WHORLTON CASTLE

It is understood that the Meynells acquired lands in this part of Yorkshire after the Norman
Conquest, and in the early part of Henry 1st's reign (1100-1135) Robert de Meynell gained
Whorlton by marrying Gertrude, daughter of Robert Fossard. First there was a wooden fort built then in the 12th Century a stone keep was built, The castle has lots of history and it is believed the marriage contract between Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley was signed in 1565. The village of Whorlton itself was destroyed by the Bubonic Plague. The castle had three families who owned it De Meynells, The Darcy's and then the Strangways.

PRESENT FROM AGH WERE MARK, ANGIE, TRACEY, JAZZ, KAT, ALAN, CHRIS S AND PETER.

We arrived at 11:30pm and Angie feels as though a red cross had been painted on the wall (during the bubonic plague one of the signs a household was infected was by painting a red cross on its door, the village of Whorlton was hit by the bubonic plague, in fact nearly the entire village was wiped out with out, but we are unable to find any record a red cross was painted on but it is likely), and when we entered the Castle as we did so Jazz felt straight away like he had his head touched, the team went through the castle to the rear towards the vaults once there Angie and Alan get the name Harold worked here. (I am at present unable to find any records of anyone who worked at the Castle so Harold is proving elusive)

The team walked around by the vaults and then entered the Castle again Angie looks up at a window to left side and says Elizabeth (there are two Elizabeth's, Elizabeth Meynell who married Robert Darcy the other is Elizabeth Darcy who was the elder daughter of Philip Darcy she had been left the Castle when he died) Mark asked who she was and she said I don't get a surname yet but she lived here I feel as though she owned the place. As she moves over to the right of the Castle she turns and says "Norman" but doesn't know what it means yet (This could be a referral to the Norman conquest) as Angie moves towards the main entrance again she feels as though her Temperature is rising and feels as though she is burning up and Chris S feels the same, just then both Angie and Tracey say Black Death (The village of Whorlton was once hit by the plague and nearly the entire population was affected, those who survived moved away) Angie gets a date of 1344 (the year Elizabeth Meynall married) but doesn't know why, as Jazz turns around he saw a figure move quickly he says it was just an outline and could not make it out. Angie and Chris S both feel like we are being watched by many people and say it feels as if we are being surrounded, Angie Mark and Jazz move back over to the left of Castle she says that Elizabeth's surname begins with an M (Elizabeth's surname is Meynell) just as she says that all three hear a very loud sigh directly behind Mark who was against the wall.

The team moved outside to the front of the Castle again and Angie looks back up at the left window she says Elizabeth is watching us now her name is Mennel or Meynell (Elizabeth's surname is Meynell) as she heard it very quickly, she describes her as wearing a grey / white colour clothing as she appeared and disappeared so quick (one of the main sightings at the Castle is a lady in grey or white). Angie also gets the name James but no more on that (when Elizabeth Darcy inherited the Castle she married Sir James Strangways). Angie gets a surname of Fitzmor!! something (the only one I can trace is a Gerald Fitzmorice who married Agnes Darcy one of Phillips children). Tracey gets the name Edward (the only Edward II can find in any connection to the Castle is EdwardII who hunted in the deer parks at Whorlton). Jazz asks was there any problems here with the civil war here, (It is believed the Castle saw some action Royalists held the castle, and it is believed Cromwell's Roundheads bombarded it from the nearby Whorl Hill and Toft Hill).

We re entered the castle and we stood to the left and Peter got a stabbing feeling in his ribs Angie says she has the name Harold and Alan gets the name at the same time (I am at present unable to find any records of anyone who worked at the Castle so Harold is proving elusive) They also get the name Isabella by Angie and Alan gives the name Bella (there was an Isabella Darcy). Angie also gets there is an Alice too but gets no more yet (there is an Alice Darcy and there is an Alice De Ross who married Nicholas De Meynell in 1330). Chris S looks back at the entrance and thought a dog had come in he said he could see a dog walk in then disappear. At the same time Alan seen a figure move 3 times in the same window it was the window where Angie had seen Elizabeth. Angie looks near the door and sees a man sat in an oak chair she gets this Residually Alan is still looking at the window when he saw a figure move Mark looked up and also seen what looked like someone move, Mark and Peter both look behind them and seen someone move and go towards the entrance but the whole group where in front of them, as the figure got to the entrance Angie and Jazz both turn and look and take a photograph each as they both thought they saw someone. Alan gets the name Walter somehow connected (the only Walter I can find is Walter Heron father of Emiline who married one of the John Darcy's in 1308)

We continued to look around when Mark and Alan could hear a noise outside so they went to inspect, as they came back inside Angie says she can sense a little girl running around as she says that she looks up and says Phillip I get the name Phillip and Darcy he's related to this place, (Phillip Darcy had owned the castle but when he died he left it to his daughter Elizabeth who married James) Angie says Elizabeth had a sister (Margery Elizabeth's sister married Sir John Conyers). After continuing to look around Jazz who had been stood in a small doorway moved very quickly and said he felt as though someone was behind him, as he moved away the whole team could see an outline but could not make out what it was. Angie and Alan get the name Robert, (as said above there is a Robert Darcy)

About 2am things had seemed to settle Chris S who was stood by Angie but with his back to her turned very quickly as he felt someone go by quickly at the same time Angie who is about a foot away said someone touched her ear the camcorder was pointing directly at them both and shows there was no contact between them.

We stayed until 2:30am and decided to leave as things had become very still

FINAL THOUGHT: great place for an invest the research was good none of the group knew where I was taking them we had met up at one place then drove for half an hour before reaching the location none of them had even heard of the Castle, so to get the names was good, but there the name John Phillip and Elizabeth run through generations of the family tree.

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