During the autumn of 1984, in the village of Dodleston located in Cheshire, England, an intriguing series of events unfolded in the life of Ken Webster. Ken, an economics teacher, had recently moved into a dilapidated cottage with his girlfriend, Debbie, and their long-term guest, Nicola Bagguley. Interestingly, Ken Webster was likely using a pseudonym.
Shortly after settling in, peculiar incidents began to occur. Unexplained six-toed footprints appeared on the cottage walls, leaving Ken, Debbie, and Nicola bewildered. Initially dismissing it as a prank, they suspected one another of being the mischievous instigator.
In an attempt to eradicate the mysterious footprints, Ken painted over them, only to find them reappear the following day. Over time, the occupants of the Cheshire cottage experienced additional uncanny phenomena: chalk marks materializing, sudden drops in temperature, a breeze capable of lifting objects, an eerie presence, and eventually, noises resembling footsteps. They even stumbled upon neatly stacked tins of cat food and peculiar track marks on the floor.
It became evident that they were dealing with a poltergeist. However, the situation took a further mysterious turn.
At the time, Ken had borrowed a BBC Computer from his school, which he lent to Nicola for her comedic writing endeavors. Leaving the computer on in the kitchen, they returned to find enigmatic messages spontaneously appearing on the screen. Ken documented these messages in his book, "The Vertical Plane," with the first message being an ominous and cryptic poem.
Ken initially suspected a computer-savvy prankster among the women in the house. However, as the events unfolded, it became clear that there might have been another mischievous entity at play.
Several days later, a new message emerged, this time written in what appeared to be Early Modern English. It spoke of strange words, unexplained alterations, and referenced historical figures. The messages were attributed to Lukas Wainman, who claimed to have lived in Meadow Cottage during the 16th century. Lukas, who communicated through a "leems boyste" or "box of lights," disclosed details about his life, including his time at Oxford University and encounters with renowned philosopher Erasmus.
As the communication continued, it seemed that Lukas, or rather Thomas Hawarden as he later revealed, possessed the ability to observe the occurrences in Meadow Cottage. For instance, he would comment on specific photos left around the computer, displaying his awareness of contemporary objects.
Debbie, Ken's girlfriend, even claimed to have vivid dreams involving Lukas, accompanied by tapping sounds, hair pulling, physical sensations, and a distinct feeling of being watched while alone in the cottage. In these dream-like states, she experienced a connection with Lukas, imagining themselves in various scenarios, such as making candles together.
The computer messages persisted for 18 months, interspersed with occasional notes appearing on paper. These scraps seemingly materialized in Meadow Cottage, allowing Lukas/Thomas to communicate with Ken Webster in his own time.
Peter Trinder, a teacher and friend of Ken's, analyzed the messages and confirmed their authenticity as Early Modern English dialects and archaic usage unknown to modern individuals.
Unexpectedly, the messages from Lukas ceased, and a new unnamed correspondent took over, revealing that Lukas had been arrested by the local sheriff, Sir Thomas Fowleshurst, on charges of witchcraft due to his use of the "light box." Despite the impending danger, Lukas continued writing to Ken, expressing fear over the authorities' actions. In addition to the computer messages, Lukas sent drawings of objects within the cottage and wrote on contemporary paper using some form of psychic imprinting.
There are a lot of interesting facts that did not get covered in this article. The video linked below has a lot of information if you would like to know more about the Dodleston Messages.