MARBURY LADY ?

THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT MTSTERIES IN THE AREA WHERE I LIVE.THE MARBURY LADY HAUNTED MARBURY HALL AND AFTER THE HALL WAS DEMOLISHED SHE HAUNTED THE GROUNDS AND STILL DOES ....i WILL BE GOING TO MARBURY TO TAKE SOME PICTURES TO PUT ON THIS SITE MAYBE WE WILL GET SOME SPIRIT EXTRAS ?.....

JAMES HUGH SMITH -BARRY IS THE PERSON THAT HISTORY CONNECTS TO THE MARBURY LADY...THIS IS BECAUSE LEGEND HAS IT THAT THE LADY WAS DARK SKINNED AND EYGPTIAN AND JAMES TRAVELLED THE WORLD ON HIS GRAND TOURS BRINGING BACK MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS FROM ROME AND ALL OVER THE WORLD....IT WAS BELIEVED HE MET THIS LADY ON SUCH A TOUR .

THE STORY TELLS OF JAMES FALLING MADLEY IN LOVE WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL DARK EYED GIRL....AND SHE FELL MADLEY IN LOVE WITH HIM..HISTORY DOES NOT TELL US IFTHE GIRL WAS FROM A RICH FAMILY.. JAMES HOWEVER WAS ...HIS FAMILY OWNED VAST ESTATES IN ENGLAND AND IRELAND ..AFTER HIS GRAND TOUR JAMES WAS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO ENGLAND AND HIS RESPONSIBILITIES .....HE WAS EXPECTED TO MAKE A GOOD MARRIAGE SO TO BRING MORE WEALTH TO THE FAMILY AND TO HAVE CHILDREN TO CARRY ON THE SMITH-BARRY LINE...........

THE TIME CAME FOR JAMES TO SAY GOODBYE HE HAD TO GO HOME AND SHE WAS LEFT BEHIND PINING FOR HER HANSOME YOUNG LOVE..

TIME WENT BY JAMES MET A LADY CALLED ANN TANNER OR AS SHE WAS KNOWN MRS TANNER ...THEY FELL IN LOVE ...FOR SOME REASON JAMES NEVER MARRIED HER ..WAS SHE ALREADY MARRIED?   OR WAS THIS FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS ? WHO KNOWS.....BUT MARRY HER HE DID NOT..EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD FIVE CHILDREN !!! ALL ILLIGITIMATE QUITE REMARKABLE IN THAT ERA....THEY MOVED AWAY FROM CHESHIRE AND I SUPPOSE THE STIGMA OF LIVING IN SIN...THEY LIVED AT SWERFORD PARK  UNTIL JAMES DIED.. HE DIED WHEN THE CHRILDREN WERE QUITE YOUNG THEY WERE LEFT FOR A SHORT WHILE IN THE CARE OF THEIR MOTHER THEN WERE TAKEN TO LIVE WITH FAMILY.......

BACK TO THE LEGEND......JAMES RETURNED HOME FROM HIS LAST GRAND TOUR ..THE EGYPTIAN LADY PINED FOR HIM SO MUCH THAT SHE DECIDED TO FOLLOW HIM TO ENGLAND AND THEN TO CHESHIRE AND MARBURY HALL.......ON DARK FROSTY NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT A KNOCK CAME ON THE GREAT DOOR AT MARBURY  SERVANTS AND BUTLERS SCURRIED TO GET THEMSELVES TOGETHER WHO COULD BE CALLING   AT THIS TIME..

THERE AT THE DOOR STOOD A BEAUTIFIL YOUNG GIRL ..i HAVE COME TO SEE THE MASTER JAMES SHE SAID......THE  SERVANTS LET HER IN JAMES MUST HAVE BEEN VERY SURPRISED TO SEE HER...EVENTUALLY SO THE STORY GOES SHE BECAME A HOUSEKEEPER SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH MARBURY ....SHE IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE REQUESTED THAT WHEN SHE DIED SHE WANTED TO BE BURIED AT MARBURY...IN THE SMITH-BARRY PARERS (HELD AT CHESTER RECORD OFFICE ) THERE IS A REQUEST FOR A MAUSOLEUM TO BE BUILT AT MARBURY ....WAS THIS FOR THE MARBURY LADY ?  THE MAUSOLEUM WAS NEVER BUILT ......JAMES SON JOHN DID NOT CARRY THIS OUT....

THE DEATH OF THE MARBURY LADY IS SHROUDED IN MYSTERY (PUN INTENDED)