Stanley Palace is a 16th Century Grade II listed building located in the heart of Chester. Formerly called Derby House, it stands on, or near, the site previously occupied by the Dominican Friars (The 'Black Friars') in medieval times.It was built for Peter Warburton, a Chester Lawyer, who advanced to become a sergeant-at-law and MP for Chester, a county finance manager, a judge and a Knight. Derby House then passed as his daughter Elizabeth's dowry to the Stanleys of Alderley. On the death of her husband Elizabeth married Sir Richard Grosvenor of Eaton Hall, she died in 1627 at her Black Friars home (probably Stanley Palace) & was buried with the Grosvenors' at Eccleston. James the 7th Earl of Derby campaigned for the Royalist cause, but was captured, held in Chester Castle and finally executed in Bolton by Cromwell's followers.As Chester was a sea-port the Derby family were custodians of the old Watergate and were paid the tolls collected from merchants off the ships. A large ship's timber is still in place as the main support of the fireplace in the foyer of the building. It is uncertain when the family parted with the house and to whom.It is known that Hesketh, a sporting gentleman who held parties for the race-goers, once occupied it. By 1831 the house had deteriorated and had been divided into three shabby cottages, it's out buildings and land gone for housing development by the then owners, two builders named Hodkinson & Boden. These cottages passed from owner to owner and in 1866 Americans wished to buy the house to have it transported to the United States; fortunately the Chester Archaeological Society prevented this.In 1889, Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby, came to the rescue by buying it to have it preserved for the community. In those days he was Foreign Secretary and a Knight of the Garter, and the house was called Derby House.In 1911 the house opened as a Museum & curio shop by a Manchurian gentleman, E. Booth-Jones. As the house was still three cottages, and after some restoration work to open up the building, tunnels to both the Watergate & the Castle were discovered, possibly by the trap door, that was situated in the floor of the entrance.In 1928 the 17th Earl of Derby passed the house over to Chester City Council on a 999-year lease. The Council commenced work to restore and extend the building.
Stanley Palace is reputed to be haunted and over the years, footsteps & low murmurings have been heard together with illogical happenings.Elizabeth, Sir Peter Warburton's daughter died in her Black Friers home in 1627. On two occasions her presence has been observed. A visitor to Stanley Palace reported seeing a lady dressed in a manner related to the 17th century and though it was a volunteer, to welcome visitors to the building. The Lady then disappeared through a doorway, which on later inspection the visitor found this doorway to be an interior paneled wall. A lady attending a social function at Stanley Palace noticed a man dressed in a fashion to that worn by servants in the 17th century, pass her in the foyer and enter the Queen Anne room. Over the years footsteps have been heard in the Gallery and a report in a local newspaper tells of two ladies who not only heard the footsteps, but have been told a number of people have also been aware of the Gallery footsteps and other unexplained noises.A girl with waist-length dark hair,wearing a pinafore dress, was frightened by an old man with a walking stick,who swore at children and gave chase waving his stick; perhaps he was a resident of the neighboring cottage, who disliked the children's chatter and giggles.Upstairs by the staircase entrance to the Gallery, a figure of a gentleman, dressed in the uniform of a second world war army officer was in command of the entertainment. At the far end of the Gallery a grey haired lady was playing the piano and seamed to have a preference for Brahms. Giggling children have also been heard. Prestiges visit was eventful. We had tapping and emf responses in the ghost room, by Elizabeth and also a Dominican Friar who sat on a guests knee and set off the emf! Tapping tipping was a sucess in the upper room and so was the ouija board who the spirit of Grace was controlling. The Emfs were going off to a spirit that worked as an accountant at Stanley Palace as well.But the best thing was in the courtyard, several people witnessed a black shadow coming from one wall straight into another wall and a stone dropped from nowhere and hit the floor, startling guests and staff.Your event will include
* An overnight investigation with the Prestige Paranormal investigation team* Welcome meeting* Refreshments and snacks during the night- which includes, tea coffee juices, hot chocolate,cake snacks,chocolate bars and sausage rolls.* Mediumship /Historical walkaround* Mediumship vigil- Dowsing rods, pendulums, psychometry experiments, singapore experiment using music/sounds from days gone by.* Victoriana vigil- Ouija Board (optional) glass divination, table tipping.* Equipment vigil - emf (k2) meters, laser thermometers, laser grid pens, motion sensors, super hearing enhancers, franks box, light intensity meter.* Lone vigils, some locations allow lone vigils, where you can go off on your own with our equipment and explore.* Group vigil, If no lone vigil is allowed, we will hold a mass group vigil at the end. Or we could hold both lone and group depending on time.* Debriefing session at the end.
↧