The Ghost of Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville and His Headless Canine: A Christmas Haunting

A merciless and insurgent knight is claimed to have cursed all of his properties he was robbed off. Now, it’s stated that the ghost of Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville is showing on Christmas Eve collectively together with his headless canine on his former estates.

Within the chilly stillness of Christmas Eve 1932, a small group of curious individuals gathered at a bridge over Pymms Brook in Oak Hill Park in East Barnet within the North London Suburb. Midnight approached, and with it got here the echo of “uncanny sounds” that beckoned them southwards. They adopted these spectral noises by way of the chilly evening till they reached Monks Frith, the place they had been met with an eerie sight they’d lengthy anticipated: the apparition of a headless hound. Moments later, the shimmering determine of a knight clad in silver armor and a flowing purple cloak appeared, finishing the haunting tableau.

Oak Hill Park and The Ghost Promenade

The group gathered at Oak Hill Park was not there by mere likelihood. That they had come to witness a haunting that has been whispered about for hundreds of years, a spectral procession that recurs each six years in the course of the Christmas season. The place the place he was seen was even referred to as The Ghost Promenade. 

In 1926 there was additionally a watchman at work in Church Hill Highway. In line with Mr. Gibson noticed the ghost as a skeleton, nonetheless sporting a steel breast plate and a black cape. When there was a gaggle making an attempt to remain on the night-watchman’s hut they didn’t see something, however heard all of it. In line with them, simply previous midnight, a rumbling of many hoofs got here by way of and the bottom shook. 

It’s stated that within the early Nineteen Thirties on a transparent summer season’s day, there was an historic oak tree by Church Hill Highway that, with none purpose, burst into flames. Though it was a lot speculated about, nobody actually discovered the explanation behind it and it simply become the numerous unusual issues stated to occur within the park. It was additionally stated that it was below this tree, the non secular self described prophet Joanna Southcott sat below when she received her visions left in her field. 

The ghostly knight and his headless canine companion are stated to roam the southern Hertfordshire and northern Middlesex areas, a chilling reminder of a turbulent previous. This spectral knight is none apart from Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville.

The Anarchy and Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville’s Curse

Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville lived by way of one in all England’s most chaotic durations, generally known as the Anarchy. This civil battle, characterised by brutal energy struggles between King Stephen and Empress Matilda for the English throne, noticed many noblemen shifting allegiances over the twenty years it lasted. 

Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville, the Earl of Essex, was a major determine throughout this time as the primary constable of the Tower of London, with manors in Barnet, South Mimms, and Monken Hadley. He was from an previous household together with his Grandfather appointed an earl by William the Conqueror. He was generally known as a crafty man although and his life was marked by betrayal to each side, insurrection, and excommunication and is claimed to have been the worst of the merciless and lawless barons throughout this period.

In 1143, after being arrested and stripped of his lands by King Stephen, Geoffrey launched a insurrection, seizing and fortifying Ramsey Abbey. He retreated as a insurgent and bandit within the fen-country east in England. There he used the Isle of Ely and the Ramsey Abbey as his headquarters and the legends round him grew.

His desecration of the abbey led to his excommunication by the Pope, and chronicler Henry of Huntingdon wrote that in Geoffrey’s occupation, “blood exuded from the partitions of the church and cloister adjoining, witnessing the divine indignation.”

Geoffrey died in battle in 1144 after being shot by an arrow when he was laying siege to Burwell Fortress, nonetheless below excommunication, and was denied a Christian burial.  His physique was positioned in a lead coffin by the Knights Templars; he was lastly accepted a burial throughout the Temple Church in London. Earlier than this although, his physique was left within the Previous Temple in Holborn for 20 years. Some say that it was hung from a tree within the casket.

The Haunting of The Granges

So the place had been the estates he owned? It’s stated that it was round ten. One is round East Barnet, the place the sighting of him will be seen in Oak Park. On prime of Mandeville’s previous fortress in East Barnet they constructed an previous home on prime of the Grange. After they dug into the foundations, disturbing it, a haunting began. They noticed stamping of footsteps and clanking of spurs. 

As with Oak Park, individuals additionally claimed to have seen the identical sight of a person on horse, dressed for battle.

Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville Haunting Hertfordshire Enfield Chase

Regardless of Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville’s tumultuous life largely unfolding away from Hertfordshire, his spirit is claimed to patrol the lands round Enfield Chase, an space that straddles Hertfordshire and Middlesex. These lands had been as soon as a part of his energy base, and his titles included Sheriff of Hertfordshire and was within the household for lots of of years. 

The precise purpose for his spectral presence in these areas is unclear, however it might be linked to a curse he allegedly laid upon the inspiration of Walden Abbey and different properties he owned.

He stated in the event you took away his endowments to it they might:  “really feel the curse of Almighty God, of St Mary, of blessed James the Apostle and of all of the saints on this current life; and that in life to come back could he obtain eternal torment with the traitor Judas, until he repents and makes amends.” 

This curse seemingly got here to cross throughout Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, probably binding Geoffrey’s spirit to those lands in everlasting indignation and making him return each 6 years to his former estates.

The Crimson-Cloaked Knight’s Return

Legend has it that Sir Geoffrey’s ghost, accompanied by his headless canine, seems each six years round Christmas Eve. The place the canine comes from although is unsure. Witnesses have described the headless hound as a chilling prelude to the knight himself, who follows carefully behind in his spectral armor and blood-red cloak, or black. This haunting presence serves as a stark reminder of the violence and curses of the previous.

The following anticipated sighting of the Crimson-Cloaked Knight and his ghostly companion is claimed to be in 2028. Those that discover themselves on the previous lands of Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville on Christmas Eve would possibly simply encounter the eerie figures which have haunted this space for hundreds of years.

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