HOW A BUILDING CAN BECOME HAUNTED WHEN IT MAY NOT EVEN HAVE A GHOST - Old Malt Shovel Public House, Oswaldkirk, North Yorkshire
THE MALT SHOVEL INN (PUBLIC HOUSE) OSWALDKIRK, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
THE MALT SHOVEL INN (PUBLIC HOUSE) OSWALDKIRK, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
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'How a building can become haunted when it may not even have a ghost'
This location is just one example. I haven't singled out this story for any particular reason, nor have I any grievence toward the owners. It is a model or stereotype if you like. I do have a friend who is investigating this location at the moment. It whetted my appetite to add a dose of critical thinking to the story.
Case File: The Malt Shovel Inn
Media description
'Landlady’s haunted look at 16th century pub'
The age of the building: According to a the German architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner (1902-1983) The Malt Shovel Inn dates from around 1720.
Alleged ghost: Thomas Bamber aged 5
What happened to him? Boy dies in bedroom, but nothing is said about how he died. His body was kept in his bedroom until the mother called Sally eventually allowed it to be buried.
Cause of death? Unknown
A sad unfortunate grief stricken mother.
A sad unfortunate grief stricken mother.
The Snowball Effect - something increasing in size or importance at a faster and faster rate. A story gets added to a popular phenomena website and then it snowballs further. This in-turn offers suggestibility to the reader or the researcher who may want to visit or investigate this location in the future.
Websites and newspapers reporting the story:
Original report was found: York Press newspaper
then it was found in..
Paranormal Database
Hotspotz.com
and lots more..
Experiencers: Landlady Pam Wilson and husband also existing staff.
Date of report: 2007
Previously local to the area? Yes
Factors: Had she heard about said hauntings through local lore (orally) or on the internet? (Unknown)
Reports paranormal type experiences within a week of moving in.
The 'Prior Knowledge Hypothesis' Did she know about the stories regarding said hauntings prior to purchase before or after? (unknown) Was she motivated to purchase the pub on the assumption it was a haunted pub? (Unknown)
High expectations?
What she witnessed: Sense of presence behind her, torch (type) light briefly appearing before disappearing. She was convinced something was there. (possible xenonormal or new house effect)
Article: What’s that Noise? An Exploration into the New House Effect Dave Wood BSc & Malcolm Gould Paranormal Site Investigators (8)www.p-s-i.org.uk (pdf
Article: What’s that Noise? An Exploration into the New House Effect Dave Wood BSc & Malcolm Gould Paranormal Site Investigators (8)www.p-s-i.org.uk (pdf
Motivated reasoning: - 'I am into ghosts', she admitted to the media. (motivated)
(People are more likely to have paranormal-type experiences if they strongly believe in the paranormal)
Husband: Did not witness anything, did not want to witness anything (unmotivated)
But he noted in the press: 'Pam had already made changes at the pub since arriving four weeks ago, changing the menu to bring in more locally-sourced, fresh produce and opening the pub for longer each day, and for a full seven days a week'. (Intentional or unintentional advertising)
Did changing the menu cause the paranormal activity? (lol)
Philip Entwistle
In a publication called, 'Oswaldkirk - A living village'
Philip Entwistle noted;
"There was said to be a ghost who patrolled the stairs and landing"
(The structure of this sentence suggests this is a second hand account - retelling another persons observations written by someone who did not witness or actually participate in events).
He also added; "There are stories of chairs and tables thrown into disarray and of objects flying though the air, "However, in the late nineties, the rector exorcised the building and the tales of haunting have ceased." (OH really?)
The church
Exorcism conducted by (unknown religious denomination) Did this happen? Are there any local records catalogued giving evidence that an exorcism actually took place at the Malt Shovel?
First hand account (this person is unknown) there is no mention as to the actual date of the first report or who started off the first rumour that the inn is 'allegedly' haunted. The pub cat? (lol)
The Chinese Whispers effect
When gossip or a story is being passed around, being told to one person, who retells it to another, and with each re-telling the story is changed slightly, until by the last re-telling it has changed almost beyond recognition of the original story.
Educational references
The New House Effect (ASSAP) read more here
Just telling someone a house is haunted will affect how they interpret anything they hear or see. When people move to a new house they too may decide, for whatever reason, that the place has an 'atmosphere'. Once the idea is in place, lots of things will be interpreted in a paranormal context. Once established, it is a difficult idea to shift.
Xenonormal (ASSAP) read more here
Something that appears paranormal but which has natural causes.
Media reports: Misreporting the paranormal - read more here
Psychology references:
Other:
Relying on weak stories and accepting them as fact is undesirable. Delve deeper.
A few odd experiences doesn't account for a haunting; many people reading the original article might assume that the story has been blown out of proportion and that the owners are exploiting it to drum up interest for their business, even though that may not be the case.
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