golden arm is another version which is much more morbid.

The following is most of what I remember of Jacobs’ fairy tale:

There once was a man who traveled all over the land in search of a wife. He met many women some pretty, some plain, some rich, some poor but not one of them inspired him to give up his freedom. 

Then one day he met a woman who possessed a golden arm. He married her at once, they were happy, and the other people in the town where they lived took note of this. Unfortunately, in reality, this man loved his wife’s golden arm more than he loved her.

When at last his wife died the husband took great pains to let everyone see how grieved he was at her loss. He wore a black suit and a long, somber face to her funeral. 

Soon after her burial, he went in the middle of the night to her grave where he dug up her body and removed her golden arm. He hurried home with his stolen treasure thinking that no one would ever suspect.

Safely home, he tucked the golden arm under his pillow. He fell asleep satisfied that it was finally his. 

To his shock, he awoke to the sound of his dead wife’s ghost gliding into the room. She stopped at the edge of the bed and looked at him with disapproval and reproach. 

Gathering his wits the husband swallowed his guilt and pretended not to be afraid, he spoke to his wife’s ghost.

“What happened to your checks so red?”

She replied in a hollow tone, “My death and the grave withered them away.”

“What happened to your red lips?’

“My death and the grave withered them away.”

“What happened to your golden arm?”

"YOU HAVE IT!"

When this story is told, the last part is always shouted in order to startle an unsuspecting listener. Therefore The Golden Arm is a traditional jump story.

The following recording on YouTube is an album that was produced in the 1970s. It was entitled “Scary Spooky Stories”, Troll Records put it out. 

My favorite story told on it is "The Golden Arm," I first heard this version at a friend's house as a preteen; I remember it well because at the time it scared me.

They say when the wind howls late at night, it is Elvira coming to get her golden arm…