The Dutch Doll haunting of the town of Finedon, in Northamptonshire England is one of the eerier haunted dolls stories. England is riddled with spooky legends and stories. Which is no surprise, as its streets are filled with buildings just as haunted as they are historic, St. Mary the Virgin Church of Finedon, however, has a reputation for being among the creepiest. It was after all, the location where the notorious “Demonic Dutch Doll” was housed after terrorizing generations of student-residents at Finedon’s Girls Charity School.
The Dutch Doll Was A Tribute
It was 1901 when headmistress Mary Ozier, came up with the idea to commemorate the creation of The Charity Girl’s School. What better way, then with a doll in the likeness of the girls who attend the school. Though it wasn’t her intent, it turned out to be a really creepy looking doll. The wooden doll stood 3-foot 6 in. It was dressed in blue, dutch style attire. It held a bible and a scroll that read: “Read Ye The Scriptures” JOHN V. 39″.
Everything Was Going Fine, At First…
The first day was fine, most young girls get excited about having a new doll to play with. It’s after spending a little time with it that the eerie vibe settled in. It was almost too realistic for them. It didn’t take long for the girls to conclude the doll was haunted. So when odd things started to happen, they immediately blamed the doll. Within a few days there were complaints about personal items misplaced or missing entirely. Because according to them, an evil force resided in that doll.
The Demonic Doll Haunts the Halls At Night
Several girls believed the doll was coming to life at night. Before long the rest of the girls came to the same conclusion. They said the doll was tormenting them as they slept. It would wake them in the night as they heard the doll’s creepy wooden feet clomping down the hallway. The girls said the wooden horror would attack them in their beds – they refused to sleep at night. Even after the doll was mounted to the wall they still insisted it was able to come for them.
The Doll Was So Feared, She Was Leveraged As A Scare Tactic
The fear of this doll was so intense, the threat of being locked in the cellar with it was used as punishment. For over 60-years, multiple generations of girls huddled in their beds at night, terrified of the Dutch Doll. It wasn’t until the school’s closure in 1961 that it found a new building to haunt. Although, before its move, someone severely fed up with the little fiend’s shenanigans took a saw to its feet. Not that it did much good. It seems the terror can get around just fine with the pegs because it went missing in 1980.
The Cursed Doll Was Mounted To The Walls of St. Mary’s Church
The doll spent 20-years at St. Mary’s Church – in the same spot. Then it simply vanished. While it’s presumed stolen, there are those who know it’s fully capable of walking off on its own. Of course it’s entirely possible it was stolen (why anyone would want it is an even bigger mystery). Perhaps someone intended to destroy it? End the evil inside it once and for all.
The Possessed Doll’s Whereabouts Are As Haunting As She Is…
The missing doll made the papers. Police were as perplexed as the parish – who would take this doll? If a prankster had taken it, certainly the best part of the prank would be the re-emergence of the horrid thing, somewhere creepy and unlikely. But that still hasn’t happened. No stories or sightings. No signs of her in antique shops, estate sales, or eBay… she has simply vanished. So where is the Demonic Dutch Doll, all these years later?