The actual story of The Conjuring is far more horrifying in real life. The Warrens (Ed and Lorraine Warren) actually made it worse and were forced to retreat, unlike the movie where they form exorcism on Carolyn Perron and save her from the spirit of Bathsheba, an evil witch who killed her boy and hung herself in the tree in front of the house.
When the Perrons Family moved into the house, they were advised by the previous tenants that “For the sake of your family, leave the lights on at night!”
After moving into the haunted house, Perrons started to notice some unusual activities. In the beginning, the children were the target of friendly spirits.
Children Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April were the main attraction of the house’s friendly spirits, children were fond of spirits living in the house, one claimed to be the benevolent ghost of Mrs. Anrold who loved them, Mrs. Arnold would tuck them in the night and kiss them on the forehead.
The other ghost that children were fond of was of the nine-year-old boy Johnny Arnold, girls even nicknamed him “Manny”. Johnny hung himself in the attic in the mid-18 century.
The broom ghost, Perrons would hear the sound of broom scraping against the chicken tile, and they would sometime find a pile of dirt next to broom.
This does not last for long as Perrons started sensing evil spirits, which would wake them up at 5:15 am and if they were in bed, whatever it was would throw them on the ground.
Soon the girls complained about someone grabbing their legs and pulling their hair and disturb them so much that Andrea Perron, wrote the book “The house of Darnkenns House of Light” about how spirits haunted her family, Andrea Perron now a grown woman still refuses to talk about it.
“Let’s just say that there was a very bad male spirit in the home – with five little girls.”
Andrea Perron in her book.
The Ghost of Bathsheba Thayer
Bathsheba Thayer born in 1812 married Judson Sherman in her early thirties and gave birth to their only son Hermon Sherman. From the records, Bathsheba and Judson lived at the old Arnold Estate. The house in which Perrons moved in later.
The out of ordinary happened when there was a death of an infant and the accusation of murder on Bathsheba. Bathsheba was beautiful and that lead locals to believe that she was a witch and murdering infants was the part of her Satanic ritual to stay young forever. However, the Justice court found her not guilty. Her neighbors still believed that she killed the child. Rumors were on large and some were more malicious claiming that she had sacrificed her own children as well.
Bathsheba terrorizing Perrons
The ghost of Bathsheba didn’t take a liking for anyone in the house, it is claimed she never wanted someone to live in her house. The Perrons claimed that Bathsheba would disturb the children by moving their toys and disappearing things.
Bathsheba’s spirit had a particular hatred for Carolyn, It is said that Bathsheba wanted Carolyn out of the way as he developed the interest over Roger.
“Whoever the spirit was, she perceived herself to be mistress of the house and she resented the competition my mother posed for that position”
Andrea Perron, the oldest of the five girls.
Bathsheba’s hatred towards Carolyn never stopped, Carolyn was reportedly physically hurt and emotionally tormented and her energy was constantly consumed, as Bathsheba was trying to possess her.
Their family friend reached out to paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Ed and Lorraine Warrens in The Conjuring
On her first visit, Lorraine Warren said she immediately sensed a dark spirit living in the house. She also noticed the mark on Carolyn’s leg and told them it was Bathsheba’s work.
They declared the house to be diabolically infested with all its inhabitants in danger and ordered a seance with Carolyn in the room. The plan backfired and instead of cleansing the house Carolyn was thrown 20 feet backward.
This was it for Ed and Lorraine Warren and they were forced to retreat. To this day Lorraine is still horrified of the experience.
“The things that went on there were just so incredibly frightening. It still affects me to talk about it today.”
Norma Sutcliffe moved in after the Perrons were moved out and reported no such activity.
After the first movie of Conjuring universe, The Conjuring was released in 2013, people started trespassing the house which prompted Norma to make a response to the movie’s claim she sued Warner Brothers.
Norma researched the town hall records and talked to the people who lived the house. The story of young boy Johnny Arnold hanging himself in the attic of the house did not happen at the house, the case of 11-year-old girl Prudence Arnold being assaulted and murdered by unknown hands on the property and the old lady Mrs. Arnold, killing herself in the barn. None of the cases happened somewhere in the town and not in the house.
Cursed Movie Set of The Conjuring
The Perron Family still believes that they are haunted by the spirits. When the family was visiting the set, Andrea Perron claims that the rouge came out and swept the facility. It didn’t stop and knocked down anything in its path, including camera, lights and even the people working. The family assumed that this scenario was a part of what they call Bathsheba’s curse.
However, there are theories suggesting that the family continued to be haunted by the same spirits. It’s not in the house, it’s after the family.
The Parren Family Now
After living in the same farmhouse for around 10 years, the real Perron family finally was able to move out in June 1980 after their financial constraints were in favor. Years later, daughter Andrea wrote a book entitled “House of Darkness: House of Light”, which retold her account of those frightening years in their Rhode Island home.
Located in the small country town of Harrisville, Rhode Island, Roger Perron and his wife Carolyn purchased the home in the winter of 1970. The 200 acre property offered plenty of space for them to raise their five daughters: Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cynthia and April.
Love reading about the Real story of Conjuring, read more cases investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren, and the haunting shadows of St. Augustine Lighthouse.
