Haunted Houses

Moreton Corbet

Location: Shropshire

Origin: 17th Century

Background: Sir Robert Corbet began building this house in 1606 but died in London of the plague before it could be completed. His brother, Vincent took it over. Although Vincent wasn't a Puritan, he did not persecute or imprison them as did many of his peers. In fact he befriended Paul Holmyard who was his neighbour and a staunch Puritan. This is Paul Holmyard's story.

Story: I thought Vincent was my friend but I soon found out he was not. At first he gave me support when all those around wanted me dead. Then when the Puritan movement started to grow and became stronger; he threw me out. Left me to rot in the woods eating any scraps that I could find. That wasn't any way to treat a friend. Well I had my revenge. I saw him surveying the foundations of his beloved new house and I cursed that wretched place:

"Woe unto thee, man of the hardened heart;
hardened even as the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, to thine own destruction.
Rejoice not in thy wealth, nor in the halls of thy pride;
for there shall never be a copestone set upon them, neither shalt thou, nor thy children,
nor thy children's children, dwell therein;
but they shall be a ruin and a desolation, and the snake and the eft and the adder shall be found there,
and thy house shall be full of doleful creatures."

I take great pleasure in the fact that the house was never finished. Later generations of the Pomeroys decided to build their house elsewhere. But I still walk the ruins to warn off anyone who might be thinking of completing the house.