Owlpen Manor
Located in the village of Owlpen, which is within Gloucestershire, England; Owlpen Manor boasts a long history without being sold until the 1900s. It's thought the manor is built on an early medieval site, and the wider land has seen human interaction from as early as 2,900 BC. The Owlpen estate has a recorded history of close to one thousand years, although this history is not the typical tragedies often associated with haunted buildings, but rather is of lawsuits and a solid track of each heir to the manor. Additions, adjustments, and improvements are also well documented for this location. Regarding the hauntings; Queen Margaret of Anjou, who is believed to have stayed here before the Battle of Tewkesbury, is one spirit said to reside in the property. Fascinatingly, her spirit has been seen as early as by evacuees during World War Two. Other spirits include a monk, a child, and an alchemist.
IMPORTANT
Edit: 1/11/24
It came to my attention during a livestream discussing my Owlpen Manor notes that information documented regarding the Thomas Daunt family tree is likely incorrect. I have since looked over the official Owlpen Manor source, and it is an error which persists on their official website. The error regards two seperate Thomas Daunt IV's, one dated 1619 to 1653, and the other from 1676 to 1748/9. Above I have included an image I have since found which seems to accurately depict the family tree. My suspicion is that the 'IV' used by the source may refer to inheritance rather than lineage as the first noted Thomas IV died before he could inherit the property. I am unsure though, and it's unclear in the official Owlpen Manor source. I haven't amended the rest of this article as I'm unsure on the historical accuracies, but I would take the above image as the accurate family tree and dates. End of edit.
History
Locally, Owlpen Manor and the village of Owlpen is pronounced as 'Ole-pen'. It's thought that the name derives from a Saxon by the name of 'Olla' who set up his 'pen', or enclosure, in this area during the 800s. Human interaction with the land does seem to date earlier than the location's name though as on the Hill between the manor and Uley Bury is a West Hill Romano-Celtic temple site which dates back to the 300s. This temple held 'one of the most important Roman sculptures to be found in Britain, which is the head of the god Mercury. This head can now be seen in the British Museum. The land still dates back further than this though as Uley Bury, the long, bare, flat-topped hill that shields Owlpen Manor from the west wind, was a hill-fort of the middle iron age and this possibly dated back to 300 B.C. However, even older than this is Hetty Pegler's Trump, which is located by Uley Bury. This is one of the best preserved middle neolithic chambered long barrows of the Cotswold-Severn group, and it's been dated to between 2,900 and 2,400 B.C.
The immediate area containing signs of earlier settlement to the manor, as shown by the presence of round barrows and standing stones a short walk away, all indicate that Owlpen Manor has been built on a site which could be considered as quite busy in human history. As for Owlpen Manor, the original owners were the de Olepenne family. They have been cited as owning the location from 1100 until 1462. It's believed that the do Olepennes were named after the location, and there are records f at least ten successive generations of this family holding uninterrupted possession as lords of the manor of Owlpen.
The family became local landowners of some importance, acquiring land holdings in neighboring parishes, along with becoming benefactors of local abbeys and hospitals. The de Olepennes were always faithful henchmen to the Berkeleys of Berkeley Castle, and so served them on crusades and military campaigns in France and Spain. During the 1100s, the father of Bartholomew 'de Holepenna' died in the habit of monks from St Peter's Abbey. Bartholomew then confirmed his father's gift of land to St Peter's Abbey in 1174 with his son, Simon, consenting to this. The Abbey was located in Gloucester, as was St Bartholomew's Hospital; a hospital which Bartholomew was a benefactor to. By the time of 1174, the de Olepenne family had settled in the Owlpen location for two generations.
During 1227, James de Olepenne, presumably owner of Owlpen Manor at the time, was the attorney to the abbots of Cirencester. The current house retains fabric from the medieval house, as proven by a timber beam which has been dated by dendrochronology to 1294. This beam was reused in later rebuilding which was done by the Daunt family. During 1325, John de Olepenne was a benefactor to St Bartholomew's Hospital again. The next recorded bit of history occured during 1329 when John de Olepenne III was made a ward of the local landowner Walter de Cheltenham. It was during this time that the name was lengthened to Owlepenne, which later led to 'Owlpen'. I'm unsure if John de Olepenne III is the same as the 1325 benefactor, but I would assume so given the proximity of the dates.
'John Owlepenne' was the owner of Owlpen Manor from 1441 until 1462. I have found a slightly contradicting detail to this which says the manor house began around 1450. This doesn't mean it couldn't have begun during 1441, it just implies it wasn't quite this soon; although 1441 is likely a more accurate date. John's granddaughter Margaret was the heiress and the last of the medieval de Olepennes. Margery's guardian was Richard Basset of Uley, and he and Margery's grandmother Jane argued over the inheritance. The resulting award included a provision for Richard to repair the mill and Jane had to pay towards the cost.
Margery de Olepenne married John Daunt, a member of a merchant family which had been established in Wotton-Under-Edge. This marriage caused the Daunt family to own Owlpen Manor from 1462 until 1815. John's dad, also called John, was born roughly during 1420 and was both a Lancastrian and a lawyer at Barnard's Inn in Holborn during 1446. He was also elected to the parlaiment of 1449-1450 for the Borough of Wotton Bassett. He has possibly also entered service of the Crown by this time. He had also married Anne, the daughter of Sir Robert Stawell, an ancestor of the lords Stawell of Somerton.
During 1462, a commission was issued for the arrest of Daunt along with others including the vicar of Mere. I'm unsure on which Daunt this refers to out of the John Daunt who married Margery, and the John Daunt that married Anne. During the April of 1471, Edward, the Prince of Wales, wrote to John Daunt the elder asking him to raise 'fellowship' and money for the Lancastrian campaign. On the 2nd of May 1471, it is recorded that Margaret of Anjou, the ardent Queen of Henry VI, spent the night at Owlpen Manor while en route to the Battle of Tewkesbury. I've found some conflicting details around when the Battle of Tewkesbury happened, but this battle occured on the 4th of May 1471. Some sources have cited the eve of the battle as the 1st of May, and this is clearly incorrect, with the correct eve being the 3rd of May.
Moving into the 1500s, John and Margery Daunt were richer than the de Olepennes had ever been. Their son, Christopher, was the owner of Owlpen Manor from 1522 until 1542. He built the centre and east ranges of the existing manor house, with the great hall dating to 1523 and the east range dating to 1539. I've found a slight contradicting detail saying that the hall dates from 1522 to 1541, however this could just be a suspected range of time that it was built within. The roof was later rebuilt by Christopher's grandson, Henry, during either 1584 or 1586; although this could just be the period the work was carried out between.
Christopher married a Basset of Uley; and his son, Thomas Daunt I, married the daughter of William Throckmorton of Tortworth who was called Alice. Thomas I entailed the Owlpen and Gloucestershire estates, which consisted of roughly 945 acres, on his male heirs. This went on to be the unknowing cause of a disastrous family feud in the next generation. Thomas and Alice went on to have five sons; the names of four were Thomas II, William, Giles, and Henry. Thomas II and William, the second and third sons, both settled in Ireland as planters in Munster. Giles, the fourth son, was a keen hunter and died in Ireland during 1622. Henry, the first son and so eldest, inherited the Owlpen estate. He is the one who complemented the alterations to the roof along with internal arrangements during 1584 or 1586; or somewhere between these dates.
Henry's mum, Alice, died during 1599; however, Henry died during 1590. He did leave a son to succeed him though, called Giles, and he also left a daughter called Frances. Giles died during 1596, which meant the estate passed to Frances who at some point married John Bridgeman; a young barrister. Bridgeman claimed the estate and occupied it as next-of-kin. During the 1600s, Thomas II returned from Ireland to defend his inheritance as he was Frances' uncle. He claimed that due to this family connection, the estate should be his and not Bridgeman's. I've found that it took Thomas II twelve years to secure a favourable verdict; although I'm not entirely sure on the outcome. Bridgeman was appointed recorder of the city, was later knighted, and became the Chief of Justice of Chester and was known for being a harsh judge. Thomas II also had to pay compensation, although not crippling. This all indicated to me that Thomas II lost the case, however it seems he may have won due to John Bridgeman being accused of forging deeds before Sir Edward Coke, who was the Chief Justice at the time.
Regardless, it seemed Thomas II did gain control of Owlpen Manor by the time of 1616 as it was during this year that he rebuilt Owlpen's old solar wing to the west. He also added a new storied bay window. The appearance of the manor today apparently remains pretty much as Thomas II left it. Thomas II died on the 20th of August 1621, and so the property passed to Thomas III who owned the property from 1621 until 1669. Thomas III became the High Sheriff of County Cork during 1645. While Thomas III was in Ireland; his eldest son, Thomas IV, lived in Owlpen. I've found that Thomas IV was potentially born during 1619, and potentially died during 1653; the only alternative for these dates are the period he lived in the manor for, but I personally believe these dates to mark his lifespan. He did die before Thomas III, and so never inherited Owlpen Manor.
When Thomas III died during 1669, Achilles Daunt inherited Owlpen Manor. Achieves was born during 1622 and died during 1706. During Achilles' ownership, the property was no longer able to make the owner important and it was eclipsed in size by neighboring properties. Owlpen Manor was also inconvenient to own. When Achilles died, the house was hardly occupied for fourteen years. It's unclear if this fourteen years began from his death, or if it began shortly before his death.
During 1719, Thomas IV came over from Ireland after his Aint's death to collect the Lady Day rents with intent to build. He was Achilles' nephew, and the heir to Owlpen Manor. Thomas IV was born during 1676 and died in either 1748 or 1749. It seems Thomas IV did lots of work to Owlpen Manor during the 1700s. The great chamber is dated to 1700, the Georgian Little Parlour and doorcase was remodelled during 1719, and the garden was reordered with yews and terraces during the 1720s. Amongst this, he also panelled the Georgian rooms, raised ceilings, installed five sash windows, plus rebuilt the grist mill, the great barn, the church, and refaced the facade of the east wing.
Next, the estate passed to Thomas VI who was born during 1755 and died during 1803. Thomas VI's dad was Achilles, Thomas VI's twin brother. The house entered a long period of neglect during this time, and the Daunts considered selling the estate. It has been said that Thomas VII was locally believed to have been a magician, although I think this was a typo in the source. I believe the source meant Thomas VI, but accidentally added one extra I. I believe this is the case as both Thomas VI and Thomas 'VII' are said to have died during 1803; and so I will believe Thomas VI to be the 'magician'.
Thomas VI is said to be the last of the Daunts as upon his death the male line failed again. After his death, the sealed room which contained his books and papers was believed to be haunted. It was also believed to be so dangerous that Parson Cornwall was sent to destroy his works, and 'as they were burning, birds flew out of them.' Specifically, the birds were said to have been blackbirds, and the works were apparently destroyed in the 1830s. By 1807, T.D. Fosbrooke described the house as half dilapidated and overrun with ivy.
Thomas' daughter Mary inherited Owlpen Manor at the age of thirteen, and during 1815 she married Thomas Anthony Stoughton. Due to this marriage, the Stoughton family owned Owlpen Manor from 1815 until 1925. Thomas Anthony Stoughton was born during 1790 and died during 1862. It was during 1828/1829 period that the nave of the church above the manor was rebuilt by Samuel Manning. Due to the manor being too small, old fashioned, and uncomfortable; they moved to a better site which was located a mile away on the other end of the estate. It was here that they built 'Owlpen House'; a Georgian mansion. The architect of this house was Sidney Sanders Teulon, and it was completed around 1848. Today only the lodges, stables, and gasworks remain.
During 1867, Mary died, and the property was inherited by her son; another Thomas Anthony Stoughton. The second Thomas Antony Stoughton was born during 1818, died during 1885, and was married to a woman called Rose. His wife was born during 1840 and died during 1924. It was during 1874 that a chancel was added to the church by Piers St Aubyn. Following Thomas' death, Rose married again during 1889. She married Colonel H.W. Trent, and he added the Stoughton name to his own.
After World War One, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings recommended that Owlpen Manor should be vested in the National Trust, but there were no funds available at the time to repair the property. In the June of 1924, Rose Trent-Stoughton died childless and her heir was William Anthony Stoughton. The property was sold to Norman Jewson, along with the old garden and outbuildings, for £3,200 during the July of 1925. Norman was a dedicated member of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, which had been founded by William Morris, and he repaired the house over the course of the next year. Norman was also an architect for Cotswold Arts and Crafts. As it was too large a property for Norman, he sold it during the November of 1926 for £9,000. Barbara Crohan bought the house from Norman, and she later changed her name during 1939 to Barbara Bray following a divorce. Barbara's daughter, Bridget, married the 9th Earl of Portsmouth.
During World War Two, a dozen evacuee children stayed in Owlpen Manor from the East End of London, although I have found that apparently children also stayed from the Birmingham area. Owlpen Manor officially gained it's grade I listing on the 23rd of June 1952; and a few years later, in 1957, Owlpen House was destroyed. Lots of Norman Jewson's work was removed from Owlpen Manor during the 1960s, and Barbara sold Owlpen during 1963 to Francis Pagan. Francis immediately put in the essential repairs, and this was aided by a grant from the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works. Repairs were particularly done to the outbuildings and roofs. Improvements were also made to the heating, plumbing, and services which made the house more convenient.
Owlpen Manor was regularly opened to the public during 1966 for the first time in the summer months. The first shrub roses were also planted in the gardens. Since 1974, Owlpen Manor has been the home of Sir Nicholas and Lady (Karin) Mander. They have a family of five children. These children are called Sarra, Marcus, Benedict, Hugo, and Fabian. This family is said to be the first to have been born and raised there since the early 18th century. It was on the 28th of February 1986 that the gardens gained their grade II listing.
Hauntings
There are only a few spirits said to haunt Owlpen Manor, but they mostly seem relevant to it's history. These ghosts are Queen Margaret of Anjou, a black monk, a mischievous child, and an alchemist. Only the child isn't said to have a direct connection to this history of the location, however many children will have been at the location over the years. Queen Margaret is said to be a 'grey lady' that walks in the Great Chamber. She is also said to wear a fur-trimmed gown and wimple, and is both quiet and benevolent. An account from Frances Comstock, regarding the experience of World War Two evacuee children, says 'one night, in making her customary round, she looked in... to see that the four children were sleeping; she found them all awake and excited; they told her of their visitor, 'a lovely lady with long sleeves and dress all trimmed with fur, and with a funny peaked hat that had a long veil hanging down behind', a description of such a costume as Queen Margaret might have worn, and of which the children must have been completely ignorent'.
It is claimed that Margaret's grief over her son, Prince Edward's, death at the Battle of Tewkesbury is what brings her back to haunt Owlpen Manor. It's said she returns on the anniversary of the battles eve, and this date is cited as being May the 1st. However, in truth it would be May the 3rd as the Battle occured on May the 4th. The 1st is possibly suggested as it's known Margaret stayed at Owlpen before the battle, although she stayed in the location on the 2nd of May, presumably waking there on the 3rd to make her way to the battle.
The black monk is said to be in the older east wing of the building, and there is speculation that the monk is possibly Bartholomew de Olepenne. The information speculating this also said Bartholomew was walled up and starved to death in the manor, and I do not know how true this is. I know a similar tale has been said to have occured in a different location; although at the time of writing this, I cannot remember where it was. The child is said to run up and down the stairs at night, disturbing people's sleep, and they also move objects in the house. The facs of a small child has been seen peering from windows, as has been claimed in the image below. Personally, I don't see anything in the image and so I don't think the image is conclusive enough to say if there is or isn't a child haunting the property. The sounds of children are also reported.
Finally, it's said that an alchemist from the 17th century haunts Owlpen Manor. Sources have said this is believed to be the seventh Thomas Daunt; but these sources are seeming wrong for a couple of reasons. While researching the history, it seems there has been a typo regarding Thomas VI (the sixth) which has had him be mistyped as Thomas VII (the seventh). Thomas VI died during 1803, as is the same for 'Thomas VII', which leads me to think they are the same person who has been subjected to a typo. If the alchemist is Thomas VI, then they are not from the 17th century as that equates to the 1600s, and so I think this is another mistake from sources which actually meant the 1700s instead of the 17th century. This means the alchemist is from the 18th century if they are indeed Thomas Daunt VI.
It's said that the alchemist haunts the attic floor of the 1616 wing, and that the room which was sealed that contained his books and papers is haunted. It's also been speculated that the alchemist could be the family tutor who raised the devil, wrote books on sorcery, and was found dead in his chair. I have found no historical account of this tutor, so I wouldn't take this as fact. Other activity includes unexplained sights, sounds, and scents. Footsteps have also been reported to occur at Owlpen Manor, plus a seperate female spirit on 'medieval clothing' has been sighted; although I've found no other details on her.
Summary Of Hauntings
1. Queen Margaret of Anjou, quiet + benevolent - great chamber, May 1st/2nd/3rd
2. A black monk, possibly Bartholomew de Olepenne - east wing
3. A child - stairs at night
4. An alchemist/magician, possibly Thomas Daunt VI - 1616 wing attic
5. Female in 'medieval clothing'
6. Footsteps
7. Sounds of children
8. Scents
My Thoughts
This is an interesting location because there is surprisingly little on the hauntings, and the history wasn't typical of haunted locations. As much as Queen Margaret of Anjou comes across as the typical 'celebrity' haunting, if she stayed in the location for a night so close to an important event in history to her; then I do believe she could be haunting the location, and it seems she did stay there for a night close to the battle. In the summary of hauntings, I've listed three potential dates for her haunting because I don't know if she stayed on the first, and woke on the second; or stayed on the second, and woke on the third. My source has said she stayed on the second, so I presume she woke on the third; especially as the battle was on the fourth. I could be wrong though, and I'm assuming this line of thinking is why someone has said she haunts the property on the first.
As for the child, I think this is the most generic haunting. Really, all of them are when you think about it. You've got a grey lady, a child, a monk, and an alchemist/magician. As said earlier, as there have undoubtedly been children living at this location, I do think there is potential for a child being present. The only thing that makes me doubt this is the lack of reported child deaths within the property. Usually these hauntings are occured by some sort of tale about a child that fell down the stairs, or fell off a roof; to paraphrase a film 'you've gotta be careful where you fall'.
I think whoever it was that connected the monk to Bartholomew de Olepenne may be onto something. It would make sense as he was connected to an abbey, although I haven't found if he was a member as a monk. Given the time period he was from, and the fact he was a seeming supporter of the abbey and a benefactor of a hospital; perhaps his spirit manifests as a representation of the good it seemed he tried to do, and he could view that as being a monk.
As for who I believe is Thomas Daunt VI, he could also legitimately be haunting the location. I believe any family member who lived here could, as could any ordinary owner. The fact he is said to be a magician, or alchemist, I feel has no sway in his haunting potential; it will just be a factor in the stories created around him and how he has gone on to be perceived. I don't think the family tutor stories are at all true, and I think these have likely grown from the magician speculations due to the mentions of the devil and sorcery.
Regarding the seperate female in 'medieval clothing', it is possible that this is just Margaret. However, as hinted at earlier, I think there is great potential for many different spirits from different eras to haunt this location. It's why the start of the article talks about the history of the land; it wouldn't surprise me if you have spirits here from much older than the medieval period. It all depends on if a spirit can experience a 'second death', one not of the body but of the spirit itself, and if so then how long that would take. As for the unexplained sounds, sights, scents, and footsteps; i think this is all highly generic and im surprised there isn't more information accompanying it. Therefore I think it could happen, but I wouldn't go to this location expecting it.
Thank You!
Thank you for reading this article! It wasn't the most interesting to write, as it was just lots of passing through hands, but I hope you found it interesting to read. The hauntings were definitely interesting to me as it didn't seem like there was a tourism angle, and the hauntings seemed like they could all be relevant to the history; and it's quite rare that this happens. The next article will be published on Friday the 1st of November, and it will discuss the reaction to Beardo's livestream which I've been documenting in the Beardo Live: Fake Vs Real series. Then, on Monday the 4th of November, I will be publishing the next haunted location article.
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Sources I Have Used
1. Owlpen Manor
6. Wikishire
8. Kiddle
9. Cotswolds
12. Historic England
14. DICAMILLO
16. National Trails
18. Heritage Gateway
23. BBC Home
28. Haunted Hovel
34. Historic Houses
36. Fandom
37. Wikitree
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