Black Lady of Bradley Woods
Encyclopedia
The Black Lady of Bradley Woods is a ghostly figure of a woman supposed to haunt the woods near the village of Bradley
, Lincolnshire
, England
. She is described by alleged eyewitnesses as being a young and pretty woman around 5"6 inches tall, dressed in a flowing black cloak and a black hood that obscures her hair but reveals her mournful, pale, tear soaked face. According to the legend she has never actually harmed anyone and has only ever proved to be a pitiful, if somewhat unnerving sight.
One theory that has been put forward is that the Black Lady is the ghost of a nun
. She appears dressed in black and certainly at nearby Nunsthorpe
(now an area of Grimsby) a convent existed until the Reformation. This theory, however, gives no reason as to why the Black Lady should have moved from Nunsthorpe to Bradley, a couple of miles away. Also, though she may be dressed in black, few, if any eyewitnesses have ever described her appearance as matching that of a nun.
Another possible explanation is that she is a spinster who at one time lived a life of isolation in her cottage in the woods far enough away from the village to warrant a spooky reputation. If village children had come across a woman living on her own in the woods and getting extremely angry when her privacy and solitude was breached then imaginary tales of witchcraft
could have stoked the legend.
Neither of these theories ties in with the folklore, however.
, or alternatively the Barons' Wars (accounts vary) a young woodsman and his wife lived with their young baby son in a cottage in Bradley Woods. The woodsman eventually left his family to fight for the army of the Earl of Yarborough
, leaving his wife to bring up the baby alone. Many months passed and there was no news of the woodsman. Every day she would take her child and walk to the edge of the woods, awaiting the sight of her husband coming home from the wars, until one day, the enemy army crossed the Humber and marched through the area on the way to attack Lincoln. As she was leaving her cottage, the woman was set upon by three hobilars who brutally ravished her before snatching the baby boy and riding off laughing cruelly into the woods. Heartbroken and humiliated, she wandered the woods searching in vain for her child and husband, until one day her heart burst with sadness. After her death people began to see her wandering the woods, carrying on her neverending search. It is rumoured that if someone ventures into the woods on Christmas Eve and shouts the words "Black Lady, Black Lady, I've stolen your baby!" three times the Lady appears to them to take back her child. This appears to be a modern addition to the myth.
Bradley, Lincolnshire
Bradley is a village and civil parish in North East Lincolnshire, England. It lies 3 miles west of Grimsby and 2 miles north of Barnoldby le Beck. Its population recorded in the 2001 census was 198....
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She is described by alleged eyewitnesses as being a young and pretty woman around 5"6 inches tall, dressed in a flowing black cloak and a black hood that obscures her hair but reveals her mournful, pale, tear soaked face. According to the legend she has never actually harmed anyone and has only ever proved to be a pitiful, if somewhat unnerving sight.
Origins of the Black Lady
The origins of the story are unknown but it is known to have been told for many generations. The legend was once used by parents to frighten children; this appears to have been common practice among parents in the area, and children were warned that if they weren't safely tucked up in bed by a certain time 'the black lady will get you!'.One theory that has been put forward is that the Black Lady is the ghost of a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
. She appears dressed in black and certainly at nearby Nunsthorpe
Nunsthorpe
Nunsthorpe is a suburb and housing estate in the western part of Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England...
(now an area of Grimsby) a convent existed until the Reformation. This theory, however, gives no reason as to why the Black Lady should have moved from Nunsthorpe to Bradley, a couple of miles away. Also, though she may be dressed in black, few, if any eyewitnesses have ever described her appearance as matching that of a nun.
Another possible explanation is that she is a spinster who at one time lived a life of isolation in her cottage in the woods far enough away from the village to warrant a spooky reputation. If village children had come across a woman living on her own in the woods and getting extremely angry when her privacy and solitude was breached then imaginary tales of witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
could have stoked the legend.
Neither of these theories ties in with the folklore, however.
The Myth of the Black Lady
The story runs thus; during the Wars of the RosesWars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
, or alternatively the Barons' Wars (accounts vary) a young woodsman and his wife lived with their young baby son in a cottage in Bradley Woods. The woodsman eventually left his family to fight for the army of the Earl of Yarborough
Earl of Yarborough
Earl of Yarborough is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1837 for Charles Anderson-Pelham, 2nd Baron Yarborough. The Anderson-Pelham family descends from Francis Anderson of Manby, Lincolnshire. He married Mary, daughter of Charles Pelham of Brocklesby, Lincolnshire...
, leaving his wife to bring up the baby alone. Many months passed and there was no news of the woodsman. Every day she would take her child and walk to the edge of the woods, awaiting the sight of her husband coming home from the wars, until one day, the enemy army crossed the Humber and marched through the area on the way to attack Lincoln. As she was leaving her cottage, the woman was set upon by three hobilars who brutally ravished her before snatching the baby boy and riding off laughing cruelly into the woods. Heartbroken and humiliated, she wandered the woods searching in vain for her child and husband, until one day her heart burst with sadness. After her death people began to see her wandering the woods, carrying on her neverending search. It is rumoured that if someone ventures into the woods on Christmas Eve and shouts the words "Black Lady, Black Lady, I've stolen your baby!" three times the Lady appears to them to take back her child. This appears to be a modern addition to the myth.