Squire Boughton lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st at Lawford Hall, Little Lawford, close to the village of Long Lawford. By all accounts, the
Squire appears to have been a
wild colourful character, chasing and ravishing the pretty young women
of the local area and acquiring his neighbours lands by fair or foul
means. He lost a hand in an accident and became known to everyone
thereafter, as One Handed Boughton.Squire Boughton's name would have probably have been lost in the mists of history, except for one detail, as in life, so in death, his spirit continued to terrorize the Lawford area! During the dark hours of night, a thundering of horses hoofs, the crack of a whip, and loud wild shouting, would herald the arrival of Squire Boughton's ghost, dressed in a red coat, and wildly driving a phantom coach and horses, he terrorized the lonely lanes of the Little Lawford area! Few locals would venture out at night, too fearful of encountering the terrifying spectre. His bedroom at Lawford Hall was also the scene of macabre happenings, loud bangs and scrapes could be heard at night, furniture would be found to have been rearranged when the room was entered in daylight, servants and guests alike would hurriedly leave the house before darkness fell, fearful of the arrival of One Handed Boughton's ghost!
For nearly 300 years One handed Boughton haunted the dark deserted lanes of the Lawford area,terrifying all those that encountered him, until, early in the 18th century, Sir Edward Boughton acquired the ownership of Lawford Hall, he decided to put an end to his ghostly relations nightly haunting's. He ordered the local clergy to exorcise the spirit of Squire Boughton, this was easier said than done, and apparently was only partially successful, it took twelve clergymen to persuade the spirit of Boughton to be confined in a glass bottle, but as legend has it, only after agreeing to allow him to continue his haunting at specific times of the year! With the agreement made and the spirit confined to the glass bottle, it was sealed and thrown into the pond adjoining the hall, where it promptly sank beneath the surface.
One Handed Boughton appears to have kept to the agreement, for the ghostly coach and horses was only ever seen again at the agreed times!
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In 1790 Lawford Hall caught fire and was destroyed, the family took up residence at Brownsover Hall about two miles away, One Handed Boughton moved with them! He obviously decided to continue living with his family! His wildly driven ghostly coach and horses with One Handed Boughton at the reins was now frightening the locals in the Brownsover area!
It was 25 years after Lawford Hall burnt down, that a young boy fishing in the pool next to where the Hall had stood, dredged up the bottle containing One Handed Boughton's spirit, the bottle was put on display in Rugby, it apparently contained a strange substance, presumably the remains of Boughton's soul! Eventually the bottle was returned to the family where it was kept under lock and key, in a room at Brownsover Hall. On many occasions the door to the locked room was seen opening and shutting of its own accord!
After the second world war the Boughton-Leigh family sold the Hall, they decided not to take the bottle containing One Handed Boughton's spirit with them, the bottle was buried at a secret location and several feet of concrete poured over it. According to the official story, One Handed Boughton's ghost has neither been seen or heard of since then, but I live only a couple of miles from Brownsover Hall, it is now a very splendid hotel and I know someone who has worked there during the night, he often said he would feel a ghostly presence brush past him as he worked alone in the hotel! So does One Handed Boughton's ghost still linger on there?
