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Aaron Manke (1:26)

October is my favorite month of the year. Chances are good it's yours as well. Most listeners tune in each and every week enjoying these dark tales from history as part of their regular everyday entertainment and education. But there has always been a subgroup that saves it all for the month of October, and it's easy to understand why. Well, this year the team and I wanted to do something extra special in honor of the spooky season. Regular weekly special edition episodes for every Friday in October and we call them Trick or Treat. These bonus episodes will be the same length as a typical Lore or Lore Legends episode with three main acts and an epilogue after the ad break. But for these trick or Treats, we're pulling together some themed sets of stories from our library of members only mini episodes called Lore Bytes. And this week, well, we're kicking the Halloween season off in style with a focus on haunted castles. We've gathered up four of our favorite tales about the dark and spooky experiences people have had within these ancient fortress wall walls. So join me as we walk through damp Flagstoned corridors, deadly armories, and the deepest of dungeons. Turn off the lights, close your eyes, and get ready to storm the castle. I'm Aaron Manke, and this is Lo. From haunted houses to witches huts, all stories need a place to call home. And there's no architecture more steeped in myth and mystery than the castle. As anyone who's driven through the European countryside knows, it's impossible to gaze on crumbling turrets and parapets without imagining the grand histories the walls once held. Go ahead, knock on the drawbridge door. Who knows, it might just open to reveal a chilling tale nearly forgotten. Such is the case for Cawood Castle. Located in the small village of Cawood near the city of York in England, the estate had been the proud home of York's archbishops as far back as the 1100s. And let me tell you, this place was lavish. It consisted of a large collection of buildings clustered around not just one, but a series of courtyards. There was even a moat encircling a bountiful medieval garden. But it wasn't only the archbishops who had the pleasure of enjoying this opulence. Several kings visited Cawood Castle over the years for feasting and hunting and general revelry. Okay, to get a sense of just how extravagant this place was, I have to briefly tell you about one particular feast known as the great feast of Cawood. George Neville, who had become archbishop in 1465, along with his brother, the Earl of Warwick, decided that they wanted to throw a little dinner party for their friends. And when I say a little dinner party, I really mean the wildest feast I have ever heard about. These numbers are going to sound simply impossible. But the feast consisted of 104 oxen, six wild bulls, 400 swans, a thousand chickens, 104 peacocks, and, I kid you not, 25,000 gallons of wine. Now, don't get me wrong. Cowood wasn't just a party place. It was also the site of some serious political intrigue. In November of 1530, for example, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who was once the chief minister to none other than King Henry iii, was arrested for treason on the orders of the king himself. To this day, it's this event that the castle is most known for, so much so that it's overshadowed Another event that took place at the castle many years later. A story of ghosts and marriage and murder. During the English Civil war in the mid-1600s, Cawood Castle was fought over and even used to house prisoners of war. But after the war, the castle was abandoned. So by the time this story takes place 40 years after the war. The castle had already fallen into ruins. According to the legend, William Barwick and Mary Barwick had recently been married. They had a home not far from the ruins of old Cawood Castle, and there they anxiously awaited the birth of their first child. But things weren't as harmonious as they seemed. You see, Mary had become pregnant out of wedlock. And so the marriage wasn't one of love, but duty. Something that William wasn't all too thrilled about. Out to be honest. And unbeknownst to Mary, his resentment would soon become deadly. One day in mid April, the couple were out for a walk when they came to a small pond in the shadow of Cawood Castle. Suddenly, William flung his new wife into the water and drowned her. Then he hid her body in the bushes. The following night, under the COVID of darkness, William returned, dug a shallow grave beside the pond, and right there he buried poor pregnant Mary. Shortly after, William decided to spend some time with a fellow named Thomas Lofthouse. Thomas just so happened to be married to Mary's sister. And so naturally, he asked after his sister in law. William told Thomas that Mary had gone to stay with his uncle Richard Harrison in Selby. A lie, of course, but every murderer needs a good alibi, right? And here's where things get, well, spooky. The following Tuesday, exactly a week and a day after William had murdered Mary, Thomas was out watering his hedges. And as he was filling a bucket, he saw a woman standing not far off. And not just any woman. This woman looked exactly like his wife's sister, Mary, right down to the brown petticoat and white hood that she was accustomed to wearing. But a few details seemed off, specifically the fact that she was deathly pale and her lips appeared pulled or perhaps rotted back to reveal grimacing, gumless teeth. Thomas watched this spectral image of Mary for a while, until, that is, she vanished into thin air. Shaken, he returned home and told his wife what he'd seen. As soon as she heard the tale, his wife was horrified. She concluded that he must have seen his sister's ghost. And if that were the case, Mary had certainly come to harm. Not wanting to make assumptions without proof, they paid a visit to Richard Harrison, the uncle that William claimed that his wife was staying with. Not only was Harrison not William Barwick's uncle, but it turns out that he had no idea who William or Mary even were. By now, Thomas Lofthouse and his wife were pretty positive that there was foul play afoot. So they went to the Lord Mayor of York, obtained a warrant and had Barwick arrested. When Barwick was interrogated, he admitted to everything and told them exactly where to find Mary's body. And sure enough, she was there. And as for William Barwick, he was sentenced to death, of course, and ordered to be hanged in chains. Perhaps today, William is just another spirit roaming the crumbling ruins of Coward Castle. Close your eyes and imagine a scene with me. Imagine a classic haunted castle. The cracked gray stone, the towering turrets, the craggy trees full of bats. Yes, this episode's haunted castle looks nothing like that. Castle Leslie looks more like a luxe country manor than a medieval castle. And that's probably because it wasn't built in the Middle Ages. While a more traditional 17th century fortress likely once stood on the same spot, the entire thing was replaced by the current sprawling estate in the mid 19th century. But technically, it's still a castle. And even though it seems too beautiful to have any ghosts hiding about, it is apparently deeply haunted. Located in a secluded glen between Dublin and Belfast, Castle Leslie is one of the last grand Irish estates that's still owned by its founding family. In this case, that would be the leslies. In the mid 17th century, Bishop John Leslie bought the castle for £2,000. Remarkably, he was 94 years old when he made that purchase. He died six years later, to no one's surprise, passing the property down through the family. The bishop, though, is not believed to be one of the ghosts hanging around today. It was one of his descendants, also named John Leslie, who rebuilt the castle in 1878. He and his wife Constance filled the home with 16th and 17th century furniture. And they commissioned for the interior to be given an Italian Renaissance style. Hardly the stuff of nightmares. But we'll get there, don't worry. The ghost stories actually started after Constance Leslie's death. She died in England, but the same day that she passed away, the servants saw her walking around the gardens of Castle Leslie back in Ireland. Soon enough, Constance and John's son, also inconveniently named John, became the man of the house. And he married a lovely woman named Leonie. And the two lived a happy, although brief, life together. In 1943, Porleone grew ill and in no time she was laying on her deathbed. The night before she died, the nurse saw a woman come into Leonie's bedchamber. She whispered into Leonie's ear and comforted her. The nurse didn't think to mention the event until the funeral, saying that the woman, whose portrait was hanging in the dining room, had come to visit Leonie. Everyone was stunned. The woman in the portrait had been Leonie's deceased mother in law, Constance. And since then, many other visitors have reported seeing Lady Constance inside the castle. Her presence is most often reported in what is known as the Mauve Room. Guests have also blamed her ghost for moving their personal things or flinging their doors open with an invisible hand. It's been reported that her spirit is a bit playful. So if you're looking to have some fun with a ghost, consider seeking Constance out. But she isn't the castle's only permanent resident. Another popular spirit is Norman Leslie. In 1914, the servants saw him walking along the terrace. The staff was relieved. Norman, you see, had been living in France, fighting in World War I. But now, of course, he was home and he was safe. Except Norman didn't show up for dinner that night. The staff was confused, but they just shrugged it off, thinking that maybe he needed some rest. They didn't see Norman again, and only a few days later, a telegram arrived announcing his death on the battlefield. Shortly after Norman's death, his mother woke up in the middle of the night to see him looking through some of the papers on her desk. Dazed and still half asleep, she asked what he was doing. Norman simply smiled and then disappeared. Ever since, Norman has been seen most often in his old bedroom or another bedroom called the Red Room. Guests who have slept in his bed report feeling a great weight pressing on their chests when they sleep. But usually, the introvert Norman keeps to himself, although occasionally rowdy guests will hear him say, hush. There are also unidentified ghosts in the castle. A woman in white has been seen sometimes floating through Norman's room, and an old man has been reported to hang out in the basement. If you wish that you could meet some of these ghosts, well, you're in luck. Castle Leslie was converted into a hotel in the 1990s, and it also operates as a wedding venue. You could test your nerves and sleep in Norman's old room, or you could say your wedding vows under the watchful eye of Constance Leslie. But no matter what you choose, be careful not to make too much noise during your visit. You wouldn't want to upset poor Norman. I imagine the basements of museums are a bit like a treasure chest dust. But sometimes art slips through the cracks, and after it's found, it needs a bit of a makeover. Recently, a portrait of Isabella de Medici was unearthed at the Carnegie Museum of Art. And now, fully refreshed, we can see Isabella as she was in her prime. And as I look at it, I can't help but wonder did she know what was coming? Isabella was born in Florence, Italy in 1542 to the reigning Duke Cosimo de Medici and his wife, Eleanor. And she would have lived a charmed life as a little princess in her own little kingdom. Isabella enjoyed the best education in classics, arts, languages and music, and had a bright future. She was betrothed to Paolo Orsini, a member of an ancient Roman family, at the age of just 11. But don't worry, they weren't married until she was 16 and he was 17. But then a funny thing happened. Rather than follow her new husband back to his family estates, her father kept her home, giving her control over her own affairs. A rarity for a woman of her time. There's no doubt that Cosimo trusted his daughter implicitly. But he also didn't seem to like his new son in law, who was a big fan of the gentlemanly pursuits of gambling and adultery. So Isabella stayed home and flourished. When her mother died, Isabella became the first lady of Florence and showed off her talent for the Medici family's truest politics. Isabella rarely traveled to visit her husband, but despite their clear separation, they did have a couple of children. Yet Paolo remained distant, often away with family or on some kind of military campaign to make sure Isabella stayed out of trouble. He left his handsome cousin to watch over her. What could possibly go wrong, right? The arrangement clearly worked well for Isabella. She had her own money, power and a good looking man at her fingertips. While most frowned at the idea of a married woman spending so much time with a man who wasn't her husband, none of that really mattered. Isabella was untouchable. Well, at least so long as her father was alive. It was a terrible blow when he died in April of 1574. Now she was in a kind of limbo. Isabella was a married woman with her own money and property. But she was still at the whims of her husband and now her brother, Francesco, the new Grand Duke. And Paolo was apparently growing suspicious of his wife's behavior. He could and would make trouble for Isabella who wouldn't be defended by her brother. You see, Francesco had the backbone of a chocolate eclair. So Isabella was on shaky ground. The likely tense marriage came to an abrupt end two years later. It was the middle of summer of 1576 and Isabella was staying with her husband at Cereto Guidi for a hunting trip. This was their vacation and everyone was probably having a great time. Well, at first, anyway. That rosy atmosphere was obliterated when Isabella was discovered on July 16. Bent over her bathtub, dead. The official story is that Isabella slipped while washing her hair and was later discovered by her devastated husband. The gossip though was darker. You see, Isabella was the second death of that trip. Her other brother Pietro's wife, Eleonora, a beautiful redhead unhappy to have been saddled with a prideful, rage filled husband, was similarly found dead just a few days earlier. I wonder if Isabella had seen the writing on the wall. So maybe a pair of dissatisfied husbands got together and started to plot. Maybe they proposed a teeny tiny problem solving double murder for the Grand Duke. And maybe, just maybe, Francesco gave the blessing. Based on the evidence, both women were strangled, which freed their husbands to pursue anything else they wanted, especially other women. Although it didn't work quite out the way they intended. After the scandal broke, Pietro was exiled to Spain and Paolo spent some time on the run. He died in 1585. We'll never know for sure what happened to the Medici women at that villa, but Isabella seems determined to continue making her presence known. The room where she was discovered and likely died is called the Room of the Noose and she has roamed those halls for many years. Isabella is a classic lady in white, dressed in her 16th century finest and has been seen to drift around the halls, maybe looking for her husband or her bro. Others, I would have had some choice words for them and maybe a nightmare or two. In the 1950s, some objects around the villa mysteriously disappeared, never to be seen again. A robbery perhaps, or maybe something more. Isabella's last appearance was in the summer of 1970. A young man stopped by the villa in the middle of the night thanks to a flat tire. There he saw a young woman who seemed to be waiting for something. She introduced herself as Isabella and said that she lived there all before disappearing and she hasn't been seen since. I hope you've enjoyed this special trick or treat tour through some of the most haunted castles out there. I know I got a few chills telling these tales to you, and I can only imagine you felt the same. And sure, castles might have all started out as places of power, safety and strength, but it's clear that a lot of them have transformed into something darker. But don't run yet. I have one more castle that I want to tell you about, so squeeze in tight because this one can get a little crowded. Stick around through this brief sponsor break to hear all about it. This episode was made possible by Audible Emmy Award winner Kerry Washington returns as Dr. Virginia Edwards in Audible's heart pounding supernatural thriller the Prophecy. Season two. Also starring Giancarlo Esposito, Dulay Hill, Renzi Feliz and Ebony Obsidian the battle between good and evil reaches new heights in this action packed sequel that pits faith against fear and pushes the fate of humanity to the edge. Follow every twist and turn as Virginia and her miracle son Joshua flee from Detroit, pursued by the sinister Luther Bell, played by Giancarlo Esposito and his Morning Stars cult. Each perilous step of their journey is guided by Virginia's haunting visions. While Bell's forces close in, threatening to tear their world apart as natural disasters erupt, Virginia must embrace her role as both mother and chosen protector. But will it be too late? Evil is rising and time is running out. Do not miss Kerry Washington in Audible's new Must Listen the Prophecy Season 2. Go to audible.com prophecy2. That's the number two. And start listening today.