This photograph of the Combermere Abbey library was taken in 1891 by
Sybell Corbet. The figure of a man can faintly be seen sitting in the
chair to the left. His head, collar and right arm on the armrest are
clearly discernable. It is believed to be the ghost of Lord Combermere.
Lord Combermere was a British cavalry commander in the early 1800s,
who distinguished himself in several military campaigns. Combermere
Abbey, located in Cheshire, England, was founded by Benedictine monks
in 1133. In 1540, King Henry VII kicked out the Benedictines, and the
Abbey later became the Seat of Sir George Cotton KT, Vice Chamberlain
to the household of Prince Edward, son of Henry VIII. In 1814, Sir
Stapleton Cotton, a descendent of Sir George, took the title "Lord
Combermere" and in 1817 became became the Governor of Barbados. Today
the Abbey is a tourist attraction and hotel.
Lord Combermere died in 1891, having been struck and killed by a
horse-drawn carriage. At the time Sybell Corbet took the above photo,
Combermere's funeral was taking place some four miles away. The
photographic exposure, Corbet recorded, took about an hour. It is
thought by some that during that time a servant might have come into
the room and sat briefly in the chair, creating the transparent image.
This idea was refuted by members of the household, however, testifying
that all were attending Lord Combermere's funeral.
Interesting side note: Lord Combermere is connected to another well-known paranormal story: the famous
"Moving Coffins"of Barbados. The coffins inside the sealed vault of the Chase family
are said to have been moved about by unnatural forces. The heavy
coffins were repeatedly put in proper order, but often when a new
coffin was added to the vault, the coffins were found strewn about.
Lord Combermere, while governor of Barbados, had ordered a professional
investigation of the mystery.
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