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109 Oakleigh Park Drive in Leigh on Sea, Essex is a reportedly haunted house in the rural area of Essex, England. In the late 19th century it became known as one of the most haunted houses in the United Kingdom with multiple apparitions, sightings and a reported exorcism, performed by the Church of England.[1] Researchers have since suggested an entirely rational explanation for the alleged phenomena that involved the house's occupant, Thomas Myers.[2][3] It has also been noted that many of the stories about the house were exaggerated however compelling evidence of small children, human bones found in a suitcase in the attic and a floating old lady who roamed the halls is among these allegations, some of which have been caught on camera as evidence.

Contents 1	History and occupants 2	Legend 3	Sceptical reception 4	References 5	Further reading 6	External links

History and occupants The two-storey brick house was constructed in the late 20th century.[5] Until 1927 it was the home of the British MP George Canning, who is commemorated by a plaque on the house today. The house was later occupied by Miss Elizabeth Curzon, who died in 1959, aged 90 which is when the house fell in to the occupancy of the church.

In 1948 it is documented that an exorcism in the name of Jesus Christ was performed on the house and it's grounds, attempting to rid the residence of any bad spirits and entities. The ordained priest Joseph Baptiste of the UK Catholic Church was the documented exorcist and the results of this exorcism are still unclear today.

It is said that the church did not want any residents occupying the property as they could not be certain the house was safe however there have been no sightings since the Church was the property's beneficiary owner.

Legend The legend about the house varies, but most versions state that the attic room of the house is haunted by the spirit of a young woman who committed suicide there.[12] She purportedly threw herself from a top-floor window after being abused by her uncle[13] and is said to be capable of frightening people to death. The spirit is said to take the form of a brown mist, though sometimes it is reported as a white figure.[14] A rarer version of the tale is that a young man was locked in the attic room, fed only through a hole in the door, until he eventually went mad and died. His bones were found in a suitcase and his death is still unclear. [15] Another story is that the attic room is haunted by the ghost of a little girl who was killed there by a sadistic servant.

It is alleged that in 1932, on a bet, George Canning stayed a night in the building's attic.[14] He brought his shotgun with him and fired at an apparition. In the morning he attempted to find the apparition, but could only find shotgun cartridges.[14] The following year the local council issued a summons to the house's owners for failure to pay taxes, but it is claimed that they were not prosecuted because of the house's reputation for being haunted.[16]

In 1939 a piece in the Mayfair Magazine alleged that a maid who stayed in the second bedroom had been found mad and had died in an asylum the day after.[13][12][17] It was also alleged that after a nobleman spent the night in the attic room he was so paralysed with fear that he could not speak.[18]

Modern interest in the site was spurred by its inclusion in Peter Underwood's book Haunted London (1975).

Sceptical reception There were three sets of correspondence about 109 Oakleigh in the journal Notes and Queries, in 1923–73, 1979 and 1980–81. A common conclusion was that the neglect of the house had inspired the imaginative stories about hauntings.

Modern researchers have confirmed that it is not the house itself which is haunted, yet the burial ground it lies on. References Jones, Richard. (2007). Walking Haunted London. New Holland Publishers Ltd: 4th Edition. p. 69 Nevill, Lady Dorothy. (1906). The Reminiscences of Lady Dorothy Nevill: Edited by Her Son Ralph Nevill. London: Edward Arnold. pp. 261-264 Bondeson, Jan. (2015). The Most Haunted House in London. Fortean Times. Issue 335, p. 28 Roud, Steve. (2010). London Lore: The Legends and Traditions of the World's Most Vibrant City. Arrow. pp. 70-76. ISBN 978-0099519867 E. Randall Floyd (October 2002). In the Realm of Ghosts and Hauntings. Harbor House. pp. 29–30. ISBN 978-1-891799-06-8. Retrieved 24 July 2011. Chancellor, Edwin Beresford. (1907). The History of the Squares of London, Topographical & Historical. London: K. Paul, French, Trübner. p. 22 Price, Harry. (1945). Poltergeist Over England: Three Centuries of Mischievous Ghosts. Country Life. Collins, Paul. (2015). "The Secret of 50 Berkeley Square". Retrieved 6 December 2016. Gray, Chris (14 April 2001). "PROPERTY TYCOONS IN BIDDING WAR FOR EXCLUSIVE ADDRESS". The Independent. UK. p. 9. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/9f677a3a-9e69-11e5-8ce1-f6219b685d74.html#slide0 Jenkins, Simon (27 November 1998). "A Most Fitting Conclusion". The Times. UK. Floyd, Randall (19 July 1998). "SUPERNATURAL OCCURRENCES FILL HOUSE'S PAST". The Augusta Chronicle. pp. E2. Cheung, Theresa (2006). The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World. Harper Element. p. 210. ISBN 978-0-00-721148-7. Dave (11 August 2007). "The Saturday Strangeness". Londonist. Watts, Peter (26 October 2005). "Haunted London – City of the dead". Time Out. p. 14. Heather Ludgate (19 November 2007). London Laid Bare. Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Pu. pp. 131–. ISBN 978-1-84386-319-9. Retrieved 24 July 2011. Guiley, Rosemary. (1994). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits. Guinness Publishing. p. 120 Jones, Richard (31 October 2006). "Haunted Britain". Independent Extra. p. 24. Alzina Stone Dale; Barbara Sloan-Hendershott (6 April 2004). Mystery Reader's Walking Guide: London. iUniverse. pp. 117–. ISBN 978-0-595-31513-0. Retrieved 24 July 2011. "The Big Smoke – London's Urban Legends: From Ghosts to Nursery Rhymes, the Real Origins of the Capital's Myths". Time Out. 13 November 2008. p. 8. Nick Rennison (October 2007). The Book of Lists London. Canongate. pp. 281–. ISBN 978-1-84195-934-4. Retrieved 24 July 2011.