In Edmondthorpe, Leicestershire, there is a strange local legend of a cat woman. It's believed that there lived a witch who shapeshifted into a cat.
Edmondthorpe is a small parish village that once existed under the Danelaw in the Early Middle Ages. It was well known in the past for it's castle, named Edmondthorpe Hall, built by knight Sir Roger Smith. This grand house was destroyed by fire in 1943 and all that remains of it today are ruins. Some believe that witchcraft or a curse by the cat woman was responsible. Sir Roger Smith died in 1655 and is buried in a tomb at St Michael's Church, surrounded by statues of his family including one of his two wives, called Lady Ann who is believed to be the true were-cat.
When Ann was alive, people believed that she had magical powers. There was a vicious household cat in the hall that always stole from the kitchen. A butler tried to kill the cat using a meat cleaver, but only wounded the cat on its paw. The cat quickly fled from the manor house and disappeared completely. Lady Ann was soon found wearing a blood soaked bandage around her wrist to cover a severe gash. The statue of Lady Ann in the tomb has a strange red "scar" showing on her wrist that sometimes bleeds. This is regarded as proof that Lady Ann was the cat all along. Also adding to the folklore about statues turning to life. Some say it's just discoloration of the stone. What do you think?
Posted by She Wolf Night