In the old Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, there are still prisoners that never got out. Strange occurrences for those that have worked there, tells that the prison is haunted by the former inmates, and some of them are more dangerous than others.
Dublin, a city steeped in history and rich in tales of the past, boasts many sites that have witnessed significant events. One such place is Kilmainham Gaol, a foreboding structure of a prison with a chilling history that extends beyond its closure in 1924.
Although Europe’s largest unoccupied prison, Kilmainham Gaol has earned a reputation for its spectral inhabitants who continue to roam its corridors and cells.
A Notorious History of a Haunted Prison
Kilmainham Gaol, situated in County Dublin, has a storied past dating back over 200 years. Built in 1796, the prison initially housed criminals from various backgrounds, but it is most famously associated with its role during Ireland’s fight for independence. The gaol became a symbol of oppression, as many of Ireland’s most prominent political and revolutionary figures were incarcerated within its grim confines.
Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from Ireland
The prison was really made to be a better place to serve time than in the old gaol, however, it soon faced the same problem: overcrowding. This led to disease, poor hygiene and there wasn’t even a proper separation between the men, women and children serving time.
Kilmainham Gaol: The old prison in Dublin was notorious for being overcrowded with horrible conditions for those serving time in the prison. The inmates that never escaped the bars are thought to be haunting the place to this day, and those visiting and working report on many strange experiences while inside of the gaol.
That meant those imprisoned for just stealing a loaf of bread because of hunger were thrown in with notorious murderers and rapist, and there was little to no help to avoid those that wanted to hurt you.
The cramped cells, imposing stone walls, and eerie silence that permeates the gaol today are chilling reminders of the past. Kilmainham Gaol’s significance lies not only in its role as a place of incarceration but also as a site of execution and public hangings that took place at its entrance.
The Haunting of Kilmainham Gaol
In 1960, the Kilmainham Gaol Restoration Committee was formed to preserve this historic site, but those involved in the restoration quickly found themselves entangled in paranormal phenomena. These eerie encounters have left a lasting impression on all who have attempted to breathe new life into the gaol’s history.
Governor Dan McGill, who resided in the old warden’s quarters while overseeing the restoration efforts, experienced one particularly chilling incident. One night, he was startled to see the lights in the old chapel suddenly turn on after he had just switched them off. Intrigued and unnerved, he ventured to the chapel, only to find it empty. Repeatedly turning off the lights and returning to his quarters, McGill was confused to see them inexplicably illuminate again when he peered out the window.
Other restoration workers shared equally spine-tingling experiences. One worker, tasked with renewing the Echoing Corridor, recounted hearing unexplained footsteps ascending the stone stairs and echoing through the hallway behind him. These eerie footsteps would cease, only to start again intermittently throughout the day.
Read More: Check out all of the Haunted Prisons around the world
In another instance, a worker heard approaching footsteps, but upon looking up, saw no one. The only evidence of a presence was an icy chill that enveloped the air. These spectral footsteps, reminiscent of a soldier’s brigade, were a recurring theme in the gaol’s unsettling history.
The Danger of the Ghost Haunting the Prison
There are not only vague signs of hauntings like a flickering light or the sound of footsteps that have been told in Kilmainham Gaol. In one instance, the supposed ghost turned violent:
One man claimed that while he was painting in the dungeon, he was thrown across the room and pinned to the wall by some kind of force he couldn’t see, nor touch. He struggled to get free and when he was able to escape he promised he would never return to that place ever again.
Haunted Prison: While most of the haunting that are reported on inside of the prison seems to be vague, calm and hurts no one, there are stories about a force lingering in the prison that are so powerful and violent that they have caused people harm.
Who are the ghosts haunting the prison, long after their time is served? There have been no particular names, but it is believed to be a crowd of those that used to serve time there, and perhaps never got out again.
Visit the Haunted Kilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Gaol, with its chilling history and the lingering presence of restless spirits, remains a captivating and haunting site. Its role in the struggle for Irish independence has forever etched it into the annals of history, and the paranormal encounters reported during its restoration only add to its mystique.
Visitors to Kilmainham Gaol today can stand in the very places where Irish revolutionaries spent their final days, experience the eerie echoes of footsteps in echoing corridors, and perhaps even catch a glimpse of the spectral inhabitants who continue to call this imposing prison home.
Uncover the hidden shadows of England’s majestic Tower of London, home to stories of more than one ghost haunting the rooms, the hallways and the prison cells from many dark parts of England’s history.
Shrouded in centuries of fear and mystery, the ancient walls of the Tower of London on the north bank of the River Thames, hide within them a plethora of ghost stories that have been passed down through generations.
From secret passageways to encounters with mysterious apparitions, visit the legendary Haunted Ghosts Tower to uncover its dark history and uncover its spine-tingling tales of beheaded royals, tortured prisoners and missing princes as well as menacing forces following the guards.
The History of the Tower of London
Since its inception in 1066, the Tower of London has served as a royal residence, prison, armory and execution site. The White Tower gave the castle its name and was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. It was a symbol of the oppression over London after the new Norman ruling class.
Over the centuries it has seen kings and queens come and go, watched prisoners be tortured and witnessed countless executions within its walls. It ended up being a symbol of royal power and one of the most secure fortresses in the country. It is not only a stronghold of history but also an enduring source of horror stories that continue to haunt us today.
The Tower of London is known for its grisly past, having been the home to many famous and infamous prisoners until 1952. These included some of England’s most treasured monarchs, such as Anne Boleyn who was beheaded on May 19th 1536 and Sir Walter Raleigh, imprisoned in 1603 by King James I.
Other more notorious prisoners held at the tower were Guy Fawkes and conspirators involved in the Gunpowder Plot, who were later hung, drawn and quartered.
Ghosts in the Tower of London
The Tower of London is reportedly one of the most haunted places in England, possibly due to its long and dark history. Ghostly figures are said to wander the dungeons, some even claiming to have seen Anne Boleyn’s headless ghost roaming its corridors.
Lady Jane Grey
One of the most recorded ghost sightings is that of Lady Jane Grey, a young girl who was crowned Queen for nine days before she was imprisoned and eventually beheaded at the ripe age of 17.
The Execution of Lady Jane Grey: An often spotted ghost in Tower of London is Lady Jane Grey. This is an oil painting by Paul Delaroche, completed in 1833, which is now in the National Gallery in London. It was enormously popular in the decades after it was painted
She was originally put as a queen to prevent the Catholic Mary Tudor from sitting on the throne. She first came to the Tower for her coronation, but was soon back as a prisoner. Mary I was ready to spare both her and her husband’s lives if they converted to catholicism. Lady Jane, a devout protestant refused. She was executed on 12 February in 1554 on Tower Green.
She is seen as a lonely ghost, wandering the battlements of the Tower. Her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley is also supposedly haunting the place. He can be seen in Beauchamp Tower, sitting in his cell and crying in the middle of the night.
Ghost of Henry VI
Henry IV was the only English monarch to have been crowned King of France as well and he inherited the Hundred Years War from his uncle. He was crowned king of England at only nine months, the youngest person to have succeeded the English throne.
This was also the start of The War of Roses, a series of civil wars and Henry VI was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1465, reinstated as king in 1470, but then imprisoned again in 1471.
Henry VI died that year, possibly killed on orders from King Edvard IV who took his crown.
Henry VI: Depiction of Henry enthroned, from the Talbot Shrewsbury Book, 1444–45. Although the official death was that he died of melancholia, however, many think he was assassinated in The Tower of London.
Strange legends started to form around the late king after his death and he was hailed as a martyr and a saint that had done plenty of miracles. It is also said that he is one of the ghosts still haunting the tower.
It is said that he is seen at the last stroke of midnight in the Wakefield Tower, where some say he was praying when he was stabbed to death.
Margaret Pole
Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury was a powerful woman who was one of the few of the House of Plantagenet to have survived the Wars of the Roses.
She was tried and sentenced to death to be executed whenever the king wanted. She spent two and a half years in the Tower of London as a prisoner before her execution happened in 1541.
Margaret Pole claimed her innocence until her last hour. This poem was found carved on the wall of her cell:
For traitors on the block should die; I am no traitor, no, not I! My faithfulness stands fast and so, Towards the block I shall not go! Nor make one step, as you shall see; Christ in Thy Mercy, save Thou me!
Margaret Pole: This is an Unknown woman, formerly known as Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, by unknown artist, given to the National Portrait Gallery, London in 1931. Margaret Pole led an especially bloody execution in the Tower of London.
The execution is said to have been bloody and grisly and the proud lady refused to kneel on the scaffold as that was for traitors, and she was none. The executioner had to chase her around as she tried to run and hacked her to death. She is now thought to be one of the many nobles that are haunting the Tower of London with her screams echoing on the Tower Green.
The Many Ghosts of Anne Boleyn
Many believe that the ghost of Anne Boleyn haunts the Tower of London due to her untimely demise. She married Henry VIII and altered the British church forever when she did so as the king had to divorce his original queen and wife for it. They were only married for three years though and she was unable to give him any sons. What she did though was give birth to what would be Queen Elizabeth I that would be one of the longest regents in the country.
During King Henry VIII’s reign, she was famously arrested, accused of treason and beheaded in 1536 at the Tower and has since become one of the most famous people in England’s history.
Haunted: The ghost of Anne Boleyn are said to be haunting, not only the Tower of London, but have been seen on several locations. Here is a painting depicting Anne Boleyn imprisoned in the Tower.
Anne Boleyn is supposedly a very busy ghost and she is said to haunt not only the tower but Hever Castle, Blickling Hall, Salle Church as well as Marwell Hall.
In the Tower of London she supposedly haunts the chapel of Church of St Peter ad Vincula in the tower where she is buried. She is also said to walk around the White Tower and on the Tower Green where she was held captive until her execution.
Her ghost is often spotted wearing a gray dress and walking with her head tucked under her arm—mirroring how she was killed. According to legend, if you see her apparition it means that death is soon to come.
The Mystery of the Missing Princes
One of the greatest mysteries in English history remains unsolved—the fate of the two young princes whose uncle, Richard III, had them sent to the Tower of London in 1943 where they were never seen again.
The Murder Mystery of the Tower of London: King Edward V and the Duke of York (Richard) in the Tower of London by Paul Delaroche. The theme of innocent children awaiting an uncertain fate was popular amongst 19th-century painters.
They were the sons of the late King Edward IV and were 9 and 12 years old when their father died and they were sent to the Tower of London. They grew up in great political turmoil during the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars of two branches of a family were fighting for the seat of the throne.
During their disappearance many assumed that Richard III was responsible for their murder, although this has since been disproven, or at least, bare little hard evidence to. But the most talked about theory is still that they died or were murdered pretty soon after they disappeared. To this day no one knows what happened to them, giving rise to a host of different theories about the missing princes.
Many of the paranormal activity and ghost sightings have been connected to the two missing princes, and many believe they are some of the ghosts that never left the tower at all. They are seen holding hands and wearing nightshirts in the White Tower as well as playing and giggling on the battlements.
Sir Walter Raleigh
Other ghosts that are said to haunt the Tower is that of Sir Walter Raleigh who were imprisoned in the tower once for a secret marriage and the second time for treason. The second imprisonment ended in an execution and his ghost is said to haunt the Bloody Tower where he was held.
The Ghost in the Bloody Tower: Many of the prisoners were political prisoners, often charged of being traitors. Sir Raleigh just before he was beheaded – an illustration from circa 1860.
The Ghost of Sir Walter Raleigh is also said to be seen along the battlements who is now known as Raleigh’s Walk
Arabella Stuart and the Unknown Ghosts
The Gray Lady is an unidentified ghost as well, but she is haunting the Queen’s House of the Tower and her presence is only seen by female visitors. This place is also where the ghost of Arbella Stuart is seen after she was either murdered or refused to eat at all.
Lady Arabella Stuart: She was at one time considered heir to the English and Scottish thrones, though she did not aspire to them. She died of self-inflicted starvation in the Tower of London, in 1615.
Other unnamed ghosts that have been reported on are the White Lady whose presence is made known by the smell of cheap perfume that has made visitors sick.
The Legendary Guy Fawkes
Remember, remember the Fifth of November, The Gunpowder Treason and Plot, I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder Treason Should ever be forgot.
Fawkes led the infamous Gunpowder Plot with a group of English Catholics that planned to kill the Protestant King James by blowing up the parliament. They were found out though and the plot failed and Fawke was arrested and sent to the Tower.
After torture, possible “on the rack” a famous torture instrument in the Tower, he gave in and told them all about their plan and named his accomplices as well.
Interrogated and Tortured: Guy Fawkes 1570-1606 interrogated by James I 1566-1625 and his council in the King’s bedchamber, from Illustrations of English and Scottish History Volume I (1884).
For his execution in 1606 he was dragged from the Tower to Westminster to have the last sight be the building he tried to destroy. He was the last to die and had to watch his accomplices be hanged. He begged forgiveness of the King and the state as he walked to the scaffold. He was hanged and his body parts were distributed to the four corners of the kingdom as a warning sign to others that had their mind on treason.
Guy Fawkes are also one that are said to haunt the grounds and some claim to hear his screams from where he supposedly was tortured. .
The Animal Ghosts
Can animals become ghosts? According to the lore in the Tower of London, there are plenty of them. Having exotic animals like lions, pumas, tigers and elephants were something the rich often were gifted and a popular thing to have in your home to show off your wealth and power.
The most famous animal ghost in the Tower was a grizzly bear that supposedly charged at a guard around the Jewel Room who died of a fever two days later. There have also been spotted a Black Bear near the Martin Tower in 1816.
Explore the eerie secrets and dark history of the most haunted prison, Alcatraz! Get ready to be chilled to the bone by these haunting ghost stories from both the prison guards and inmates.
If you are curious about the darkest secrets of Alcatraz, then you have come to the right place. Get ready to be spooked by tales of death, hauntings, and other eerie happenings in one of America’s most notorious prisons – Alcatraz.
What is the History of Alcatraz?
Alcatraz was a prison in San Francisco Bay that operated from 1934 to 1963. Located on a rocky island, the prison housed some of America’s most dangerous criminals, including mobsters Al Capone.
Alcatraz is notorious for being home to some of America’s most dangerous criminals, including gangsters and murderers. Al Capone, known as “Scarface” from his days as a Chicago mobster, spent four years in Alcatraz before being released due to poor health.
Other notable prisoners included Machine Gun Kelly, Robert Franklin Stroud – the “Birdman of Alcatraz” – and the John and Clarence Anglin who attempted the iconic 1962 escape attempt.
Despite strict security, escape attempts were said to be frequent even after they closed it down as a prison in 1963. Today it is a tourist attraction and many believe the infamous prison is haunted by the ghosts of its former inmates and guards.
Read about more haunted prisons around the world: Here
Paranormal Activity Reported Inside Alcatraz
In addition to its infamous inmates, there have been reported sightings of paranormal activity inside the prison walls. Reports claim that the ghostly sounds of laughter, screams and metal clanging can all be heard throughout Alcatraz at night.
Others report seeing apparitions standing in front of bars as well as mysterious figures roaming around the deserted hallways of the cell block. These spooky tales have remained a mystery over time.
The Ghost Story of the Birdman
The most well-known ghost story of Alcatraz revolves around an inmate named Robert Stroud, also known as the “Birdman of Alcatraz.” It has been said that haunting cries of birds can still be heard echoing off the walls of Alcatraz after the prison shut down in 1963.
It is believed that these are the same cries he kept hearing while caring for birds while he was incarcerated. Additionally, some have reported seeing his ghost wandering around the prison grounds late at night.
Other Notable Spooky Legends Related to Alcatraz
Other than the story of Robert Stroud, there are a few other notable legends surrounding Alcatraz that make it one of the most haunted places in America. Reports of strange glowing orbs, mysterious whispers, and fountains running with blood have all been attributed to this infamous prison.
Additionally, some believe it is still haunted by its former prisoners who died during their time here. Whether or not you believe these stories, the dark history of Alcatraz will leave you feeling like you’re being watched…even today!
If there is one place a haunting is taking place, it is prisons. So much regret, vengeance and the hunt for justice and despair is echoing through the walls. And the ghost of Eastern State Penitentiary is said to haunt the place, even after it closed down as a prison.
The Eastern State Penitentiary is a massive building. All stone, rising from the ground like an old fortress in Philadelphia, built to keep people inside.
The Eastern State Penitentiary has housed some of the most scary criminals, like Al Capone for example. Hard boiled criminals shut away for a long time. The people outside these walls will never know. Perhaps they are happy about it. As long as they are locked away, they say. They deserve it all, they say.
Read Also: Check out all of our ghost stories from Haunted Prisons from all over the world.
In the court system it is said that the punishment is suppose to fit the crime. One can wonder if the criminals got a punishment worse than the crime itself. This is Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia.
The Eastern State Penitentiary is reportedly a haunted prison and the location has made an appearance of many of the paranormal ghost hunting shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures and BuzzFeed Unsolved.
Haunted Isolation in the Early Days of Eastern State Penitentiary
When the Eastern State Penitentiary was built it was the most expensive building in the USA. opened in 1829 they brought isolation to new heights. Not only were they to be separated from people from the outside. In this prison, the idea was that they would be separated from everything.
The Prison of Isolation: the Eastern State Penitentiary practice isolation for the prisoners because they thought it would help reform them and help them spiritually.
The prisoners that were sent there, really did everything in isolation. They lived alone, worked out alone and ate alone. Even when they were transported from place to place they were doing it all alone.
When a prisoner left his cell, an accompanying guard would wrap a hood over his head to prevent him from being recognized by other prisoners. Everything was done in isolation.
It was all done it good faith at the start as the though of reformation instead of punishment was strong in the initial prison design. The idea was that silent contemplation was meant to be helpful in the prisoners rehabilitation and road to a crime free life. Instead, it ended up as a particular form of torture. The cells were made of concrete with a single glass skylight, representing the “Eye of God”, suggesting to the prisoners that God was always watching them.
But this was a long time ago, right? It was to people in a different time. They wouldn’t do this to people today, right? Well, the prison didn’t close its doors until the seventies. They had to do something with the isolation because of overpopulation from 1913. Too many prisoners to keep them separate. But is wasn’t necessarily to the better and the prison operated all uptil 1971.
Eastern State Penitentiary Famous Inmates
Although it in the earlier days of the prison, it housed mainly petty criminals incarcerated for various robbery and theft charges like muggers and purse-snatchers. first-time offenders often served two years.
But as the prison operated for a long time, the Eastern State Penitentiary housed many of the well known prisoners that had done serious crimes and served long sentences like the bank robber Willie Sutton that served 11 years in the prison and was one of the prisoners that tried to escape after digging an underground tunnel in 1945. or the American gangster Al Capone, also known as Scarface who was known for being Public Enemy No. 1 in his time. They served her after the isolation concept of the prison stopped.
In Al Capone’s case, it can seem like the prison was a haunting experience for him as well. He spent 8 months in the prison from 1929 and had many benefits and even his cell was decorated with luxury of fine furniture, oriental rugs and a personal radio, making it a cozy room almost. Even with all of his privileges, he had trouble sleeping and was heard at night, screaming that the ghost of someone named Jimmy had to leave him alone. The guards also claimed to her him have full conversation with this Jimmy as well.
Scarface in Eastern State Penitentiary: Alphonse “Scarface” Capone got his first taste of prison life in Philadelphia. When he was arrested outside a movie theater for carrying a concealed, unlicensed .38 caliber revolver. Capone’s arrest came at a time of escalating mob violence in Chicago, and he was often accused of hiding in prison intentionally.
Even after he got out from prison he saw this Jimmy and even hired a medium to get rid of it, but according to the story and the rest of his story, it didn’t look like it worked.
It is believed that the Jimmy, Al Capone though he was haunted by was Jimmy Clark, one of the people that Al Capone had killed during the Valentine’s Day Massacre.
In the end he was even committed to a mental hospital because of his visions and mental health. Whether it was because he was really haunted, or rather because of his syphilis is hard to tell.
Place of Torture at Eastern State Penitentiary
One should think that when you get your judgement, that is it. This is your punishment. But no, once inside the prison walls, the punishment for minor offences can get you in a lot of problems, and in a lot of pain. One example of the punishments that were around was to chain the tongue of a prisoners to his wrist.
As well as their habit of isolating the prisoners, a form of torture in itself, the prisoners were also subject of being subdued in freezing water, being strapped to a chair for days and and putting the worst behaved prisoners into a pit called “The Hole”, an underground cellblock dug under cellblock 14 where they would have no light, no human contact, and little food for as long as two weeks.
Torture in the Prison: Although the initial thought of the punishments was to help the prisoners reform and grow spiritually, the fact was that many of the prisoners serving time for petty theft were subjected to harsh torture.
All of these past history and ways of life have helped to form the narrative that some of the former prisoners must surely haunt the place that put them through all of this.
Haunted Places in the Eastern State Penitentiary
There are many location inside of the prison who is said to be more haunted than others and the people that used to serve time there as prisoners or worked there as prisoners have all stories to tell. Even those working there now as staff or visitors claim to have experienced paranormal activity, everything from hearing footsteps, whispers, seeing visions or even hearing wailing from the painful past of the prison. .
On Cellblock 12 it is reported on echoing voices and cackling coming from the walls. Another common story heard from the Eastern State Penitentiary is like the ones from Cellblock 6, a place that is known for reports of people seeing the apparition of shadowy figures that flutters across the halls.
The Hauntings of Eastern State Penitentiary: Many of the locations of the prison is haunted according to old as well as new staff, visitors and prisoners alike. They talk about seeing strange apparitions in the halls and the cells and hearing strange voices and noises coming from places were no one is.
Cellblock 4 has a reputation of being haunted by the apparition of ghostly faces appearing. The most famous story about this haunting comes from the maintenance man, Gary Johnson who worked there in the 1990s. He had just opened an old lock in the block when he felt some sort of force took hold of him, making him unable to move. A horrible negative energy filled the cell and the visions of these tormented ghost faces appeared on the cell walls.
As well as the cell blocks were there were held countless of prisoners over the years, there are also reports of what look like former guards haunting the place. In the towers there have been reports about people have seen something that look like the ghost of a guard. What is strange about seeing a figure here however is that there are no physical way of getting up to those towers for a living person.
On the second floor there used to be a cellblock for women when the prison was in operation. Today there is a sighting of a woman wearing white sitting in the last cell that have been seen so often that she has gotten the name: The Soap Lady.
Eastern State Penitentiary’s History in the Museum of Ghosts
Today it’s more like a museum, were we can walk over the faith of these people on ghost trips to a few coins, capitalism at its best. The museum now also caters to the paranormal atmosphere of Eastern State Penitentiary and offers a haunted house attraction during halloween season. And although many of the prisons like Eastern State Penitentiary have started to rethink prison tourism, this is the sort that sells the tickets.
The hauntings however, is said to be there for free as well as Hollywood made and what is an actor and what is an actual ghost is said to have hazy line.
Al Capone’s Cell: Not every prisoners got to have a luxurious cell as the one Al Capone had when he stayed in Eastern State Penitentiary. According to legend though, there was something that seemed to haunt Al Capone when he stayed in his cell at night.
The most normal things we can hear at the Eastern State Penitentiary when the darkness falls is the laughter of some that isn’t there, shadowy figures sneaking over the walls. You can also hear the footsteps that never reaches you. Because even in death, the prisoners in kept in isolation. They are not to see, and not to be seen, ever again.
In Grahamstown, South Africa there is a ghost story about a convict haunting the place where he was hanged by the Old Provost. His ghost can forever seen walking the last walk he ever did on the way to the gallows, still bitter about receiving the death penalty.
Today Grahamstown or Makhanda wich it is now officially known as in South-Africa is a city with a well known university town, housing Rhodes University, one of South Africa’s oldest as being a popular place for backpackers. The town on the Eastern Cape also have a big Art festival, the biggest one in the country, and is otherwise for those people that wish to live a quiet life.
The Town Under Military Law
But this wasn’t always the case however as it was founded as a frontier military outpost built after the Fourth Xhosa War in 1812. and has an old prison known as the Old Provost. A long time ago Grahamstown was better known as a place under militant law, public punishments and public hangings, watched by a lot of people. The legend is that the ghost of one of these hanged people are still haunting the place next to the botanical gardens.
Built in Grahamstown in 1838, the Old Gaol or Old Provost was a military prison when martial law ruled in the old town during colonial times. The fortress was designed as a Panopticon prison, meaning a design that allowed for constant surveillance of the prisoners.
Grahamstown: The Town, officially renamed to Makhanda in 2018 was built as a military frontier, and is today a university city. The town has many haunted ghost stories, like the ghost of the dead man walking from the military prison old provost. Pictured is the view of the city from an old fort.// Source: Wikimedia
During this time the town was seen as rather uncivilized and it was said of it in 1833: “two or three English merchants of considerable wealth, but scarcely any society in the ordinary sense of the word. The Public Library is a wretched affair”
A few decades after this was said about the town however, Grahamstown was the second biggest town after Cape Town in the English colony.
The Haunted University in Grahamstown
The Old Provost is not the only ghost haunting the university town, as most of the faculty buildings have some sort of history and its local ghosts roaming around on the campus.
There are according to campus rumours, witnessed a young boy and girl in the journalism department haunting the halls. There is also whispers of ghosts that used to live in the small cottages the Institute of Biodiversity is now built on top over.
Read Also: Have a look at our ghost stories from the most Haunted Schools in the world like The Kong Kong Ghost
Even the botanical garden close to Old Provost has a ghost wandering in the green garden, smelling like perfume and feeling like a cold wind passing by. This is the ghost of Lady Jana Maria de los Dolores de Leon Smith.
But who was this ghost from the Old Provost, and why is he still haunting the place?
Dead Men Walking by Old Provost
The Old Provost prison was built for military offenders, and although a small building, ruthless punishments were put in place. Those who were convicted and served their time were put in these cells completely designed that you would never have a private moment inside the walls.
Those even more unfortunate and convicted to death were chained on their feet and hands, humiliated as they were lead from the fortress of the Old Provost to the plaza they were going to be punished in front of the entire population of Grahamstown. “Dead men walking”, as they were called.
The last person we know of that was publicly hung was in these parts were Henry Nicholls and is also known as the ghost that walks this final walk forever as a ghost. He pleaded guilty and was convicted for a rape happening in 1862.
The Old Provost: The military prison in Grahamstown was design for constant surveillance and is now a place were ghosts roams according to local legends.
He had already confessed to the crime, but didn’t really think it was a crime he had to pay with his life. Nicholls spent four months in the Old Provost, hoping to get of with his life as rape was not a capital punishment under English law but only prison time.
But since he was a military man, he was under military law. And according to that, the punishment for his crime was death by hanging.
The Last Hanging on the Eastern Cape
Watching a hanging like this was great entertainment for the people of Grahamstown and the rest of the surrounding areas. According to the stories, people rode for as long as seven days to behold the execution of Henry Nicholls by Old Provost. This hanging was the last execution in the Eastern Cape.
On 19 February 1862 was the last day for the convict and it was also his last walk. He was led out from the Old Provost and had to walk past the gathering crowd towards the gallows. He never got a chance for last words or prayers. He was simply strung up and hanged to his death in front of a blood thirsty crowd.
But why is he still haunting the place? It’s perhaps difficult to answer for a ghost, but one of the theories was that Nicholls was unhappy and bitter about receiving a death punishment some only served prison time for.
The Bitter Ghost Haunting
Rape rarely got the death sentence, even back in that time and you mostly got sent away or served prison time, although being actually convicted for it was a lot harder than today.
A lot retelling the story of the ghost wandering from the Old Provos think that because of this, Nicholls meant that the punishment he received was too hard and the humiliating Nicholls ended his life, his soul can never be free.
Instead of going forward in his afterlife he is convicted of a life sentence, lasting for eternity, and must wander in all the remaining days between the Old Provost, now turned into a cute cafe, and the gallow, passing through the entrance to the now so modern university.
An online magazine about the paranormal, haunted and macabre. We collect the ghost stories from all around the world as well as review horror and gothic media.
