Molly Leigh

Margaret (Molly) Leigh was born about the year 1685 and lived most of her life in her dark cottage. Molly kept cow's, on the Hamil grange, from which she made a modest living. She was said to be very ugly and to add to her oddness she had a blackbird as a pet, which perched near to her. The woman was at loggerheads with the local rector, a man named Spencer, who denounced her as a witch. When Molly Leigh died, and after the funeral party returned, as was usual, to the house for refreshment, it is said, that the rector was amazed to see Molly sitting knitting in her rocking chair near to her fireplace. The cottage remained empty and nobody would go near it, especially after dark. The blackbird, the pet of Molly Leigh, caused havoc in the churchyard and surrounding area, attacking people and chirping loudly through the night. At a Sunday service in St John's Church the rector decided that Mollys spirit should be laid. Priests from Stoke, Wolstanton and Newchapel were consulted and performed the rite of laying her spirit in the churchyard. Midnight was chosen as the time for the deed and the small cortege entered the churchyard bearing candle lanterns. The grave in which Molly Leigh was laid was dug up and the coffin was opened and the blackbird was caught and placed alive in it. As the service was conducted, her coffin was placed laying in the opposite direction as normal and the grave was filled in. This ended the reburial of Molly Leigh, on a dark night in St John's Churchyard, Burslem, in April 1748. Her Elizabethan cottage was demolished in 1894.

Even in the year 2002, people still believe in the story of Molly Leigh. Some people are afraid to go into the church yard but even so, every Halloween night people gather at Molly Leigh's grave and dance around her grave singing,

"Molly Leigh, Molly Leigh, you can't catch me,"

Hoping to catch a glance of Molly.