A Night at the Museum

24th June 2017

Dorchester Museum

For our latest investigation, the team were very lucky to be investigating the wonderful Dorchester Museum.

History

The Dorset County Museum is located in Dorchester, Dorset, England. Founded in 1846, the museum covers the county of Dorset's history and environment. The current building was built in 1881 on the former site of the George Inn. The building was designed specifically to house the museum's collection and is in the neo-Gothic style.

The investigation.

What could be better than a paranormal investigation in a museum? The team was incredibly excited to get started with today’s investigation.

After we had a tour around the museum with the 2 lovely members of staff (who was our host’s for the evening) the team decided to start our investigation in the library.

We set up various cameras and pieces of equipment around the very large table in the library and most of the team positioned themselves around it. I sat out to begin with filming with my hand held camera. After approximately 10 minutes, we started to hear a few taps and knocks coming from underneath the table. Maria continued to call out but the energy appeared to be quite weak.

I left the room as my husband Dave was in another part of the museum and I wanted to check that he was OK. Dave was looking around the museum with Matt and Andrew and was happy to carry on. I left them to it.

After my brief break away, I returned to the library and joined the team around the table. Quite a few of us sat around the table attempted to call out and get some energy going. Again, we did witness taps and knocking sounds coming from but they were very few and far between. Because of this, a few of the team decided to move to other areas of the museum. Maria, Matt, Andrew, Ben and I stayed in the library and Dave and Dan joined us a bit later. Once we were settled, we soon heard 2 knocks which sounds up very well on the digital recorder. Matt asked if it was me (As I was setting up a camera). I confirm that it wasn’t. We heard another knock. Matt asks out to try and get the spirit to confirm it was an attempt to communicate. Dave’s chair is a bit creaky so he moves to another one. Maria tries asking out and asks for the spirit to try moving the table. We all ask the spirit to attempt to move various things in the room. We heard a very loud knock. Ben asks if the spirit can knock again. Nothing happens so I try again. We hear a few knocks. The table did feel like it was moving slightly but didn’t manage any real definite movements. After various attempts to get some real firm responses, we decide to move on to another area.

Maria, Dave, Matt, Dan Andrew and I moved to a room which was a mock version of an old cottage. The room was originally a stable and the oldest part of the building. When we got to the room, we noticed that the bed looked like something was in there. Turns out that Dave had been up to his old tricks and playing a prank. I noticed that the room felt very eerie. We decided to set up an experiment. We noticed that there was a table in the room but as it was covered in exhibits, we decided not to try a table tipping experiment with it and try and good old fashioned séance. Nobody felt comfortable in this room. I start to call out. Ben gets a very weak K2* reading from the table. I continue to call out. Matt thinks he can hear footsteps on the floor above us. Maria says she can see movement through her peripheral vision by the bed. Nothing happens for a while and we all talk amongst ourselves. We attempted to call out here but again, not much happened. I did not like the feel of a very old pram chair which was stood in the far corner. The room to me had a very uneasy feel on that side of the room. Just outside of this room was a very old horse drawn carriage. This also did not feel very comfortable in this area. We try to call out again. Nothing much happens so we decide to move on.

I go for a walk around by myself. I went into the dinosaur exhibit room but nothing happens. I feel quite comfortable in there.

I move on around the museum. I go to an area that is made to look like a class room. I spend some time in there and try calling out. Just beyond the classroom, is a mock kitchen? I do feel slightly un-nerved but it’s not too bad. I can hear Matt asking where I am. I catch up with Maria and Dave and ask how we get to the gallery. Dave and I proceed to the gallery. It is very creaky. I apologise to Dan who is with another team just down in the main hall.

Dave and I walk around and meet up with the others. We decide to have a break.

Dave and I decide to go to the oldest part of the building and go to the spooky room with the creepy pram. We find Lesley also on her way to this room so we all head that way. Once there, we all say that we really do not like the pram that is stood in the corner of the room. Lesley says that she feels that the room is just getting colder and colder. Dave said that he doesn’t like the room either and that he feels really angry. He rephrases that and says that he is feeling aggressive. I suggest that maybe something is trying to imprint on him. Lesley confirms that the temperature has dropped in the room. Dave mentions he has suddenly got a headache. I try to ask out. I am not recording with my camera. Ben joins us. Just as he does, Dave says that he can see someone by the sink. Dave also hears a knocking noise. Dave explains that when he looks at the fireplace, next to the clothes press, he can see an outline of a female figure. She is wearing a big billowing dress and wearing an apron. He describes that the figure is wearing a bodice and long dress and an apron. He says that she is wiping her hands down her apron but when he looks directly at her she disappears. He thinks she is approximately late 20’s early 30’s. He says she is repeating the movement of wiping her hands down the front of her apron.

Dave suddenly says the name, *William Henry Johnston. He doesn’t know why but when he says the name, the hairs on the back of his arms stand up. I ask if William is in the room with us. When I ask out, we both feel a massive breeze whip across us and the room goes very cold. I notice that I am getting pins and needles down my left arm. I call out again. Lesley feels that there is something over by us. Dave is still seeing the female figure in the corner in his peripheral vision. Lesley confirms that the temperature is still dropping. I cannot see this female figure when Dave says he can still see her. Ben attempts to use various different types of paranormal equipment to detect the presence. Ben goes over to where Dave see’s the female figure and gets an unusual reading from his K2 meter.

As Dave’s headache is getting worse, we decide to move on.

Dave and I decide to go to the library for a bit. We sit in there by ourselves and try to call out. Nothing much happens. It feels very comfortable. A few of the other team members pop their head around the door but do not stay. We stay in the Library for about 20 minutes and then decide to go and find the others.

Nothing else much happens so as we have a long journey home, we decide to pack up for the night.

J Wicheard ©

*I can confirm that there was a William Henry Johnston (1831-1904) attached To: North Dorchester prior to 1870.

*K2 is a simple hand-held device has become a standard paranormal investigation tool and cultural phenomenon which measures EMF levels. An EMF meter is a scientific instrument for measuring electromagnetic fields (abbreviated as EMF). It is believed that EMF levels fluctuated when spirits are present.