The Transcontinental Ghost of Raynham Hall

Transcontinental Ghost of Raynham Hall: The Haunting Similarities of Two of The Most Haunted Places In The World

In the town of Oyster Bay in Long Island, New York, sits The Raynham Hall Museum, once home to the Samuel Townsend family.

This twenty-two room historic house, located on 20 West Main Street, played an important role during the Revolutionary War when, for a six-month period between 1778 and 1779,  Raynham Hall became British headquarters.

During that time, as legend has it, Samuel's daughter, Sally, overheard a discussion about Benedict Arnold's plot to surrender the fort to the British. Though the plot was thwarted, Major Andre was captured and hanged, and Benedict Arnold escaped.

The Samuel Townsend family moved into Raynham Hall in 1738. By 1740, the Townsends had added eight rooms to the original four-room Raynham house. Samuel, his wife, Sarah Stoddard Townsend, and their eight children lived in the home.

Several incidents of a haunting nature later occurred in the Townsend home – unexplained noises and smells, such as the sound of footsteps and the scent of pipe tobacco. Ghostly apparitions appeared on the stairs (Major Andre, perhaps), and temperature changes occurred frequently.

Another story about Raynham Hall centers around the relationship between Sally Townsend and Colonel John Simcoe during the Revolutionary War. When the war was over, John returned to England and married. Sally, still in love with John, never married and died in the home, heartbroken. Some people attribute the hauntings at Raynham Hall to Sally's afterlife presence.

The haunting story of Raynham Hall actually begins prior to the hauntings on Main Street, though. It begins in England with a girl by the name of Dorothy Walpole (sister of Britain's first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole), whose father was given the role of guardian to Charles Townshend (note the difference in spelling) when he was only 13 years old. When Charles turned 27, he fell in love with Dorothy, who at that time was 15.

The stories vary as to how Dorothy lived her life; they also vary about how her life ended – some sources say she died when she fell (or was pushed) down the stairs at Raynham Hall – others say she died of smallpox. Some say she ended up marrying Charles, but was treated miserably by him. Whatever the actual circumstances concerning the Brown Lady, the stories conclude with one everlasting mystery – is Dorothy the ghost who haunts England's Raynham Hall?

The photo of the Brown Lady was taken in Raynham Hall in England. Seems the Townshend/Townsend families like to haunt staircases.

Tours for Raynham Hall in the United Sates are open Tuesday through Sunday 1:00-5:00 P.M. They are closed Mondays and most national holidays. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students. Children under six are free. And if you want to add an audio tour to your admission, add another $1. For further information, call 516-922-6808.

Sources:

http://theunexplainedmysteries.com/images/The-Brown-Lady-of-Raynham.jpg

http://theunexplainedmysteries.com/brown-lady-of-raynham.html

http://www.raynhamhallmuseum.org/ The Raynham Hall Museum

http://www.ghostdatabase.co.uk/articles/raynham/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynham_Hall_Museum

http://www.oysterbaytown.com/

http://www.raynhamhallmuseum.org/

http://www.castleofspirits.com/brownlady.html

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/raynham.html

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