In December of 1716, the tranquil life of Epworth Rectory, a rural parish in Lincolnshire, was upended by a series of strange and terrifying events. This haunting, later referred to as the "Epworth Poltergeist," would leave a permanent mark on both the Wesley family and the lore of English ghost stories. The story has been passed down through letters, diaries, and the accounts of the family members who experienced the supernatural phenomena firsthand.
December 1, 1716: The Groans Begin
The haunting started quietly, with dismal groans and knocking sounds that echoed through the halls. The rector’s wife, Susannah Wesley, wrote to her son Samuel, describing how it all began:
"On the first of December, our maid heard, at the door of the dining-room, several dismal groans, like a person in extremes, at the point of death… Some nights (two or three) after, several of the family heard a strange knocking in divers places, usually three or four knocks at a time, and then stayed a little. This continued every night for a fortnight; sometimes it was in the garret, but most commonly in the nursery or green chamber."
The household, wary of alarming the rector Samuel Wesley Sr., kept the strange happenings to themselves. They feared it could be a bad omen, perhaps even a portent of his death. But as the disturbances grew more frequent and unnerving, the family could no longer ignore them.
Mid-December 1716: The Rector's First Encounter
Eventually, the events became so disruptive that Susannah felt compelled to tell her husband. At first, Samuel dismissed the reports, suspecting that someone within the house was playing a prank. However, he soon had his own chilling encounter. Susannah recalled the moment:
"But when it began to be so troublesome, both day and night, that few or none of the family durst be alone, I resolved to tell him of it, being minded he should speak to it. At first he would not believe but somebody did it to alarm us; but the night after, as soon as he was in bed, it knocked loudly nine times, just by his bedside. He rose, and went to see if he could find out what it was, but could see nothing. Afterwards he heard it as the rest."
With this, the rector himself became a believer in the presence of the unseen force that had invaded his home.
Christmas Week, 1716: The Activity Intensifies
As Christmas approached, the disturbances became even more intense. On one particular night, the noise was so loud that Samuel and Susannah feared for their children’s safety. Susannah described this harrowing experience in her letter:
"One night it made such a noise in the room over our heads, as if several people were walking then run up and down stairs, and was so outrageous that we thought the children would be frighted, so your father and I rose, and went down in the dark to light a candle. Just as we came to the bottom of the broad stairs, having hold of each other, on my side there seemed as if somebody had emptied a bag of money at my feet; and on his, as if all the bottles under the stairs (which were many) had been dashed in a thousand pieces. We passed through the hall into the kitchen, and got a candle, and went to see the children, whom we found asleep."
The couple’s attempt to protect their family would prove futile as the spirit seemed to toy with them, making noises and causing disturbances with no clear purpose or pattern.
Late December 1716: Seeking Outside Help
In desperation, the Wesleys called upon a friend and fellow priest, the Rev. Joseph Hoole, for support. Hoole, described as “not a learned man,” nonetheless agreed to stay at the rectory and see if he could help make sense of the haunting. Susannah recounted the visit:
"The next night your father would get Mr. Hoole to lie at our house, and we all sat together till one or two o’clock in the morning, and heard the knocking as usual. Sometimes it would make a noise like the winding up of a jack, at other times, as that night Mr. Hoole was with us, like a carpenter planing deals; but most commonly it knocked thrice and stopped, and then thrice again, and so many hours together."
Hoole’s presence did little to deter the spirit, which continued to torment the household with various sounds and knocks. Samuel Wesley even tried speaking directly to the spirit, demanding to know why it was disturbing his home. He received no response, only more knocking.
December 28, 1716: The Haunting Fades (For Now)
By the end of December, the activity began to subside, though not entirely. Susannah's letters mention that occasional knockings continued into January of the following year. The spirit, now named "Old Jeffrey" by the family, remained a mysterious and ominous presence in their home.
Further Testimonies from the Family
In the weeks that followed, more members of the household began to share their experiences with Old Jeffrey. Susannah Jr., one of the Wesleys’ many children, reported a chilling encounter:
"I heard something walk by my bedside, like a man in a long nightgown."
Her sister Emilia, who had christened the spirit Old Jeffrey, described the oppressive atmosphere in the house:
"There was no quiet after ten at night."
There was even a bizarre report of a strange shape under the rector’s bed that resembled a headless badger. Emilia speculated that the haunting might be the work of witchcraft.
The Household: A Brief Introduction
To understand the context of the haunting, it’s important to introduce the key figures in the Wesley family. Samuel Wesley Sr., the rector of Epworth, was born in Dorset in 1662. He was educated at both Oxford and Cambridge before becoming a priest. In 1695, he was appointed rector of Epworth, where he would spend the remainder of his life.
Samuel was a controversial figure, both locally and beyond. Despite his family's dissenting religious background, he aligned himself with the Anglican Church, which earned him enemies. On two occasions, arsonists set fire to the rectory, with the second incident in 1709 requiring a major rebuilding effort.
His wife, Susannah Annesley Wesley, was a formidable figure in her own right. Born into a large family (she was the youngest of 25 children), Susannah married Samuel in 1688 and bore him at least 17 children, though only 10 survived into adulthood. The couple had their own divisions, particularly over politics—Susannah was a Jacobite who supported the exiled Stuart dynasty, while Samuel supported the reigning monarch, William of Orange.
This coloured print depicts Anglican minister, theologian and Methodist Church founder John Wesley as a child, being rescued from a fire. At left, a man stands on the shoulders of another taking Wesley from a second story window. At right, another man, Wesley's father, kneels giving thanks for his son's safety. Surrounding men and women assist with putting out the fire and rescuing animals, while others huddle in fear after an angry mob set fire to the rectory on February 9, 1709. His young son, John, actually was saved through the intervention of neighbours.
This print was produced by William Smith who was a picture frame manufacturer in Philadelphia from 1856-60. By 1860, he was selling pictures and soon afterwards began selling prints. His products included previously published and original works.
The Legacy of the Haunting
The Epworth haunting would likely have been forgotten were it not for the fact that Samuel and Susannah’s children, John and Charles Wesley, went on to become the founders of Methodism. Though both brothers were away at school during the haunting, John Wesley later took a keen interest in the events.
Much of what we know about the haunting comes from letters preserved by Joseph Priestley, a renowned scientist and theologian who published the family’s correspondence. One of the most intriguing documents is a letter from Samuel Jr., who was skeptical of the supernatural explanation. He wrote a list of questions to his mother, aimed at debunking the idea that the strange noises were caused by spirits. Susannah’s responses, however, only added to the mystery.
Samuel Jr.'s Skepticism
Samuel Jr.'s letter to his mother shows a rational mind attempting to make sense of the unexplainable:
"Was there a new maid, or man, in the house, that might play tricks? Was there no body above in the garrets, when the walking was there? Did all the family hear it together when they were in one room, or at one time? Could not cats, or rats, or dogs, be the sprights?"
Susannah, in her reply, addressed each of his questions, ruling out natural explanations for the disturbances:
"Having been formerly troubled with rats, which were frightened away by sounding a horn, I caused a horn to be procured and made them blow it all over the house. But from that night they began to blow, the noises were more loud, and distinct, both day and night, than before."
Despite their attempts to find a rational cause, the haunting continued to defy explanation.
Over the years, various theories have been proposed to explain the events at Epworth. Some have suggested that the haunting was a prank, possibly carried out by the children or servants in the household. Others, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge, have argued that the noises were a result of mass hysteria or a contagious nervous condition.
Samuel Sr. himself believed that the spirit was politically motivated, noting in his journal that the noises seemed to grow louder whenever prayers were said for King George, whom the Jacobites opposed.
One of the most unsettling details of the haunting emerged decades later. In 1750, Emilia, now Mrs. Harper, wrote to her brother John with a cryptic message:
"That wonderful thing, called by us, Jeffrey! You won’t laugh at me for being superstitious, if I tell you how certainly that something calls on me against any extraordinary new affliction: but so little is known of the invisible world that I at least am not able to judge whether it be a friendly or an evil spirit."
What Emilia meant by this is unclear, but it suggests that Old Jeffrey’s influence lingered long after the events of 1716.
The Epworth haunting remains one of the most famous and well-documented poltergeist cases in English history. Whether a trick of the mind, a political message, or a genuine supernatural event, it left an indelible mark on the Wesley family, influencing their faith and shaping their future.
Even centuries later, the mystery of Old Jeffrey endures, a haunting reminder that some stories are never fully explained.
To look more closely at this case you can listen to the following podcast featuring guest Matt Arnold:
https://www.podpage.com/haunted-history-chronicles/the-epworth-rectory-haunting-with-matt-arnold/
You can also find a great timelines presentation here along with a detailed analysis of the suspects here:
https://ghostsghoulsandgod.co.uk/2020/04/the-epworth-poltergeist-1-the-wesley-home/
You can also read the following book by Joseph Priestly. Original Letters by the Rev. John Wesley and his friends:
