A haunting so violent and aggressive it's known around the world. Things being thrown, including a full sized grandfather clock. Menacing voices, and scratches. Full body apparitions and other poltergeist activity. Also, a young girl being dragged up a flight of stairs by her throat.
A full ten years before the Amityville house became known, an English family bought a seemingly serene brick house to call home on quiet 30 East Drive in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Jean and Joe Pritchard bought the so-called Black Monk House to live in with their two teenage children, Phillip and Diane, and Jean’s mother, Sarah.
The main legend behind the black monk home, as it is known, has to do with a disgraced monk. In the town's history the local gallows were situated across the street from where the home now stands. A disgraced monk, accused of raping and killing a young girl was hung at the very gallows. This mixed with the appearance of the main entity in the home gave the property its current name.
Joe and Jean left Sarah and their kids at home while they took a vacation the summer after they moved in. While left alone, the kids noticed chalk falling from the ceiling out of nowhere. They also saw pools of water collecting on the floor, despite the fact that no source for the water was visible. Sarah tried to soak up the water, but each time she did, more would appear.
When Joe and Jean returned home, they reported seeing a spirit wearing black monk robes that appeared to be hanging over their bed in mid-air. This apparition would continue to make appearances throughout the Pritchards’ stay in the home, eventually giving the house its name.
The land itself faced 100's of years of interesting history. English civil wars, battle, and bloodshed. It is possible that the land still carries some of the energy of the lives lost during these campaigns.
The number of insane events continued to increase. Things were being thrown. All the way from pebbles to flower posts, and a grandfather clock. Pictures were found torn or slashed around the home. Also, horrible smells would pop up at random times throughout the home.
The monk-like figure kept appearing throughout the home on a consistent basis. After some time of relatively peaceful activity, things took another dark turn. Diane claimed that the monk grabbed her by her neck and dragged her up the stairs. By this point, the Pritchards were terrified, more than a couple exorcisms were performed on the home.
However, the exorcisms seemed to anger the spirit or entities withing the home. the events continued onward in this aggressive tone. Eventually word got out and the press heard of the haunting. Once the press became aware and the locals found out things got a little muddled. More or less, the story got out, most of the town thought the family made the whole thing up.
The home is one of those Mecca type investigations for those investigators who are brave enough to make the trip. There are multiple reports of investigations cut bery short due to the amount of activity. i found an episode of Paranormal Lockdown, which is a pretty solid show. The investigators are Nick Groff and Katrina Wiedman, tow of the few i actually respect in the field of TV hunters.
They were locked down for 100 hours. They received some very interesting evidence. Thrown objects, voices, apparitions. Pretty much everything one could hope for. it seems the home, even to this day is still highly active. They did not leave but it was one of the most active episodes I had ever seen of the show.
The house remains locked up and chained closed in order to protect the home and any who would have the nerve to enter it. I certainly am not adding it to my investigation bucket list any time soon!!!
Comments