This picture taken in 1936 at Raynham Hall Mansion was published in the December 16, 1936 edition of Country Life Magazine in the U.K. It has been dubbed "The Brown Lady" & has a 300 plus year history. Many believe it is the ghost of Lady Dorothy Townshend, wife of Charles Townshend who lived in Raynham Hall in Norfolk England in the early 1700`s.
Dorothy was suspected by her husband of infidelity & legal records say she died & was buried in 1726. However, many believe the funeral was a sham & suspect that Charles locked her away in a remote corner of the house til her death many years later.
Dorothy is said to haunt the staircase in Raynham Hall & was even seen by King George IV while staying in the mansion in the early 1800`s. Colonel Loftus also reported seeing her in 1835 & said her face was pale & it appeared that her eyes had been gouged out. A few years later Captain Frederic Marryat observed her gliding through the halls with a sarcastic look on her face. He fired his gun at her, but the bullet passed right through her.
Many say The Brown Lady still haunts those halls today.
This is a portrait of Dorothy Walpole who later became Dorothy Townshend. She is believed to be "The Brown Lady" that haunts the premises.
Captain Merryat. The man who shot the ghost & the bullet passed right through.