Investigation: Salem Chapel 2007

Team

Miffie (Team leader)

Andy GF

Kaylee

Sam

Jo-Anne

Steph

Ian

Jan

Paul

Darren

Ron

Bryan

An introduction to the investigation was carried out by Byron along with a safety brief. Byron welcomed all especially new members and members currently in training. The members where then allocated in the teams and supplied with the evening’s schedule. A ritual protection was carried out by Eileen (Haunted Devon Medium) and then the transfer to darkness took place for the investigation to begin. (Lights Out)

Team 2 occupied the bottom floor whilst team 1 took the top floor. The groups commenced a silent vigil after protection was offered by Eileen. Kathy, Kaylee and Miffie could hear a dull tapping sound issuing from the pew area around the central pillar and this seemed to continue until the group disbanded some 20minutes later. It had no timed rhythm to it but was likened to a dripping tap thudding on a hollow surface. However, it didn’t sound like water. The ambient temperature around the bottom floor was 18’C but in the area where the tapping was coming from it dropped to 16’C. During this time, Andy went into the Vestry to carry out a lone vigil. After 10 minutes Darren then took up the challenge. Both reported nothing of note.

After the few minutes of silence, Eileen declared that she had picked up on the name of John Barrett and a Samuel. Byron then called out to these spirits to generate activity which Sam & Jo experienced their hands being tugged slightly as if there was an expectant child present. Apart from a few orbs and the tapping noises from the central pews nothing else happened.

Michael and Miffie both took up the lone vigil challenge at this point but at separate times. Miffie heard some distant knocking that seemed to be coming from the Chapel even though no-one was inside it at the time. Miffie did note that it seemed to coincide with passing traffic and she wondered if there was some kind of echo effect within the back area of the kitchen and the Vestry or, if the vibrations from the traffic were making some windows rattle. However, when Miffie was in the Chapel with the group earlier, this effect was not noted because traffic was passing by on a frequent basis throughout. I also saw a long tall very black shadow speed across the wall outside the Vestry door and Jan later confirmed that she saw much the same thing when she did hers.

The whole group congregated by the Vestry door to do an energy building exercise. As the energy built, Miffie picked up on a little girl at the same time as Eileen and one of the new members also expressed their impressions of a little girl. Miffie asked if she had blonde hair and if she was happy and this was confirmed by both of them. The name Jennifer was offered by Eileen and Jan also confirmed that she had earlier picked up the same name. At differing times the group experienced various bodily sensations of cold breezes across necks and hands and tickling on their faces. Miffie, had lots of tickling on her head and face and a cold breeze in front of her body. Just as the group were about to break the circle, Miffie saw a beautiful green/blue light travel behind Ron and Darren and towards Byron. The direction was from right to left. Jan also confirmed that she saw it. It was not caused by traffic headlights because the beam of light was too formed. Almost like a small ball of light.

Byron asked for the group to split into male and female with the males staying behind in the Chapel as the women squeezed into the Vestry. Eileen thought it might be a good idea to try and do some healing on someone and see what impressions those in the group could pick up. As a result, there was a sense of sadness and fear in the room that Eileen clarified as being from the children who had been abused by a man of the cloth. Eileen then sensed two young spirits ‘Jennifer’ and ‘Emily’ she encouraged them to sit on the groups laps. I didn’t expect to feel anything or if anything then both my legs to go cold. Kaylee then felt her left leg go icy cold starting her knee then move up her thigh. Kaylee then sat as if holding a child for a while and after about 10 minutes the cold sensation disappeared and so did the feeling of a child’s presence in the room. She also picked up on the name of Josiah Ever……Jan thought that it was Everly. As the healing continued, the atmosphere in the room became much lighter and peaceful.

As the vigil closed, Jan stayed behind and Steph and Jo went into the Chapel to conduct their vigils.

The whole group met in the main Chapel once again to try some glass divination. Initially there was Steph, Jo, Michael, Sam, Jan and myself around the table and Byron led the session. The glass moved in a positive manner and it was established to be in response to a male spirit but it was difficult to determine who it was. The group disbanded so that the men could see if they could get clearer communication however, this was to no avail. Indeed, the glass remained completely still. As a result, the women from the first attempt with the addition of Kaylee tried again. This time the glass movement was stronger but again it seemed that we could not establish who was possibly communicating and we had the added confusion of its apparent playfulness. When Byron asked for the glass to move in the direction of his voice it did so. But when he asked for it to move towards his hand when he placed it on the table it moved away! At one point during the session, Miffie and one of the new members Jo heard a forcible deep sigh as if from a man. As the questions were being asked and the glass was moving gently there was a sudden and unmistakable sound of a stone dropping to the floor. When the torches were shone in the direction of the sound it was at Byron’s feet. He hadn’t felt the stone hit him but it definitely seemed to have been meant for him. The stone was warm to the touch too. The group decided to stop the glass divination and try some table tipping. This elicited no response from the table but the Chapel was filled with strange knocking sounds and at one point there was a definite hissing sound from the centre of the Chapel. Everyone was accounted for and it was established that it was not accidentally caused by a member of the group or any equipment within the room.

During the next break Jan did a lone vigil in the vestry and was aware of a shadow by the vestry door and using the Electro Magnetic Field meter to register the temperature it was 15 deg C in the rest of the room but where the shadow was it was 18 deg C and this registered on several different occasions, Jan also saw a light flash on the inside of the door. Everyone sat within the main pews on the ground floor as we tried some more calling out for activity. Darren, one of our newest members, took on this challenge and some taps were heard. Ian comments of his lone vigil “during my lone vigil in the vestry (approx 2.15 am) there was a smell of stale food, and I heard the quick sound of a man singing a hymn and also heard footstep, when I went back into the chapel, other people verified the sound of singing”.

Otherwise nothing further of note happened and the vigil was closed after Eileen closed the group down.

The final part of the investigation involved a de-briefing and final protection exercise which was held in the Chapel.

Eileen carried out the final protection exercise which protects all the members from any malevolent spirits.

Salem Chapel is always a highly regarded venue with Haunted Devon, with this investigation the 2^nd of 3 visits planned this year.

It can be on its day, one of the most active locations in the South West with the largest spiders! (The team were more scared of the spider in the vestry than any spirits!). The chapel provided a lot of evidence of paranormal activity which was highlighted with the stone being thrown at Byron. Salem always provides plenty of sound evidence which feels like if there is any paranormal activity there, then the paranormal do like to communicate with our investigators!

Many thanks to Miffie, Paul, Ian, Jan, Sam, Kaylee, Jo-Anne for their reports and observations of the night’s events and to Sarah & Annette for their research.