Ghost
Skeleton in the Cupboard
He hid from her father, and was never let out.
Check opening times
- What's there
- Medieval college courts; Master's Lodge not open
- Legend from
- 1688 tradition
- Tone
- Dark history
Corpus Christi, where a lovesick student once hid in a cupboard, and was not found for years.
Corpus Christi has a second, sadder tale. The Master, Dr John Spencer, is said to have disapproved of his daughter Elizabeth's romance with a student, James Betts. When the Master came unexpectedly, Betts hid in a cupboard that could only be opened from outside. Spencer then took his daughter away, and no one dared open the cupboard. Elizabeth died in December 1688 and her father some years later. When a new Master arrived and the cupboard was finally unlocked, a skeleton was found inside. The college itself notes that some believe its ghost is Elizabeth Spencer or her lover, not Dr Butts.
One sourceOnly one written account of this legend has been found so far.