As you are probably starting to realize, Shropshire is a landscape rife with spirits.
Indeed, there is such a rich and varied tradition of ghost lore in the County, that is often unrepresented within wider discussions of the paranormal. I am passionate about bringing new light to these tales, especially from the quieter corners of the County, as their stories are just as creative and relevant as any of Britain’s other ghost lore.
I believe that ghost stories are wonderful things, that can provide us with a unique insight into the past. They can serve as conduits for the fears and attitudes of those who came before us, as well as demonstrating how they interpreted and navigated the world.
The ghost can provide a whole spectrum of colour to the otherwise sepia toned histories of a community or place. There is definitely ‘summat to be seed’ in Shropshire, if we are to refer to our dialect.
There has been a plethora of reports of paranormal experiences even into the modern day, suggesting that Shropshire folk have a long relationship with the world of the dead. Let us turn to ghost lore now, to share the story of ‘The Coton Ghost’ which purportedly terrorized the community of Coton during the 19th century.
Coton is part of the wonderfully named Ruyton – XI – Towns, which I think is worthy of a bit more explanation. Ruyton is both a village and a civil parish, traditionally made up of 11 communities. First mentioned in the Domesday book as Ruitone, the village acquired its unusual compound name in the 12th century when a castle was built, and it became the major manor of eleven local townships.
The castle was rebuilt in 1313 but was destroyed by Owain Glyndwr during his 1400 uprising. The use of the Roman numeral in its name was first seen around 1379. Interestingly, Arthur Conan Doyle spent some time in Ruyton whilst he was a medical student in 1878.
He later recalled in his Memories and Recollections (1923) that Ruyton was “not big enough to make one town, far less eleven” which though rather a negative statement goes part of the way in explaining the isolation of this rural community. Some of these ancient townships still survive as hamlets to this day, including Coton, which is still part of Ruyton, though largely made up of farm buildings.
With its interesting origins and unusual name, Ruyton – XI – Towns is the setting for our ghost story. It is worth noting before we continue that there is another spirit that haunts the area.
This ghost is said to be a headless horseman, who clatters down the roads leading to the church, the sound of hooves filling the moonlit nights. Our haunting was said to cause far more trouble than this spirit, however, which we will now discuss.
Our account was written in September 1895, when Mr. James Cooper, the former school master of Ruyton wrote to a Mr. Robert Lloyd Kenyon, who lived in West Felton. The subject of the letter was to reminisce, as well as share stories and discoveries from the local community of Ruyton – XI – Towns.
One story was very interesting. He wrote that in 1788, the community became troubled by a haunting. The vicar of the parish at this time was Rev. David Evans, who began to receive complaints about the presence of a spirit known to the community as ‘Owd Corbet’.
Owd Corbet was another headless figure, who was perhaps linked to the Corbet family, who had formally lived at Coton around 200 years before. Owd Corbet wandered the village ceaselessly and was by all accounts a wicked fella. He got up to all sorts of mischief and generally made it his duty to cause issues for the inhabitants.
Some examples of his poor behaviour include taking the wheels off carts, tipping over barrels, throwing things and making strange noises long into the night. He was even known to be violent. The neighbourhood were terrified of Owd Corbet, and he seemed to cause a genuine threat amongst the community.
Mr. Cooper also writes of some strange events in the village, including a room that was usually kept locked, (It is not clear why) being unlocked after a great amount of noise coming from the it.
When it was opened, the room was found to be stained with blood. On another occasion whilst tearing down a building, a fine coffin was found, which had a silver plate, written entirely in Welsh. It was not clear as to why a coffin should have been found on the grounds, as it was nowhere near the church.
Sadly, both anecdotes are barely explained, instead delivered in that typical Victorian matter of fact tone. It is clear however that both experiences were seen as portents of doom within the local community. Indeed, strange times had descended upon Ruyton – XI – Towns and perhaps the spirit of Owd Corbet was to blame for these mysterious occurrences.
After some time, the community decided that they couldn’t deal with Owd Corbet’s spiraling behaviour. So, they turned to the church in the hope that they could gain assistance in ridding the community of the spirit.
Rev. Evans contacted several other men of the cloth, and they all came to Ruyton – XI – Towns. After blessing the area, the group of ministers went to Coton Hall, which was supposed to be the former home of Owd Corbet.
They then began an intense but sadly undescribed ritual. What we do know is that they prayed and preached continuously for two hours, whilst surrounded by candles. By midnight, the ministers had managed to entice Owd Corbet into a bottle and then threw the spirit into a nearby pool.
This was said to lay his spirit to rest, but not permanently. Indeed, depending on which version of the folktale you read, Owd Corbet was trapped in the bottle for either 100 years (which means his spirit is now free to get up to trouble again) or 1000 years. Hopefully it is the latter.
Though trapped inside a bottle, Owd Corbet still managed to make some mischief. Former tenants of Coton Hall have said he was able to tip over milk churns and even start small fires near the water’s edge.
It isn’t uncommon in Shropshire to read of troublesome spirits being laid in bottles, indeed there is a plethora of examples across the county, such as an unnamed spirit which was bottled and laid near Dinham Bridge in Ludlow or the wonderful Elizabeth Browne of Stanton Upon Heathe Hine whose story is one for another time.
The best way one can get a spirit into a bottle is to use deception. This can be in any way you think necessary, but one example is to suggest that spirits may be allowed to return when the holly is no longer green, which will not happen as these plants are evergreen.
Such stories suggest that there is a way out of a haunting, and one might be able to contain the unparalleled power of a vengeful and spiteful ghost. Perhaps if you ever find yourself in Ruyton – XI – Towns, it might be wise to watch out for the headless Owd Corbet in case he really was only bottled for 100 years!
This article provides a fascinating glimpse into Shropshire’s rich ghost lore. It’s intriguing to see how these stories have persisted over the years.
I agree, it’s amazing how these tales are still part of the local culture.
Ruyton – XI – Towns has such an interesting history. I had no idea Arthur Conan Doyle spent time there. The ghost stories add another layer to its already rich past.
The story of Owd Corbet is quite spooky. It’s intriguing to think about how these tales have shaped the community’s history and identity.
Shropshire seems to have a lot of fascinating folklore. The idea of spirits being trapped in bottles is particularly interesting and something I haven’t come across before.
It’s amazing how ghost stories can provide insight into the past. The historical context of these tales makes them all the more captivating.