Find me here:
  The Paranormal Guide
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Atlas
  • Glossary

The Haunting of Jay's Grave

22/2/2013

Comments

 
Picture
Out in the country side of south-west England, near the town of Manaton, Devon, can be found a lonely grave. The grave belongs to a woman named Jay. It sits in unconsecrated ground, at the intersection of a road and a lane - the burial of a suicide victim.

What is the story of Jay's Grave?

A Strange Find

PictureJay's Grave on the cross roads.
In 1851, some workmen removing excess soil from a minor cross roads near the town of Manaton, came across a plot of ground that appeared to be a grave. Further digging had them discover human bones. An inquiry was made, and it was soon evident that the skeleton belonged to a woman who was buried a good forty years beforehand.

The skeleton was recovered, and the dirt piled up so the boundaries of the woman's final resting place could be more easily discerned. A simple headstone was placed at the head of the grave and, finally, the legend of Jays Grave was told.

A Sad Life

PictureGifts and offerings.
In the late 1700's an orphaned baby was taken to a poor house in Newton Abbott. The baby girl was quickly given the name 'Jay', but as she grew into her teens the name 'Mary' was added. Jay, in those days, was a term given commonly to prostitutes, so the name was not very becoming of a young girl raised in a Christian home.

In her late teens Jay had to leave the home and was sent as an apprentice and farmhand to a farm located just outside the town of Manaton. She was utilised as cheap/free labour. She worked for the roof over her head and the food in her stomach. She worked both in the house and the fields making for very hard labour.

She would not have been highly appreciated, being treated as little more than a slave. However, when she began to develop more into a woman, she did begin to become appreciated, but for all the wrong reasons.

The farmhands became quite sweet on her, and through these relationships she was given yet another name – 'Kitty', which was a nickname given to girls of a more promiscuous variety. Soon she and the farmers son become more closely acquainted, and a relationship was formed.

Life looked to be promising for Jay, but then tragedy struck. One evening, working the fields, she was raped by a farmhand, and from this became pregnant. Being as things were in the older times she was declared a whore, the farmers son would have nothing more to do with her, and she was finally forced to leave the farm.

Completely at a loss for what to do, and her life shattered around her, she went to one of the barns on the farm and hanged herself.

When she was discovered, she was taken down unceremoniously, and taken to be buried. One after another the local parishes refused to bury her in their cemeteries, as she had committed suicide, which was an act against not only the law, but also against God. She must be buried in a manner befitting her crime.

Eventually she was given a suicide victims burial – she was taken out of town to a crossroads, and buried in a shallow grave in the middle of the night.

She may have had a stake driven through her heart, as was common for suicides back in those days (a practise used up until about 1823) – she was not going to be given a place in heaven, and no risk was taken of her coming back. The burial at the crossroads was to fool her spirit, keeping it trapped at an intersection.

There she would have lain forgotten, had the grave not accidentally been discovered by those workmen many years later.

However, some questions were answered regarding strange experiences that had been known to take place on that crossroad. A dark figure in a black shroud had been seen in the immediate area.

The Haunting of Jay's Grave

PictureA lonely grave on a lonely road.
This figure was often seen sitting or kneeling at the side of the road, their face in their hands. Was the figure weeping or praying?

Many believe the figure is the spirit of the farmers son who shunned and shamed Jay, driving her to take her own life. The figure is still reportedly seen in modern times.

Another phenomenon that is reported is the arrival of fresh flowers on a continuing basis. It is true that many venture to visit the grave, and many leave tokens – flowers, candles, prayer papers, coins, but some mornings locals will find a brand new cut of flowers. Not strange in itself, but it does become more odd when it is winter, and no footprints can be located in the snow around the grave, and no new snowfall has happened in order to cover them.

One final strange mention must be made, that could be tied to the above strangeness. There have been reports of the apparition of a footless, female figure seen in the vicinity of the grave. Once again, it is not known who this figure could be, but many suspect it is Jay herself, still stuck at the intersection, unable to break free from her church imposed prison.

(there are several versions of the story so I have chosen the aspects that best reflect the most common tellings)

A Question for You...

If the story told about this 'suicide grave' is correct, is there a way that things can be 'made right' for her eternal rest - can something be done to allow Jay to move on?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Ashley Hall 2013
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

    The Paranormal Guide Articles

    Here you will find all of the articles written for The Paranormal Guide on all things paranormal, strange, dark, macabre, weird, strange and bizarre!

    All photos with the blog posts remain the property of their respectful owners. If one of your photos is featured here without attribution please leave a comment on the blog and full credit will be given.

    Categories

    All
    Bizarre Experiments
    Conspiracy
    Cryptozoology
    Cursed And Haunted Objects
    Curses Demons And Exorcisms
    Earth Mysteries
    Fakes Frauds And Hoaxes
    Ghosts And Hauntings
    Ghosts Ghouls And Demons
    Interesting And Inspiring People
    Investigations
    Miracles
    My Paranormal
    Paranormal Photos
    Paranormal Vocabulary
    Phobias And Philias
    Post Mortem Practices
    Psychics Predictions And Seers
    Questions And Discussions
    Reviews
    Spirituality And Miracles
    Spirituality And Miracles
    Strange And Macabre Places
    Strange And Tragic Deaths
    This Week In Dark History
    Tragedy
    True Crime And Punishment
    Ufos And Aliens
    Unsolved Mysteries
    Urban Legend Superstition And Folklore
    Weird Odd And Bizarre


    Ashley Hall -
    The Paranormal Guide

    Ashley Hall explores The Paranormal, True Crime, Strange Deaths, Dark History, The Weird, The Strange and The Bizarre! Fact or Fiction? You decide!

    Picture

    Contributors

    Picture
    Matty Sweeney
    Picture
    Peet Banks
    Picture
    Nic Hume

    Picture
    Check out The Paranormal Guide Podcast and join three paranormal investigators and researchers for honest and raw discussions on all things paranormal, strange, dark and macabre HERE!

    Archives

    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Please note that dates are from when the article was originally made.
    The Paranormal Guide does have posts all the way up to the current date.


    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.