Jamaica Inn

Jamaica Inn is located 900 feet above sea level within the hamlet of Bolventor; which is within the county of Cornwall, England, and near the town of Launceston. It was possibly built during 1776 as a coaching inn and has since been both extended and renovated. It has been said that a previous inn existed along the main road which travels across the Bodmin Moors, but it's unclear if this previous inn was located on the same site. Jamaica Inn is well known for it's part in the 1930s novel by the same name, and so it is a tourist destination for fans of the book or the TV and film adaptations which have since been created. The book was written due to the author hearing tales of smugglers and wreckers during her stay here.

The history regarding smugglers has led to this location opening a museum pertaining to the subject, and it's given rise to a number of ghost stories. Jamaica Inn is thought to be extremely haunted, and there are a number of reported spirits said to haunt the location. These spirits include a man said to be murdered on the moor after visiting the inn, a victorian woman, and a man in a tricorn hat who is possibly thought to be a smuggler. Many other spirits, and activity such as footsteps in the corridors and glasses falling from the bar, are also reported here. The location even has it's own paranormal investigation team.

IMPORTANT

Edit: 20/11/24

Before reading this article, it's important for you to know that some parts have been edited since I originally wrote it. I was contacted by a researcher for the Jamaica Inn team and informed that some of the information originally written was incorrect. I will keep any inaccurate information I've found in the article, but I will draw attention to it so that you know what's being said in other articles which is incorrect. I was also given much more information on the history and hauntings of Jamaica Inn, so the article should be much more detailed after this edit. Unfortunately I can't link both documents with the new information into this article, but I will link one of them which can be found through the official Jamaica Inn website.

History

Originally I found that the Inn was built during 1750, however I have since been told that only wild moorland and a former Roman track existed here before 1776. Regardless, the history of the area can be seen as having started much sooner during the 1200s. Thanks to the 'Jamaica Inn' book, it's well-known that Jamaica Inn was thought to be frequented by smugglers who would store their goods here. Smuggling came to be when customs dues were first introduced during the 1200s, however there was little enforcement of these dues at the time. It was during the 1700s that smuggling really became rife as taxes rose to fund foreign wars. This led to goods becoming cheaper to buy in Europe than in England, with one example of this being tea. Tea had become very popular by this time, and at one point tea had become six times more expensive in England than it was in Europe.

Other examples of goods smuggled were silks, tobacco, and brandy; and these specific items, along with tea, were frequently smuggled into Cornwall more than anywhere else in England. The Cornish smugglers were not violent, as can often be depicted, but they were cunning. Due to rising costs, smuggling became accepted and many people took part. Some revenue men were even willing to take bribes from the smugglers. There were few men in Cornwall to enforce the law, and if a smuggler was caught then they may have been dealt with leniently if the presiding magistrate was a willing recipient of smuggled goods.

A famous quote from an economist from the 1700s described smugglers as: 'A person who... would have been in every respect an excellent citizen, had not the laws of his country made that a crime which nature never meant to be so.' Personally, I think this quote really sums up the attitude towards smugglers and smuggling at the time. It seems to lean more towards a 'Robin Hood' type view instead of the stereotypical violent thief. Polperro on the south coast, along with Boscastle, Trebarwith, and Tintagel on the north coast were the areas most used as landing coves for bringing any smuggled goods ashore. Talland and Lanreath were regularly used by the Polperro smugglers to hide their cargo.

Originally I found that once Jamaica Inn was built on the Bodmin Moors, it was isolated with no real road passing through to it. I have since been told that this is somewhat incorrect as even though there was an old Roman track, the toll road had been built. It has been said that smugglers knew of ten different routes of reaching the inn. It's also said that they would store their smuggled goods at the inn while travelling further north to Dover, and then London. It is thought that a previous inn existed along the road which passes through the hamlet, and that this inn existed during 1547, but I have found little information on this inn or where specifically on the road it was.

Jamaica Inn was built during 1776, and it's said to have been opened by Captain John Broad, a former mariner. John had a son called James, and originally this was all I managed to find about the original owners of the inn; but I have since been told more. For instance, the hamlet of Bolventor gained it's name from what seems to have been the original Jamaica Inn name. It's known that Captain Broad called this venture 'Bold Venture', and this eventually became the hamlet's name. I have also been informed that Captain Broad married Mary Bowers in Gosport, Hampshire, during the November of 1762. Mary later died during 1769.

Regarding why the location is called Jamaica Inn, it's commonly believed that the name is due to smugglers hiding rum from Jamaica here; but this is possibly not the case. A possible explanation is that it derives from the Trelawney family who were important local landowners at the time. Two of the Trelawney family members served as Governors of Jamaica during the 1700s, and so this is apparently the reason for the location's name.

As I've found no evidence of the Trelawney family members having owned or visited Jamaica Inn, I won't go into detail on them here. However, it is important to mention that Edward Trelawney was appointed as Governor of Jamaica during 1736 and was responsible for initiating a peace arrangement between English settlers and the Africans, known as Maroons, who escaped slavery; and so it stands to reason that the name 'Jamaica Inn' likely came about from his achievements as the Governor of Jamaica, especially as the family were local landowners.

Since originally writing this article, it has since been confirmed that the Trelawney family had no evident connection to Jamaica Inn; but this does not mean the name wasn't chosen to honour them. There are multiple theories about where else the name could have come from, but nothing is certain. It possibly came from the original owner, Captain John Broad, having frequently sailed to the West Indies and especially Jamaica; although there is no known evidence of Captian John Broad having ever sailed to Jamaica. It also could have come from James Scarwen, a local landowner, having merchant connections to Jamaica. Another explanation could be that it was called Jamaica Inn as a sarcastic comment on the location's remote location. Place name experts advise that in the 1700s and 1800s farms in remote hilly locations or single fields furthest from the farmhouse were named after famous places which were extremely distant. At least one other place in the county was referred to as Jamaica in a document dating from 1839, and this was a field on a remote hillside at Castle an Dinas, North of Ludgvan, near Penzance.

I have found slightly contradicting information as to when Jamaica Inn was built as some sources say it was built during 1750, and others say it was built during 1776. Originally, I assumed the 1750 date to be correct as that is the most commonly cited date, but I have since been told by a member of the Jamaica Inn team that nothing existed here until 1776; implying 1776 is the correct build date. It was also during this year that leases to the land were signed, so this date does seem accurate. I suspect the 1750 date could be in common circulation as this is the date cited by the Most Haunted team when they investigated the location during 2004.

The falsely cited 1750 date makes the false comments around the lack of road make a bit more sense. The Great Post Road to the north of Bodmin Moor was the first to be fully upgraded to a turnpike. It was then quickly followed by the southern route via Liskeard and St Austell. The turnpike roads were named after the gates where tolls were collected from road users and used to pay off construction debts and fund continuing maintenance. It wasn't until 1769 that an act of parliament for the formation of the Bodmin Turnpike Trust was passed, although there are no surviving documents from this time.

This act led to the repairing and widening of roads leading to Bodmin, and specified a number of roads were to be built from Bodmin. The old A30 was the main road running through the moor, and this could have created income or profits which Captain Broad was aware of and so could have inspired him to invest in the land. There is no known date for the completion of the moor road, but there are indications that it didn't become the most attractive route between Exeter and Falmouth until the late 1770s.

Regarding the purchasing of the land, it was common for former sea mariners to run inns; however it isn't certain if this was Captain Broad's original intention. Around the year of 1776, two different leases were agreed upon on Bodmin Moor, and the area was referred to as part of Toborough, otherwise Trewint Moor. There were two leases because the land was in shared ownership at the time. One half was owned by a local gentleman called Thomas Wills, of Cardiham. The other half was owned by James Scawen, of Maidwell in Northamptonshire. The Scawen family had strong connections to Cornwall as they hailed from an ancient Cornish family, the Scawen's of Molenick in St Germans. As a result, they owned land across Cornwall. They were also merchants and politicians, and Captain Broad may have had business dealings with James Scawen in the past.

On the 12th of August 1776, Thomas Wills signed 2 leases. One of these leases granted part of his share of land to Thomas Hawke. This patch of land is where the inn was to be built, and Thomas was a relative of Captain Broad. Hawke then signed a lease of this newly acquired land to Captain Broad. At the same time as this, Broad was negotiating with James Scawen to lease his share which was located next to what had belonged to Wills. To summarise, Captain Broad seemingly wanted all of the land and so worked to aquire both leases. At his own expense, he enclosed twenty acres of moorland to create fields to farm in. It's been said that it would have needed lots of labour and money to farm this land, and it would have been hard work.

There was a year rent of five shillings which he paid quarterly to Scawen. The type of lease was known as a lease for lives. This was a 99 year lease, or it lasted for as long as the lives of three named people would live for. Captain Broad named himself, along with his sons James and John. I've found that an extension occured during 1778, and it was done to include a coach house, stables, and a tack room. The extension created the L-shaped part of the building which can still be seen today. Even though this has been named as an extension, it could have been the date the original building was constructed given the land was aquired during 1776. The earliest mention of Jamaica Inn comes from a document in the Cornwall Records Office. This document dates from the 4th of April 1789 when smuggling was in it's prime and the road across Bodmin Moor would have been a muddy path. Due to new information, I'm unsure if the muddy path statement is quite correct due to the toll road having been built.

By 1784, the dwelling house, or farmhouse, had become an inn. Captain Broad had married his second wife, Frances Granville, during the October of 1781. Broad went on to buy more land, and so needed more buildings which were possibly built around this time. These included the smithy and buildings used to house farmhands and other workers for the fields and livestock. People have speculated the Captain Broad was a smuggler, or at the very least had dealings with smugglers, due to how much all of this would have cost; but there is no proof, only speculation. What is known is that there are no tunnels beneath the inn, and both of Captain Broad's sons ran inns too. From 1785, the first mail coaches started to travel the route past Jamaica Inn. This made the inn the perfect place to change horses and get refreshments before continuing the journey. Along with the mail coaches, people would have stayed at Jamaica inn when crossing the Bodmin Moor as it was during the time when coaches first started to make the crossing.

According to stories, gangs of wreckers operated on the Cornish coast during the early 1800s. These activities were so prominent that it was described as a 'haven of smugglers'. The wreckers would entice ships to the coastline by tricking them with beacon lights which were deliberately lit on the shore. Usually, beacon lights would be used to indicate a safe passage for ships which were entering a shallow or dangerous channel; but the fake lights used by wreckers would lead ships to shallow sandbanks or rocks. The wreckers would then steal the ship's cargo. Even though smugglers amd wreckers could get away with the crime through bribery, both activities could lead to the criminal being hanged.

Captain Broad died during the December of 1798, and was buried at Altarnun Churchyard. He possibly died in his 60s. By 1812, both of his sons had also died. His son, James, died at the age of 40 during the November of 1803. He left behind a widow called Mary and five children. Captain Broad's other son, John, had married the former widow Elizabeth Bullen. John later died at the age of 43 during the August of 1812. Records have confirmed that James' widow, Mary, was in charge of the inn during the March of 1811. During 1829, a new tenant innkeeper was appointed. This new innkeeper was Thomas Dunn, and he initially was a joint innkeeper with Joseph Dunn; possibly his brother. Over the years the Jamaica Inn land had grown significantly. During 1776 there were 20 acres, but by 1829 there were 1529 acres. There has been further speculation to smuggling here as to what funded this expansion, as apparently the inn and farm wouldn't have done it. It is only speculation though.

From 1830 Thomas ran the inn with his wife, Anabella, who was the daughter of Elizabeth Broad's first husband, the late Robert Bullen; and Anabella was the biological daughter of Robert's first wife. Elizabeth Broad died during the November of 1830 at the age of 76. Up to the 1880s, the tenants were all connected via blood or marriage, and the location remained as a farm and inn. Francis Hearle Road, of Trebartha Hall, was the owner of the inn's lease from 1831. Francis later died at the age of 69 during the year of 1836. Jamaica Inn struggled through the 1800s and during 1865 Murray wrote that the inn was frequented in the winter by sportsmen and offered rudimentary accommodations.

Several owners had taken over the property, and a number of refurbishments had been made until the year of 1880. Francis Rashleigh Rodd was an owner and died during 1922 at the age of 80. He was succeeded by his brother, Edward Stanhope Rodd, who died during 1928 at the age of 80. Edward was then succeeded by his son, Major Edward Francis Stanhope Rodd. During 1880, it was listed as being for sale but not as an inn. Jamaica Inn had become a Temperance hotel and still was when the author Daphne du Maurier visited during the 1930s. This meant that no alcohol could be officially consumed on the premises until after four attempts the inn got it's license back during the year of 1950. It was Daphne du Maurier's book 'Jamaica Inn' which made this location famous, and which emphasised any connection it may have with smuggling.

Daphne was born in London during 1907, and was the second daughter of Muriel and Gerald du Maurier. She went on to marry Frederick 'Boy' Browning during 1932. Browning was the Commander of the 1st Airborne Division at the Battle for Arnhem; an event which the film 'A Bridge Too Far' is based on. Daphne moved to Cornwall during 1943 with her three children while Browning was at war, and then later died during 1989. A room was created for her at Jamaica Inn, and it's full of memorabilia including her sheraton writing desk. This room is part of the smuggler's museum at the inn.

Daphne originally stayed at Jamaica Inn during the November of 1930, but I've found it was actually her stay during the November of 1931 which inspired her to write 'Jamaica Inn'. During this stay, she had afternoon tea with Charles Percival Triplett; the vicar of Altarnun Church. The vicar then told her stories about smugglers and wreckers. It's said that this occured after she and a friend, called Foy Quiller Couch, were lost on the moors in fog and were led back to the Inn by their horses. The story about the fog actually occured during Daphne's 1930 visit, and the afternoon tea with the vicar occured during her 1931 visit. It's also said that Daphne stayed in room 3, but she actually stayed in room 4. In her book, Daphne describes the nocturnal activities of a smuggling ring at the Inn. The book was published during 1936, and Daphne spent a long period of time at the Inn. Her book was later turned into a film called 'Jamaica Inn' during 1939. This film was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who also directed 'The Birds'; another film based on one of Daphne's books. During 1982, Jane Seymour starred in a TV film, and 'Jamaica Inn' was dramatised again in a major 3-part BBC series which aired during the April of 2014.

Jamaica Inn gained worldwide fame following the book, which was a best-selling novel, being published. Walter Dennis, a Launceston auctioneer and estate-agent, bought Jamaica Inn during 1938. An old man, presumably local to Jamaica Inn, claimed the location was a secret meeting place during World War Two. Jim Edwards, a local historian from Launceston, has said General Montgomery came to the inn for a meeting with General Patton. Claude Finnimore, a landlord, has claimed Patton stayed at the inn during the June of 1944. It's a speculatory subject, although apparently there was a high number of home guard soldiers based in the hamlet. On the 14th of April 1945, the inn was bought by Stanley Thomas, a Plymouth agricultural merchant.

By the end of World War Two, it had a club license and was trading as the 'Jamaica Inn and West Country Pub'. Until 1950, alcohol was only sold to club members. Shortly after, once the book fame kicked in, it called itself 'the famous' Jamaica Inn. It also had a Mary's Bar and a Joss's Bar. During 1962, Jamaica Inn was sold to William Palmer, a retired Leicester businessman. He and his wife ran the inn for two years before retiring to Torquay, Devon. During 1963, although apparently the accurate year is 1964, the novelist Alistair MacLean bought the location when he retired from writing. It was one of three locations he bought during this year, and by 1976 he had sold all three. Specifically, Jamaica Inn was under new ownership during 1973. The owners who bought it were John and Wendy Watts, and they went on to be the owners for roughly forty years.

A back extension to the building was apparently added during the 1980s, and this included the restaurant, the gift shop, and the toilets. Since originally writing this article, I have been informed that the back extension was actually added at some point after 2004. A strange addition occured from 1984 as Mr Potter's Museum of Curiosities was relocated and featured at Jamaica Inn. Since originally publishing this article, I have since found information saying that the Museum of Curiousities officially opened at Jamaica Inn during the May of 1988 in the two-storey building behind the old stable block. This museum was created by Walter Potter during the 1850s, and featured a collection of taxidermy animals which were often featured in complex dioramas. This museum collection no longer exists at Jamaica Inn as it was sold at auction during 2003. Apparently the closure of the Museum of Curiosities was due to the death of Michael Ryan Grace. Michael was the taxidermist and maintenance man who was hired to keep the exhibits in good order. Jamaica Inn gained it's grade II listing on the 23rd of November 1988.

During 2014, Jamaica Inn was put up for sale by John and Wendy with an asking price of £2 million. They both intended on retiring after the sale. Allen Jackson bought the property during the February of 2014, although apparently the correct time is the March of 2014, and a new 16 room extension was added at the eastern end by the commissioned builders AD Williams. An article discussing this was dated as the 28th of July 2017, so I assume the work was done around this time. I've found that there is both a smuggling museum and a museum dedicated to Daphne du Maurier at Jamaica Inn, although it's unclear if they're the same museum referenced under different names. Allen added to the Maurier Museum during 2019 when he obtained items from the Maureen Baker Munton auction which took place at Rowley's Auction House in Ely. The Daphne du Maurier museum also contains personal letters to her best friend Maureen Baker-Munton, along with numerous old photos of Daphne and her family. Some letters in the museum are from the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and Lord Mountbatten.

The smuggler's museum contains one of the most extensive collections of smuggling artifacts in the UK. It also shows a short film called 'The History of Jamaica Inn'. This film is historical and educational, plus it recounts many myths and legends which are associated with the inn; this includes tales of wreckers and smugglers. There is, however, little evidence supporting that smuggling ever occured at Jamaica Inn. I originally found that there is a skull thought to be that of a smuggler's in the smuggling museum, and this skull was found at Abbey Burnfoot in hidden cellars beneath an old house. The skull was surrounded by chains, which has led people to believe that the victim was chained up and left to die in the cellars. Again, since originally writing this article I have been told more information about the skull. Karin, a member of the Jamaica Inn team, has informed me that it is no longer in the museum, and that they have it. They also told me that there is no proof of where it came from, and so it's best to take the tale of it being a smuggler's skull with a pinch of salt.

During the eight years that Allen owned Jamaica Inn, he turned the 17 bedroom coaching inn into a 36 bedroom business. Today, the building is surrounded by modern additions and the road is diverted through what were previously the inn's grounds. During the March of 2022, it was announced by the inn that fox hunts were banned from the premises. Then, during the August of 2022, Jamaica Inn was taken over by new ownership as Allen sold it to the Redcat Pub Company, a subsidiary of The Coaching Inn Group, for £8 million. The Coaching Inn Group was founded by Kevin Charity.

There is a spot on the floor of Jamaica Inn which reads 'on this spot Joss Merlyn was murdered', but this does not relate to any real murder. This is purely in reference to a fictional murder in the 'Jamaica Inn' book. All of the inn's bedrooms, restaurant, bars, museums, shops, and main toilets have been refurbished in more recent years; although I'm unsure if this was done by Allen, or the next owners. The oldest rooms in the location are rooms 3 to 12, and the old bars, rooms, and some restaurant areas have been preserved. There is a farm shop which sells local cornish produce, and there is a gift shop which sells over 5000 items. The location also hosts ghost hunts and murder mystery evenings.

As for the wider area, it does date back to the 1400s as there are remains of a Knights Templar Church. There are also prehistoric stone huts in the area. Plus, nearby to Jamaica Inn is Dozmary Pool. This location is claimed to be home to the Lady of the Lake, and legend says it's here that King Arthur rowed out to the lady and recieved Excalibur. It's also claimed to be the location where Sir Bedivere returned Excalibur as Arthur lay dying after the Battle of Camlann.

Hauntings

With Jamaica Inn's history around smugglers, and with tales of such things always having been told here; it's no surprise that this delves into tales of the inn being haunted. Previous managers have reported mutterings in strange languages, and it's been speculated that this speech could be old Cornish. The sound of horses hooves and stagecoach wheels have been heard outside the building, even though nothing can be seen. Plus, footsteps have been heard in the corridors. One particular story is of a gentleman who has been sitting outside, and then vanishes. This man doesn't speak or acknowledge anyone, and he gradually disappeared when locals tried talking to him. The first reports of this man originated during 1911, and it's been said that he looks like a man who went missing and is thought to have been murdered at the location.

It's said that at the turn of the 20th century, a man was enjoying a tankard of ale inside, but then was summoned outside. He left his drink on the table, half finished, and the next day his body was found on the moor. No one knows who killed him, but it's said that his ghost comes back to finish his drink. It seems that this is the same man who sits on the wall outside, and his table inside by the bar is known as 'Jack's Table'. A lady saw him sitting on the wall outside during 1977 when she drove past the location, and he disappeared shortly after. Previous landlords have thought the footsteps heard trampling along the passage to the bar have been those of the murdered man returning for his drink. I have since been told that it cannot honestly be said if Jack is real, or if the murdered man ever existed.

Since originally publishing this article, I have been told of another report from 1977. This report was told by a lady who stayed in room 6. She woke up at roughly 2am feeling cold, and then witnessed someone trying to get into her room by constantly pushing the catch down on the door but it was locked so they couldn't get in. The lady kept trying to wake up her up husband, but he slept through the entire event. Black mist then came from under the door, and there were lots of coloured lights. The shape started to move towards the bed; but then stopped, went back to the door, and disappeared under it again. Once it left, the room became hot again and the lady, who still on occasion stays at the inn, hasn't visited room 6 since. I have also been told that guests have come down in the morning and asked who came into their room during the night and neatly folded their clothes. This information hasn't been attributed to any room in particular.

'The Ghost Society' have made in-depth investigations and have compiled a report based on their findings. This society is quite possibly the inn's own investigation team. The inn's own team is led by Colin Symonds. Karin Beasant studies the inn alongside Colin, and as of 2021 she had been doing it for nearly seven years. It is Karin who has contacted me with the additional information I've since added to this article. Areas of substantial interest are the smuggler's bar, the stable bar (now the museum), upstairs in the old bedrooms, and the rear reastaurant/gift shop area. There have surprisingly been paranormal reports from the new added block. The rooms in particular are 23, 24, and 27. Quite a bizarre haunting which I've been told about is that of 'Gandalf the Pilgrim'. According to Karin, he was first seen in room 4 but the inn kept it quiet to prevent any fake sightings from occuring. He has been named Gandalf because he shares the same visual description as Gandalf from the Lord Of The Rings. He has also been seen in the lower restaurant and room 34.

A man in a tricorn hat and cloak has been seen, and it's been speculated that he is the spirit of Jack Travellis; a notorious smuggler who was put to death nearby. Due to also being called Jack, it's unclear if this is the same spirit as the one who sits at 'Jack's Table' and who sits outside. It's said this tricorn wearing spirit appears and then walks through doors. This man has also been seen in the main bar, outside room 5, and inside room 4. Again, there is no particular evidence regarding if 'Jack' is real, but the man in the tricorn hat seems to be. An old woman has been seen in room 5, although a young woman carrying a baby has also been reported in this room. It's thought the woman and baby perished in a snowstorm near the inn and that they can be heard on stormy nights. It's also thought the woman and baby are responsible for the cold spots felt in the rooms. A family with two teenage daughters and a younger son was staying in room five. Apparently, while the family and daughters were out, the son saw a woman in the bathroom mirror standing behind him and looking at him.

When Most Haunted investigated this location, they claimed there were at least fifteen spirits present. It was also thought one spirit was an American pilot trying to retrieve a photo of his wife and child. A sixteen year old girl saw a man wearing a US airman uniform coming through the kitchen doors and entering the bar. He then disappeared. This man has also been spotted twice in the stable block. It's thought that this spirit is present because thousands of American troops were stationed in the Bodmin and Launceston areas during World War Two. These soldiers were known to visit the pubs and hotels across the country, and there have been speculative reports of secret meetings being held at Jamaica Inn between US Generals George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower when they came to inspect the troops in the run up to D-Day during 1944. Apparently the US Airman spirit seems to have gone as there haven't been any new reports for a while now.

Smugglers have been seen in the courtyard area at night, and it's said the TVs and showers randomly turn on during this time of day. Frequent sightings have been said to occur in the attic and stable block areas, and apparently a man was found hanging by his neck from a nearby tree. A young woman, possibly a former barmaid, is said to haunt the bar area. It's said she wears period clothing and still performs her duties. Some have felt her cold hand on their shoulder and have heard her sorrowful whispers. There is also a spirit known as 'the smuggler' who apparently lurks in the corners of the bar area. It's said he is young and was murdered at the bar. Interestingly, it's also been said that this is the spirit who sits on the wall in the courtyard. It is entirely speculation though regarding the connections between 'Jack', 'the smuggler', the man on the wall, and the man in the tricorn hat.

On Sunday the 23rd of October 2017, at roughly 10:50pm, the CCTV captured a wall phone which was hanging between the main bar and utility room lift up and drop to the floor by itself. This startled a staff member called April who was standing nearby and facing the opposite direction. Roughly 20 minutes earlier, she had heard the bar door open but no one had entered. Colin, the leader of Jamaica Inn's investigation team, tested various explanations and determined that there was no way the phone could have released itself. Possibly during 2018, Colin led an investigation in the stable block and suddenly felt as if his whole body was on fire. It's been speculated that this was due to a spirit known as 'the blacksmith'. A blacksmith called John Cock is listed as having lived on the premises in the 1861 and 1881 census records. He also had a son of the same name. The farmhouse across the road has the original forge, and the old bellows are kept in Jamaica Inn.

People pick up on the shadow of a big built man with an aggressive presence, and this shadow is seen around the stable block and museum. It's also been reported that there is an increase in activity when discussing James Broad, the son of the original owner. Another spirit is that of Hannah, a child with wet feet. A guest in room 5 woke to see wet footprints on the carpet leading across to a wardrobe where a bathroom used to be. Footsteps have also been heard running across this room at night, and people have reported seeing a child's figure standing by the side of the bed. They also feel their legs be touched. A serviceman became so disturbed that he got up and slept in his car. People send letters and toys to Hannah, and some of the toys move on their own. There is no record of anyone called Hannah having stayed at Jamaica Inn, but people say she stayed with her mum for one night before they both boarded a ship at Falmouth the next day and then became lost at sea. I have since been informed that Hannah does not exist and is completely made up. There are children though, and the most common names which come up are Elizabeth and Tommy.

Another spirit said to haunt Jamaica Inn is that of Elizabeth. Reports say she is a victorian girl with long blonde curly hair and is playful. She is seen in the museum, and one staff member has seen her in the corridor between the gift shop and ladies toilet. Karin has also seen her, but I'm unsure if this is the same staff member. Apparently the corridor was once an outside walkway to the church. Sometimes Elizabeth is heard giggling with a friend in the gift shop. Books and toys in the shop are thrown about, and teenage girls with ponytails feel their hair be pulled. In the cellar, heavy-booted footsteps have been heard, and these are attributed to the man in the tricorn hat. During 2018, a man was seen sitting by the fireplace. He had curly black hair, a white frilly shirt, black boots, and a tricorn hat. It's been speculated that this was Jack. He was also seen outside of room 5 during 2016.

Other activity includes people hearing a baby crying, particularly around rooms 3 and 7. This is known to occur even when there are no baby's at the inn. Karin and Colin think it's related to the story of Mary Downing. She was a young single woman who, in 1834, sued the inn's married landlord Thomas Dunn in order to force him to recognise their illegitimate son. The child was christened Thomas Downing Dunn at Altarnun Church. While investigating room 7, Colin and another man heard a woman's voice while they were listening back to an EVP. They heard the voice say 'quiet, there's a baby here' and when playing the EVP back to listen a second time, they found there was nothing captured. This led them to believe they had heard the voice in real time and not kn the EVP recorder.

In room 27, it's said there is a victorian lady. At around 2am, after an investigation, Colin saw a dark patch in this room form into a woman who had her hair in a bun and her hands in her lap. It's been said that this occured just as he was drifting off to sleep. Glasses are said to fall and smash at the bar, and in Mary's Bar female staff have had their hair pulled. During the 1950s, there was a sighting of a tall male phantom in a dark green cape. In room 4, there are strange smells, muffled voices in a different language, heavy booted footsteps, and sightings of a man by the side of the bed near the window. It's also said this man watches people as they sleep, and that a monk figure stands in one of room 4's internal doorways.

Room 3 is said to contain a crying woman called Mary. I have been told there is a crying woman in room 3, but I haven't been told if this is Mary. Apparently a 10 year old boy stands at the end of the four poster bed, scratching comes from the walls, and fingerprints appear on the mirror. People have reported the furniture shaking in room 6 along with the shadow of an unseen man standing in the bathroom doorway. Footsteps occur in the upstairs corridor, and these footsteps do not turn on the motion sensitive lights. In room 23, a guest has woken to see a woman in victorian clothing standing in the room. It's also said knocks occur on the door and the patio door of this room. In the reception, a man in a cape has been seen walking past the front desk and down the corridor. The detail about a man wearing a cape could be wrong, or the new information I've been given is a typo. This is because the new information says a man in a green cap has been seen by serving staff during the afternoon. This man walked past while the inn was closed for a private lunch. He walked out of the door which is now the reception.

In the kitchen and serving area of the restaurant, a shadow figure has been seen and children have been heard giggling when the restaurant is closed. A similar figure to the shadow figure has been seen walking from the farm shop to the gift shop. It's also said that a female spirit in her mid-thirties, although also described as much older and haggard, haunts the gift shop. She's been described as wearing victorian clothing and she has her hair in a bun. In the toilets to the side of the gift shop, the ladies toilet door opens on it's own despite being on a swing hinge, and the sound of arguing men can sometimes be heard coming from the men's toilet. Reports have said that the museum is haunted by a former stable boy called David, and the model of an elephant on display moves on it's own within a cabinet. It's thought the oldest upstairs bedroom is the most haunted part of the building, although the most haunted part apparently varies every week. The team at Jamaica Inn also get hundreds of reports each year. Finally, during the April of 2015 there was a report of a semi-transparent dog which was the size of an Irish wolfhound. This dog was said to be running 30cm above the ground.

Summary Of Hauntings

1. 'The smuggler' (Jack Travellis?) - sits on wall in courtyard, bar area, (Jack's table?), outside room 5

2. A man in a tricorn hat (Jack Travellis?) - by fireplace, (Jack's table?)

3. A man sitting outside (Jack Travellis?) - on a wall in courtyard, (Jack's table?)

4. A man in a US airman uniform - kitchen, bar, stable block

5. 'The blacksmith' (John Cock?) - stable block

6. Gandald the Pilgrim, looks like Gandalf from LOTR - room 4, lower restaurant, room 34

7. Elizabeth, Long blonde curly hair, playful - museum, corridor between gift shop and toilets, gift shop

8. A woman with a baby (Mary Downing and Thomas Downing Dunn?) - around rooms 3 and 7

9. Mary - room 3

10. A male phantom, wearing dark green cape - Mary's bar

11. A monk - cellar behind bar

12. Another monk - room 4 internal doorway

13. A victorian lady, hair in bun - room 27

14. Another victorian lady, knocks on door and patio door - room 23

15. Yet another victorian lady, mid-30s or older and more haggard, hair in bun - gift shop

16. David, former stable boy - museum

17. Semi-transparent Irish wolfhound

18. 10 year old boy - room 3

19. A male shadow - room 6 bathroom doorway

20. Footsteps - upstairs corridor, passage to bar, room 5, room 4

21. A man - room 4, by side of bed near window

22. A shadow of a big built man, (James Broad? John Broad?) - stable block, museum

23. An old woman - room 5

24. Smugglers - courtyard

25. A young woman, former barmaid - in bar area

26. Mutterings in foreign language, possibly old cornish - room 4

27. Sound of horses hooves

28. Sound of stagecoach wheels

29. Cold spots

30. Tvs and showers randomly turn on at night

31. Wall phone lifted and fell - between main bar and utility area

32. Feeling of body on fire - stable block

33. Legs touched - room 5

34. Giggling - gift shop, kitchen and servery area (restaurant)

35. Pony tails pulled - gift shop

36. Female hair pulled - Mary's bar

37. Strange smells - room 4

38. Furniture shaking - room 6

39. A man in a cape - walked past front desk and down corridor

40. A shadow figure - kitchen and servery area, similar seen walking from farm shop to gift shop

41. Toys and books scattered - gift shop

42. Ladies toilet door opens on it's own - ladies toilets to side of gift shop

43. Arguing men heard - men's toilet to side of gift shop

44. Model elephant moves on it's own - museum

My Thoughts

To accurately share my thoughts on Jamaica Inn, I need to first discuss a little how I go about writing these articles. First, in the case of this article, I search 'Jamaica Inn history'. Then, I search 'Jamaica Inn hauntings'. For both searches I open up a number of tabs to then read through and take notes from. For this particular article, I have linked sixty-eight pages which I have read through; but these are only the ones with relevant information to this article. In reality, I read through far more than this but close a number due to either lack of information, or lack of relative information. Jamaica Inn was a strange location to write about because a location dating from 1750 will either have very little information, or it will have a great deal of history regarding changing ownership and building modifications. Somehow, this location has provided a great deal of information; however very little regarding the location's factual history.

For example, I only came to find the names 'John Broad' and 'James Broad' through researching the hauntings and not the history of the property. I only found out more about them through being contacted directly by a member of the Jamaica Inn team. This is odd as these are apparently the names of the original owner and his son. When I started researching Jamaica Inn, I already knew about it's apparent connections to smuggling as this is a location I've visited before. I was incredibly surprised to find sources say that outside of the book there is little evidence connecting this location to smuggling, and that I couldn't find anything historical to suggest otherwise. Even the name 'Jack Travellis' only came up when researching the hauntings, and not the history.

Outside of information regarding the book, the author of the book, and smuggling in general; the only information to be found in online articles was regarding certain newer additions along with the changes in ownership over recent years. This leads me to wonder if Jamaica Inn has taken rumour and myth, tales boosted to worldwide fame through a book, and capitalised greatly on it. This also goes for the hauntings. Jamaica Inn does host ghost tours, and they do clearly advertise this. They even have their own paranormal investigation team. This could be an indicator to the hauntings being legitimate, but it could also be a further play into the tourism angle. For instance, this paranormal investigation team communicating their findings to news agencies will be perceived in a far different way than if the pub was to discuss staff experiences. Hopefully the way I've written that previous sentence will highlight to you how important wording is regarding perception.

As for the specific hauntings themselves, it's odd how many hauntings there are for a place with so little history. Most of the building seems to be much newer with a new wing added for bedrooms, and with the back added for the restaurant and shop. It's also strange how many seem to overlap with one another. For this article I've listed two seperare monks, three seperate victorian ladies, and three seperate men who are potentially Jack Travellis. I've done this because sources made it seem like these were seperate spirits because they all had some sort of contradicting detail to one another. This could be appearance, or location of appearance. A good example of this kind of inconsistency is the lady in the gift shop who is sometimes reported to be in her mid-30s but is also sometimes reported to be much older. For this reason, I don't know if these spirits are the same or seperate.

Interestingly enough, it took a while for me to go from only one page of notes detailing the hauntings to four pages. The reason it went beyond a page is because I found a news article detailing the findings of the Jamaica Inn investigation team which is led by Colin Symonds. Without that article, far less would be documented about the hauntings; further emphasising the point I made earlier about the potential tourism angle. These kinds of articles gain publicity, and news companies are always more than willing to run with ghost stories without questioning any reality behind them.

A good example is the report about Colin seeing a woman in room 27 when he was about to fall asleep. What is sounds like for this experience is Colin did not see an apparition form, but instead he experienced what is known as hypnagogia. This is something you experience as you are about to fall asleep, and during this you can experience hypnagogic hallucinations. These hallucinations can be visual, auditory, and even physical sensations can be felt during this time. The report indicates Colin was clearly tired after doing an investigation, and it was at around 2am that he was falling asleep and he saw this woman. To me, that sounds like he hallucinated her while in a hypnagogic state.

As I always say when I'm aware of having been highly critical of a location, such as with this one, I do believe everywhere with human history is more than likely haunted; and so the most interesting part of the hauntings here are the specific sightings with dates and times attached. These reports, especially the one dating from 1911, indicate that there is something legitimate to at least one haunting here. I suspect footsteps could happen, as could the man who reportedly sits on the wall outside. However, for his story to be more convincing, the history searches needed to reference the man who was apparently found on the moors.

The thing I am the most surprised at is the fact no hauntings have been mentioned regarding the museum's skull, from when it was still present in the museum, or any other items present there. I'm also surprised that Daphne du Maurier hasn't been claimed to haunt this location as I would definitely suspect her to. She clearly seemed to have a strong connection to the property, and a number of her personal items are here; both of which are factors often contributing to speculation of a ghostly presence. I also find it important to highlight that it's reported the footsteps here do not set off the motion sensitive lights. Quite often I see investigators use such devices on investigations and claiming that spirits can light them up; so perhaps this location shows the opposite is true, or perhaps it's the location which isn't being truthful. Jamaica Inn definitely seems to have capitalised on stretching the truth, as shown by the night Daphne du Maurier was inspired to write the book which brought the location its fame.

Thank You!

Thank you for reading this article! It was a strange one to write, and it took far longer than anticipated. It was interesting writing about a location I've visited though as it provides a little more of a personal connection to the article. It was a shame though to see that there could be a blatant tourism angle here when it comes to both the history and hauntings. The next article will be published on Friday the 15th of November, and it will be about a couple of historical figures involved with the paranormal. Then, the next location article will be published on Monday the 18th of November. This next location will be about a building in Liverpool.

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Sources I Have Used

1. Jamaica Inn

2. Jamaica Inn: Home

3. Jamaica Inn: Smuggling Museum

4. Visit Cornwall

5. Visit Looe

6 Bald Hiker

7. Jamaica Inn: Daphne du Maurier

8. Britain Express

9. Devon and Cornwall Guide

10. Third Eye Traveller

11. Jamaica Inn: Ghosts