Despite the merry twinkling candles and Christmas lights that illuminate The night it can be said to be the ideal Time of year For spirits to roam autumn has slipped Away to the cold of winter And the nights are dark ghosts seem to Lurk In each and every shadow and if these Chilling christmas time Stories are to be believed such may just Be True and so warm yourself against the Night Take a seat beside the fire and listen To these ghostly tales of festive fear In the late 18th century the people of Hertfordshire england were terrorized by A notorious villain The criminal’s name was walter klibben And he along with his sons and wife Operated a lucrative business selling Pies at Markets and fairs throughout the county The family business As innocent as it may sound was anything But Whilst operating as a respectable pieman Klibben would eavesdrop on his customers Conversations As well as those of fellow traders at The markets He and his villainous brood would then Ascertain which of the tradesmen and
Farmers had made the most money that day Some versions of the tale even claimed That klibben feigned blindness So as to keep in close contact with Fellow traders Without raising suspicion after having Identified their victims Clibbon and his family would ambush them On their way home Along the rural roads of the county Dressed as highway men they would leap From the trees and under threat of death Relieve their unfortunate targets of Their profits Klibben conducted his dirty business for Some time The festive season being no reason to Take time off And so on saturday the 28th of december 1782 Clibben and his family made their Customary visit to hartford market Whilst selling their pies they Identified a man Named robert wittinbury as having made a Good profit That day eager to relieve him of his Earnings Water and his brood set up an ambush on The lonely tree-lined road Between the villages of dutchworth and Bramfield What followed was a tale of failed Villainy
The story that survives to this day Reports that cliven and his sons Mistakenly attacked a younger man Robert’s son william After handing over his money peaceably William rushed to the nearby house of His uncle benjamin wittenberry Armed with pistols he and benjamin were Able to intercept his father before he Reached the clibbons Together they hurried back to the scene Of the crime to confront the villainous Family Before they attacked another Unsuspecting traveller once there A fight ensued it is said that in the Struggle Benjamin was knocked to the ground knife In hand cliven moved to stand over the Fallen man However before he was able to do Anything benjamin supposedly called to His servant North who was known by his nickname Shock Shoot shock or i’m a dead man cried Benjamin And shark did indeed shoot in one Version of the story klibben was killed Instantly In another he was captured and along With one of his sons The other having fled was carried to a Nearby inn at bulls green
People are said to have flocked from Miles around to see him And vengeful after suffering at his Dastardly hands for so long Tied him to the back of a horse and Dragged him along the rough road back to The scene of his crime There cheering and gleeful they beat him To death Determined to deny the evildoer of a Christian burial they sunk him in the Ground There and then the stake of a post was Even driven Through clibbon’s heart an attempt to Stop his spirit Wandering the following march klibbon’s Captured son joseph was also Executed today one can still see the Post which is said to have been driven Into the highwayman’s body Known as klibben’s post and engraved as Such It stands on the side of the road at the Exact place where the man is said to Have fallen However far from serving its purpose to Keep walter cliven in his grave It is said to act instead as a marker For spirit activity At the correct time of year as the light Begins to fade to night It is said that the sound of horses Hooves can be heard
Along the road according to some reports One can even catch a glimpse Of the indistinct ghostly beast pulling A groaning and contorted body towards The inn at balls green The villainous pieman being condemned to Relive his final Fateful journey every christmas since The day Of his dramatic punishment In 1908 a family in the tiny farming Village of ethelbert manitoba were Making preparations for a great feast to Be held the following Day as was common for the area the Family were ukrainian immigrants And the day was orthodox christmas eve As was tradition they were preparing Their chili And seldom used dining room tomorrow Neighbours would come By horse from miles around to eat with The family At the head of the operations was pearl Zabinsky Her children buzzed around her helping To spread Hay on the floor and under the Tablecloth upon which 12 traditional Meatless dishes would later be laid Each one representing one of christ’s Twelve apostles What allegedly happened next is reported By pearl’s grandson
Walter busy setting the table the mother Remarked that she hoped everyone would Be able to make it to the celebrations It was then that her daughter an Eight-year-old girl called anne Shouted billy has come billy has come The girl was pointing to the floor Beneath the table And siblings attentions were likewise Captivated They claimed to be regarding the smiling Figure Of a two-year-old boy their brother Billy who had tragically died two years Previous according to the children the Ethereal boy was dressed in white Clasping his hands together just as he Had when he had been buried Shocked by what her children were Telling her pearl is said to have Searched underneath the table Trying to see the figure of her late son Herself She could not see anything her children However continued to be delighted It is said that the specter of billy Stayed for a considerable time before Fading away Leaving an aura of light in his place For decades afterwards the story of Billy’s return was retold on christmas Eve With the children now adults maintaining The veracity of what they witnessed
As for pearl although she never Witnessed it herself she steadfestly Believed the claims of her children Eighty-seven years after the incident Her grandson walter Reported that death really does open a Door into an unknown world And that his grandmother was only sorry That she had been unable to see Her beloved boy one last time It was december 1878 when edward F smith and his family first encountered The supernatural At their home on clinton avenue in Brooklyn New york a normal evening at home Tucked up beside the fire began to turn Sinister when the doorbell rang Not expecting any visitors smith went to See who was calling He opened the door to find nobody was There he could not see anyone close by Not even a prankster small boy running Down the street According to the new york times article Which reported on the incident On the 20th of december that year edward F smith’s initial disgust At having been disturbed changed to Fearful suspicion when the doorbell rang Again And again and again Each time there was no one at the door Not only that
The doors and windows of the house are Said to have clattered in their frames All through the night with no apparent Cause At first smith tried to blame the events On the wind However there was something markedly Sinister about what was happening The mysterious bell ringing and door Knocking continued the following day And the day after that eventually the Once terrifying phenomena Turned exceedingly monotonous and Sentries were stationed beside the Rattling doors While one person stood watching outside In the yard Smith was determined there was an Earthly explanation for what he And his family were experiencing he Would catch Whoever was responsible however not Even ash and flower sprinkled on the Path to the house So as to capture the footprints of the Villain could reveal the cause Utterly confused smith was forced to Call the local police department When the officers arrived they too were Able to witness the activity of the So-called ghosts at the house The most terrifying moment came when the Bell rang Violently and several heavy blows were
Struck Upon the door in quick succession the Captain Sprang out of the door and regarded Empty space And nothing more as the captain stood There a brick Supposedly came crashing through the Dining room window None of the officers saw anyone or Anything that could explain the Happening With the entire house being searched for Signs of trickery There was simply no explanation After days of suffering these strange Christmas time manifestations Smith was convinced that his house was In the grip of the evil one The invisible cause of all the phenomena Being no less a personage Than his satanic majesty himself The village of bradley in lincolnshire England has a long history with the Parish church dating back to at least The 12th Century as such the local area has Witnessed much upheaval and bloodshed One such terrible time in history was The 15th century war Of the roses according to local folklore A female Spirit connected to bradley’s woods has Been seen
Wandering the trees there since that Time The spectral figure is known as the Black lady Of bradley woods although her name and Indeed if one believes the tales the Sight of her Inspire fear it is said that her spirit Has never Harmed anyone rather she herself Was the victim of a terrible crime The wife of a woodsman the story Suggests that the lady was left alone When her husband was forced to leave to Fight she had recently given birth And was so left to raise the infant by Herself For many months she waited for news of Her husband and was often seen walking Carrying their beloved baby boy in her Arms to the edge of the woods Eager to catch sight of her returning Spouse One day the enemy army crossed the river Humber And marched through the area on the way To attack lincoln Unfortunately the lady was leaving her Cottage as the soldiers were moving Through the area Her child in her arms she was set upon By three horsemen At their hands she is said to have Suffered a brutal attack
When they were finished with her the men Snatched away her baby And rode off laughing into the woods to Rejoin the army Heartbroken and humiliated the lady Wandered the woods Calling and searching in vain for her Child And husband she never did recover her Son And so even after her death it is Whispered She continued to look for him centuries Have passed since then And the mournful mother is still cited Invariably appearing each year On christmas eve described as a pretty Young woman dressed in a flowing black Cloak and black hood she has earned the Name the black lady Of bradley woods it is even said that For those who are brave enough Or perhaps cruel enough to torment her Tragic soul The woman can be summoned to appear Chant the words black lady Black lady i’ve stolen your baby three Times in bradley woods on the night Before christmas And she will appear before you and try To take Back her child Thank you so much for listening to these Festive tales of spooks and spirits
I hope you enjoyed and an extra special Thank you to our members whose patronage Greatly supports this Channel your kindness is very much Appreciated And so with that all that there is left For me to do Is to wish you all a very happy Christmas and all the very best of Things for the coming new year Stay safe stay warm and enjoy the Holidays
