The Edinburgh McKenzie Poltergeist

Sir George McKenzie

This Poltergeist harms the living.

George McKenzie was a lawyer who lived in Edinburgh Scotland in the 1600s.

In 1662, King Charles ll wanted a group of Presbyterian Scots—known as Covernanters—to change their religion. They refused. He had once been their ally seeing them as his best hope to restore his crown but he grew to despise them.

King Charles ll in exile.

George McKenzie was the lawyer who signed the persecution papers for these descenters-- ministers and Christians. They then were either executed—many drawn and quartered-- or imprisoned.

Those who avoided execution experienced a fate worse than death. They were imprisoned in a place known as Covernanters Prison.

This prison used inhumane methods. The prisoners were left with little food, exposed to the cold winters—for there was no heat—and those that survived these conditions were eventually sold into slavery.

Covernanters Prison

Mckenzie was a legal scholar who wrote the first Scottish novel. He appeared by day to be a loving husband and father but he was a vile brute with a sadistic side. He had many of the prisoners at Covernanter’s Prison tortured and beheaded.

When George McKenzie died he was buried in Greyfriar’s Cemetery, which was near Covernanters Prison—many of his victims are buried here as well.

At the time of his death he had signed the deaths of over 18,000 enemies of the former King Charles ll.

His burial site, known as the Black Mausoleum, has Poltergeist activity connected to it.

McKenzie's tomb.

McKenzie's coffin.

People became acutely aware of this activity in 1998. A homeless man desperate for someplace warm vandalized the mausoleum that contains George McKenzie’s coffin. He crawled into a nearby empty coffin. It began to shake. He was then covered in the dust of the deceased.

A guard at the cemetery witnessed this event. Both men ran away, terrified. This was just the beginning.

The next day a female passerby looked in through the gates at McKenzie’s tomb. She stated she was “blasted off the steps by a cold force.”

Soon after, another female was found lying unconscious her neck covered in bruises as if someone had tried to choke her to death.

Did the homeless man awaken this angry spirit?

Even more reports about the ghost at Greyfriar’s Cemetery rolled in. The activity became so bad the city council closed this cemetery to the public.

However, a few years later ghost tours of Greyfriars Cemetery were offered.

What is unique about this case is Poltergeist activity normally only lasts a few weeks but in the Greyfriar case the activity is ongoing. Instead of it targeting one person or a family this activity targets many.

In fact, the McKenzie Poltergeist has targeted hundreds of people—especially those that take the tour. To date over 350 people have claimed they were attacked in this cemetery. One hundred and seventy have passed out. More have been physically injured including broken bones.

Attacks done by McKenzie Poltergeist.

It is believed that several of George McKenzie’s tortured victims also haunt this cemetery located on the southern edge of Old Town in Edinburgh.

Sag Harbor’s Armed Ghost

I love browsing through old newspaper accounts about ghosts, especially those written over a hundred years ago. 

One such article entitled “An Armed Ghost in Sag Harbor,” published in The New York Times in December of 1895 is one of my favorites. It has the distinction of being about a ghost that would hide behind bushes and jump out at people as they passed by.

The PDF archive of this article is free at the New York Times web site if you don’t have an account to view the link below just sign up by putting an email and password in.

New York Times Article

“The apparition usually jumps out from behind a bush…”

According to this 1865 article the women residents of Sag Harbor, New York were staying at home because they were scared and the men instead of walking home alone were opting to walk in groups. The article states that this ghost was often seen along the side streets of the village where there was less traffic.

The ghost was described as over six feet tall and wearing a distinct tall hat. The victims of the spirit were all men walking through the village at night. From their accounts, not many stayed around long enough to get a good look at the ghost.

According to this article, the sale of firearms increased significantly in the village for protection. 

The first citizen to shoot at the ghost was Bruce Sweezy who had bragged to all his friends that he would. So when he was confronted with the real spirit, he had no choice but to fire. Unfortunately, when he fired, his hand was close to the muzzle, so the bullet hit his hand instead, shattering the bone.

Another sighting occurred on Union Street. As John Tabor was walking home, a ghost jumped out from behind a group of bushes located in Charles W. Payne’s yard. Tabor reported he “did not stay around long enough to shake hands” but turned and ran reaching home quickly “out of breath and courage.”  

Tabor was the first witness to report that the ghost carried an army musket—he also stated the spirit was “big enough to whip half a dozen able-bodied men.”

The article states that the only witness brave enough to confront the ghost was Tom Sellors. Sellors said at first the ghost startled him (I imagine because it jumped out at him), but he was “determined to stand his ground.” 

He readied his fists and challenged the ghost “to come on.” Sellors stated the spirit then “turned around and left…” 

Despite the ghost backing down Sellors and his friends were “determined to capture the ghost.” It was stated they were giving up their Sunday visits to their girlfriends to pursue this spirit. 

There was even “a wager” made. But if Sellors and his group succeeded the village candy shop admitted they would not be able to supply the number of “boxes of candy” that were bet. 

The name of the writer of this article is not given, but it is obvious it was written tongue-in-cheek. What is interesting is that the prevailing view back then among the villagers was they could shoot a ghost, fight it, or even capture it.