Latest Recent Technology: White Lady of Rufford Abbey ghost photo captured using iPod Touch

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

White Lady of Rufford Abbey ghost photo captured using iPod Touch - Daily Mail

Cameron Hamilton, 15, took a photograph at Rufford Abbey Country Park
Staff say it is probably the White Lady of Rufford, their regular ghost
According to legend she is Arbella Stuart, once tipped to be queen

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 10:50 EST, 4 December 2013 | UPDATED: 14:13 EST, 4 December 2013

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An inquisitive teenager on a school trip may have inadvertently captured an image of a ghost claimed to be a noblewoman once tipped to take the throne after Queen Elizabeth I.

Cameron Hamilton took a photograph of an arch at Rufford Abbey Country Park with his iPod Touch, only to spot later it contained a misty white figure.

Nottinghamshire County Council staff believe it is the ghostly White Lady of Rufford who, according to legend, is believed to be the spirit of ill-fated Arbella Stuart.

A misty white figure caught on camera by Cameron Hamilton when he used his iPod Touch

England's Lost Queen, Lady Arbella Stuart,

Is it her? A misty white figure caught on camera by Cameron Hamilton when he used his iPod Touch, left, is England’s Lost Queen, Lady Arbella Stuart, according to council staff

Luck: Cameron Hamilton took the snap while visiting Nottinghamshire County Council’s Rufford Abbey Country Park with friends, and says the discovery reinforces his belief in the paranormal

She died of starvation in the Tower of London in 1615, and was the great great granddaughter of Henry VII and Mary Queen of Scots’ niece.

15-year-old Cameron, from Bilsthorpe, Nottinghamshire, said his belief in the supernatural has been bolstered after seeing the pictures.

‘I was quite surprised and was not expecting it. I believe in ghosts and the supernatural and this has further convinced me that they do exist, ‘ he said.

Family: Cameron (left) with his mother Helen and brother Alistair, who all looked at the picture and thought they saw a ghost

His mother, Helen, said they were shocked by what they saw when they looked at Cameron’s pictures at home, and went on to show staff at the country park.

‘Cameron has taken it all in his stride,’ she said.

‘Apparently he was reading the information panels in the Abbey ‘Undercroft’ about the ghostly legends of Rufford and decided to take some photos to see he could capture anything spooky on film.

‘It was only when he got home and we examined the film that we saw this image of a White Lady clearly in shot. You can make out the jewellery she is wearing and her face too.’

The photographs show the arched stone doorway to the medieval Cellarium area of the ruins, and appear to show a misty white figure.

Debbie Hibbert, who manages the tourist information centre at Rufford Abbey, which is managed by Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: ‘It certainly looked like a figure – like a young woman in full old fashioned dress, hovering over the door.’

Nottinghamshire County Council Visitor Services Manager Linda Hardy, who is based at Rufford Abbey, explained the history behind the legend of the White Lady.

She said: ‘There’s a local legend that one of the ghosts of Rufford is The White Lady – who some say is the spirit of Arbella Stuart, tragic granddaughter of Bess of Hardwick.

‘Her parents were secretly married at the Abbey. I’ve heard of one or two sightings of her by local people in past years.

‘Maybe Cameron has managed to capture a genuine Ghost of Christmas Past.’

Rufford Abbey hosted an evening event to look for ghosts a few weeks back – and with its background as a Cistercian Abbey and a grand country house, there have been numerous sightings of different ghosts throughout the years.

One type of white rose in the rose garden at Rufford Abbey is also named after The White Lady.