There have bin (been) many strange goings on at our castle, boots can be heard walking across the balcony despite the fact it was removed years ago. During restoration, after a terrorist attack in 1992, the workers tools would mysteriously move in the night. The ghosts of Adeliza and Roger de Montgomery have been sin (seen) racing towards the castle for cover at the time of storms as owd Nick (the devil) tried to punish them with a severe storm for building a church at Quatford, but our tale today is a bit nastier than any of those I’m afraid to say.
As with many stories that have bin passed down over the years, the details here have become some what confused.
In the 12th century, but more likely in the 14th, a mon by the name of Jack Blondell, or Bloundell, or as he is now remembered, Bloudy or Bloody Jack, was said to be living as a soldier warden in our castle (some say he was a tall muscular farmer). Not long after taking up residence young ladies of the town started to disappear. One such lady was Fanny, a good girl who never stayed out nor dallied with strangers. She had bin sin talking to the devastatingly handsome Jack earlier in the day and not returned whum so her sister, Mary-Anne, and a group of locals went to confront Jack.
Jack said that he didna bovver them in their whums so why shud they bother him in his? but Mary-Anne barged past him and found Fanny lying dead on the floor, her clothes all dis-shevled, and lined up neatly along side her body were her fingers and toes. Jack ran off to try and escape capture but was found hiding in the tower, stuck in the chimbley. A search of the premises found a box containing the severed fingers and toes of eight more victims.
The evil ogre was hanged drawn and quartered, then his head was placed upon a pole and put on display at the top of Wyle Cop. A few years ago a cafe near the spot was named “Bloundi Jack’s”. Mary-Anne could never trust men after finding her sister’s body and died alone. Nobody is certain what happened to the other victim’s bodies, some say they were fed to Jack’s pigs or thrown into the nearby Sivern, this may explain our ghoss…
Late at night blood curdling screams have bin heard coming frum the castle and the ghostly figure of Jack is seen dragging a naked victim across the lawn by her yair (hair) in the direction of the river,followed by the shadowy figures of his gang of men.
In more recent times some female visitors have felt a really strong tug on their coats, is Jack looking for his next victim?
Pop back in tomorrow if you can for St Nicholas’s where Jack appears again, oh! and dunna have nightmares.
To find out more about the Ingoldsby Legend read our supplement post here.
