Blackthorn Manor Preservation Society

Documenting Britain's Architectural Heritage Since 1987


Documented Incidents: 1869-Present

Compiled from parish records, police reports, and family archives

Classification Notice: This compilation represents incidents potentially connected to Blackthorn Manor. Causal relationships remain under investigation.
Date Individual(s) Circumstances Status
March 1869 3 construction workers (names unrecorded) Disappeared during foundation excavation beneath stone circle Never recovered
September 1869 Professor James Hardwick, British Museum Disappeared during site visit; journal ends mid-sentence Never recovered
1867-1871 17 additional workers "Unusual circumstances" per parish records Deaths recorded
1887 3 household staff "The Incident" — circumstances classified Unknown
August 1992 James Reed, investigative journalist Last seen entering east wing during unauthorized visit Missing, presumed deceased

Total documented incidents: 14+ since 1869

Located records of historical society proposals—each abandoned after primary advocates experienced sudden health issues, financial complications, or unexplained accidents. Interview with surviving historical society president describes "overwhelming sense of dread" upon approaching property and "dreams of figures watching from windows" following preliminary survey. -JR, 1991
July 1, 2024. Interviews with former development company employees reveal significant unreported phenomena—multiple independent descriptions of "figures watching from empty rooms," "voices whispering from walls," and "impossible shadows moving against light sources." Medical records show consistent pattern of symptoms including temporal lobe anomalies on brain scans. -Detective Sharma
Clause VII explains everything. Anyone who enters the Interface without permission, or documents The Watchers, becomes forfeit. The Agreement doesn't just permit these disappearances—it requires them. -SW, May 2024

Pattern Analysis: The Preservation Society has documented at least 17 disappearances associated with Blackthorn Manor between 1869 and 1989. Common factors include: proximity to the east wing, occurrence during March (particularly around the spring equinox), and involvement with documentation or investigation of the property. No bodies have ever been recovered. All cases remain officially unsolved.

Construction Period (1867-1871)

Three Unnamed Workers - March 1869
Date:
March 21, 1869 (Spring Equinox)
Location:
Foundation excavation, east wing site
Circumstances:
Workers breached sealed chamber beneath stone circle. Vanished during excavation. Witnesses reported "shapes in the earth" and "voices from below."
Status:
NEVER FOUND

Construction halted for six months following incident. Work resumed under strict new protocols.

Additional Construction Casualties (14 workers)
Date:
1867-1871 (various)
Location:
Various locations on property
Circumstances:
Parish records document 17 deaths among workers during construction, but only 3 bodies were buried locally. The remaining 14 were reported as "returned to country of origin" but no shipping records support this claim.
Status:
PRESUMED DECEASED - REMAINS UNLOCATED

Blackthorn Family Members

Catherine Blackthorn - 1884
Date:
March 20, 1884
Location:
East wing, third floor
Circumstances:
Sir William's third daughter, aged 23. Last seen entering the eastern corner room during equinox observations. Room found empty. No death certificate ever issued. Family records simply note "departed."
Status:
NEVER FOUND
Frederick Blackthorn - 1887
Date:
September 3, 1887
Location:
East wing, eastern corner room
Circumstances:
Sir William's eldest son. Official cause: fire in east wing. However, fire damage was confined to single room, and witnesses reported Frederick entering the room before the fire started. Body recovered but "extensively altered" according to coroner's report.
Status:
DECEASED - Buried in family plot

The "1887 Incident" prompted major modifications to "The Apparatus" in the attic.


Research Expeditions

Dr. Thomas Whitmore - 1923
Date:
March 22, 1923
Location:
Subterranean levels, "well room"
Circumstances:
Archaeologist from British Museum investigating stone circle. Descended into well shaft to examine symbols. Rope found severed at 40-foot depth. No trace recovered despite extensive search.
Status:
NEVER FOUND
James Reed, Dr. Eliza Winston, Michael Ashworth - 1989
Date:
October 3, 1989
Location:
East wing
Circumstances:
Research team investigating Prof. Finch's omitted findings. Vehicle found in car park. Personal effects recovered from east wing corridor. Reed's notebook contained final entry: "impossible footprints" and "movement in walls." (See newspaper coverage)
Status:
NEVER FOUND

Search called off after two weeks. Property transferred to current owners shortly after.


Additional Documented Cases

Reverend Arthur Blackwood - 1892
Date:
December 24, 1892
Circumstances:
Local vicar invited to "bless" the east wing following Sir William's death. Last seen entering the property. Never departed. Parish records note "called to higher service."
Status:
NEVER FOUND
Helen March (Housemaid) - 1908
Date:
March 21, 1908
Circumstances:
Long-serving housemaid. Assigned to clean eastern corner room during equinox. Did not report for evening duties. Other staff reported hearing "seven voices singing" from the room, which was found empty and locked from inside.
Status:
NEVER FOUND
Constable William Pierce - 1942
Date:
March 21, 1942
Circumstances:
Assigned to patrol property perimeter during government evacuation. Failed to report at shift end. Colleagues found his torch and notebook at edge of east wing garden. Notebook contained single entry: "They are watching from the windows. There is no one in the building."
Status:
NEVER FOUND

This incident precipitated the complete evacuation and government involvement.


Observed Patterns:

If you have information about any of these cases, or knowledge of undocumented disappearances associated with Blackthorn Manor, please contact us.


« Back to Documents