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 Christ Church Cathedral - Fredericton, NB Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 45° 57.435 W 066° 38.102
19T E 683264 N 5092017
Is Fredericton's Christ Church Cathedral haunted, or are the stories just that, rumors and hyperbole? We may never know...
Waymark Code: WMR83A
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Date Posted: 05/24/2016
Views: 15
It seems, though, that there are quite a few people who believe that it is truly haunted, and by none other than the second wife of the Bishop responsible for the building of historic Christ Church Cathedral, Rev. John Medley. She (or at least her ghost) has been reported to walk down the street then enter the church via the west door. It has also been reported that, while alone, she is partial to playing the church's magnificent pipe organ. Identified as Opus 2399, the console was constructed in 1957 by Casavant Frères Ltée, Canada's best known organ builders. Further below are excerpts from a study done of Mrs. Medley and her haunting of the cathedral.
The cornerstone for the cathedral, built on the site of a previous Anglican Church, was laid on October 15, 1845 by then Lieutenant Governor Sir William Colebrooke. The consecration service, however, did not take place for another eight years, occurring on August 11, 1853. The date which the church bears, in Roman Numerals, is MDCCCXLIX, or 1849.
The spire we see atop the multi-spired tower is not the original. After a lightning caused fire in 1911, a restoration, designed by architect J. deLancey Robinson, included a lengthening of the spire by 20 feet, leaving the spire at 198 feet in height. Originally, there were 8 bells in the tower but, after the fire, Sir James Dunn replaced the 8 melted bells and donated 7 more for a total of 15. They are played on the bell manual, and they also chime as part of the clock on the quarter hour. The Cathedral was declared a National Historic Site in 1983. The Haunting of
Christ Church Cathedral?
When talking about the rumoured Christ Church Cathedral ghost, the logical starting point is where did the idea that the mother church of the Fredericton, New Brunswick Anglican diocese is haunted come from? This isn’t an old time tale; the first mentions of the haunting appeared back in the 1970s, with the publication of some collected local ghost fables. A contemporary worker at the cathedral, while interviewed by an author, is asked if the premises might be haunted. He mentions a veiled, female spirit reported to be seen walking down Church Street and entering via the west door.
By the given description, one would expect the tale of a jilted or perhaps tragically murdered bride-to-be but no. The current story involves the second wife of the Bishop responsible for the building of historic Christ Church Cathedral, Rev. John Medley.
So how do we arrive at a haunting? Looking at her history – and acknowledging that she was quite happy with her life as a Bishop’s wife – it’s hard to see why the long dead Mrs. Medley would be skulking around the cathedral. Wearing a veil, no less. Yet, she stands as the historical character assigned to the Christ Church haunting, so much so that local ghost walk performances (a popular tourist attraction) feature an actress in the role of Mrs. Medley ‘ghost,’ who walks the cathedral grounds and stands by Mrs. Medley’s grave.
There are a few popular theories attempting to validate the Mrs. Medley scenario; in one, she is reenacting her own sad past, only transferred to the cathedral she grew to love. You see, Margaret Medley was engaged as a young girl but her fiancé died suddenly, leaving her unmarried until her later pairing with Bishop Medley. On another tangent, we have Mrs. Medley playing out an afterlife role as Bishop herself, a role a woman of her time could never fill in life but for which she was well suited, and perhaps craved. It’s this version that is linked to the ghost’s supposed enjoyment of standing at the pulpit as if delivering a sermon.
Most often, she’s reported as seated or kneeling as if in prayer. There have been accounts of her roaming the grounds and occasionally strolling off down the street, only to return later and re-enter the church by a side door, much as would have been expected of the Bishop, his family, and staff during the late 1800s. A few times, folks have claimed to see or hear a ghostly woman playing the organ.
From Bouncing Pink Ball
Public access?:
Open to the public daily
Visting hours:
Saturdays 10 - 4
Website about the location and/or story: [Web Link]
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