An interesting old case.
Ninety years ago a tiny hamlet on the Essex-Suffolk border found itself at the centre of a national media storm when its rector claimed to have experienced visions of the Virgin Mary. What were the Visions of Middleton and why, today, are they all but forgotten?
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15th Century chronicle stored at Canterbury Cathedral tells of two dragons fighting at Middleton. Even if you took the tale of sparring dragons at face value, it still might not be the strangest thing to have happened in the village.
That honour, arguably, belongs to events involving the hamlet's former rector, Father Clive Luget. The 48-year-old arrived in Middleton in 1931 from Walthamstow in London. Then, one Sunday in February 1933, he told his congregation at the 12th Century All Saints Church about a series of unusual events in the village.
Robert Halliday, who has carried out extensive research into the Father Luget story and wrote a comprehensive account of his findings 20 years ago for
Ecclesiology Today, says a number of people in the village - including both Father Luget and an 11-year-old called Bertie Andrews - claimed to see a glowing ball of light moving around the hamlet.
Image caption, Robert Halliday has researched, written and spoken about Father Luget
Father Luget, Mr Halliday says, claimed to have seen the light over a hillock in the rectory garden and to have seen the Crucifixion above it and the Virgin Mary kneeling before it.
A couple of days after the apparent sighting, Father Luget was with his friend Dr Thornber, and Dr Thornber's son Francis, when another light appeared above the garden.
Dr Thornber went over to investigate, Mr Halliday says, and fell to his knees - at which point the light rose and disappeared.
"I think his intention was just to share the news with the congregation in the church," Mr Halliday, who lives in Bury St Edmunds, says. "But somebody who knew about this 'leaked' the information to the press, and it made national news. The Sunday People at that time was interested in the paranormal and the supernatural and ran a rather exaggerated account."
Image caption, Father Luget's name can still be found fourth from bottom on Middleton's list of rectors
He says Father Luget made no public comment about the visions or sought to garner media attention.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-65904695