Beyond the Veil Magazine

The Pontefract Poltergeist: Final Interview

Issue #59: November 1983

In Issue #39, we revisited the case of the Pontefract Poltergeist, one of the most violent hauntings in British history. The Pritchard family endured years of terrifying phenomena in their home at 30 East Drive.

Now, for the first time in years, Jean Pritchard has agreed to speak about her experience. What she reveals is as disturbing as ever.

The Interview

We met Jean at her current home, far from Pontefract. She is older now, but the memories remain vivid.

“It never leaves you,” she told us. “People think you move away and it’s over. It’s never over. I still dream about that house.”

Jean was a teenager when the haunting began in 1966. She remained in the house through its most violent phases.

“The Black Monk was real,” she stated flatly. “I saw him. My mother saw him. My brother saw him. He was a figure in a black robe with a hood. You couldn’t see his face. But you could feel him watching.”

The Violence

The Pontefract case was distinguished by its violence. Objects didn’t merely move; they were hurled with force. Family members weren’t merely frightened; they were attacked.

“I was dragged up the stairs by my throat,” Jean recalled. “There were marks on my neck. People saw them. This wasn’t imagination. This was something physical.”

Jean’s grandmother was pushed down the stairs. Her aunt was slapped. The phenomena seemed to target women particularly.

“It hated us,” Jean said. “That’s the only word. It hated women. It wanted to hurt us.”

The Explanation

Researchers have speculated about the entity’s origin. Local legend holds that a Cluniac monk was hanged on the gallows that once stood near the house. He may have been executed for crimes against women.

“We looked into the history,” Jean confirmed. “There was a monk. There was a hanging. The dates matched. Whatever was in our house, it had been there for centuries.”

The house was built over or near the site of the old gallows. Perhaps the monk’s spirit was disturbed by construction. Perhaps he had always been there, waiting.

The Departure

The Pritchard family eventually left 30 East Drive. The haunting had become unbearable.

“We couldn’t live there,” Jean said simply. “No one could live there. It was getting worse, not better. We had to leave.”

The house has been occupied by subsequent tenants. Reports of phenomena continue, though none as severe as what the Pritchards experienced.

“The monk is still there,” Jean believes. “He’s just waiting. When the right person comes along, someone he can torment, he’ll start again.”

The Aftermath

Jean has rarely spoken about her experience since leaving Pontefract. The publicity was painful. The sceptics were cruel.

“People called us liars,” she said. “People who weren’t there, who didn’t see what we saw, called us liars. That hurt more than the haunting.”

She agreed to speak now because she believes the truth should be known.

“People should understand what happened in that house. It was real. It was violent. It was evil. If my story can help someone else, someone going through something similar, then it’s worth telling.”

The Warning

Jean had a final message for anyone experiencing similar phenomena:

“Don’t challenge it. Don’t try to communicate with it. Don’t assume you can control it. These things, whatever they are, are stronger than we are. If you can leave, leave. If you can’t leave, pray.”

She paused.

“And don’t assume it’s gone when it goes quiet. That’s when it’s watching. That’s when it’s planning what comes next.”

Conclusion

The Black Monk of Pontefract remains one of Britain’s most disturbing cases. The phenomena were witnessed by dozens of people. The attacks left physical marks. The terror was undeniable.

Jean Pritchard carries those memories still. Her interview reminds us that behind every case file, every newspaper report, every research paper, are human beings whose lives were shattered by forces they could not understand.

The house at 30 East Drive still stands. The Black Monk, if Jean is right, still waits.

Some mysteries are not academic. Some mysteries are very, very personal.

Readers who have experienced violent hauntings are invited to contact our research department. All correspondence will be treated confidentially.