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WOODFORD GREEN: Medium claims ghost of highwayman pleaded innocence (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)
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WOODFORD GREEN: Medium claims ghost of highwayman pleaded innocence
12:33pm Friday 23rd January 2009
A MEDIUM who claims her family was stalked by the ghost of a notorious highwayman says the outlaw asked for his name to be cleared as his immortal soul was finally laid to rest.
Bill Saunders was part of Dick Turpin’s Gregory Gang which terrorised travellers through Epping Forest during the early 18th century before being executed for his crimes.
The Coughlan family, of Roding Lane North, Woodford Bridge, took the supposed stalking so seriously they called in exorcists.
Helen Coughlan insists the ghost claims he was an innocent party in the gang murder and so has refused to pass over to the other side while known as a killer.
Mrs Coughlan said she was delighted to help what she believes is a tortured soul finally leave her family home.
She said: “There was a stench of rotting flesh whenever he was close as, while highwaymen were buried in consecrated ground, murderers were hung and their corpses allowed to decompose until they were nothing but bone.
“He spoke to me and said that he had been staying around the place as he didn’t want to cross over as a murderer as he was innocent of the crime.
“Now I can go to my brother Matthew’s room and it’s warm when before it would always be icy even if you turned on all the radiators and plug-in heaters.
“We performed an exorcism which involves the last rites so now his soul has been commended to God and he seems feels a lot freer now.”
Epping Forest historian Peter Lawrence told the Guardian that Saunders was captured after a raid on a farm with other members of the Gregory Gang.
He added: “Saunders was hanged at Tyburn - where Marble Arch is today - and then hung in chains in Edgware where his most heinous crimes were committed.”
Rev Spencer Hayward performed the exorcism with his wife Janet.
He said: “We use traditional methods of prayer with bibles and candles. Hopefully we managed to clear whatever the entity was and he will be at rest now.”
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Your Say Your Guardian
Claridger, Walthamstow says...
1:41pm Sat 24 Jan 09
Gus Tovind, Wanstead says...
8:03pm Sun 25 Jan 09
When you come out with absolute and unadulterated piffle like that, I don't think I need to comment further.
Gregorys of Woodford Bridge, Loughton says...
9:34pm Sun 25 Jan 09
Gopher, Walthamstow says...
11:56am Mon 26 Jan 09
Claridger wrote:Two questions....Did Wallace hang himself due to a shortage of cheese? and how is Gromit doing without him?
This is the trouble these days, people like the above have a closed mind to everything. It is felt that there are numerous ghost affecting the balance of waves in the atmosphere and this creates a negativity, leading to aggression and violence and I feel that exorcism could be the answer to a lot of the Worlds ills at the moment. We had a Spirit named Wallace who resided with us for many years and left suddenly when we had a spiritual meeting one day. Research had proved that Wallace had hung himself in the house 150 years earlier.
Claridger, Walthamstow says...
12:00pm Mon 26 Jan 09
Mock as you wish but never forget the insurance of belief, Gopher.
Gopher, Walthamstow says...
12:10pm Mon 26 Jan 09
Claridger wrote:I'm not mocking...tell you what though this Internet access from the other side is expensive. Wallace says hi by the way!
A wise man can learn from a fool but a fool can never learn from a wise man. Mock as you wish but never forget the insurance of belief, Gopher.
Unfortunately he says he feels a little uncomfortable though as he was buried in the Wrong Trousers.
bewildered,e17, says...
9:53pm Mon 26 Jan 09
!
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Helen Coughlan who was haunted by highwayman Bill Saunders
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Gus Tovind, Wanstead says...
11:47am Sat 24 Jan 09