The Search for Bridey Murphy (27 page)

All right.

Number 1. Number 1… Number 1, you’re coming back to the present time and place. Number 2, number 2. When I reach the count of five, when I reach the count of five, you’ll be Ruth Simmons and feel fine. Number 3, number 3. Coming back to the present time and place. Number 4… number 4. When I reach the count of five, when I reach the count of five, you’ll be Ruth Simmons, and you’ll be at the present time and place, and you’ll feel fine, you’ll feel fine in every respect, and you’ll breathe clearly, and your head will feel fine. You’ll feel fine all over. Number five, number five. Completely relaxed and you feel fine. Now you can awaken, and you’ll feel fine. Number five… You feel fine, you feel just fine… you feel fine….

Before finishing the book, I wanted to make one more tape. There were still questions left unanswered. Where had she been buried (or “ditched,” as Bridey would have termed it)? What was Brian’s full name—that is, did he have a middle name? If she had been married in Belfast, would her parents have permitted her to travel with Brian prior to the marriage? Did she remember any songs that she could sing now?

And we wanted to have her dance the Morning Jig again, just as she did during the third session in response to a post-hypnotic suggestion. But this time we planned to take motion pictures of the flying feet of Ruth (or of Bridey, depending upon your point of view). So we invited a cameraman replete with equipment.

The sixth tape, therefore, was made on October 1, 1953. After the regular age regression, Bridey came forth with a question that took me by surprise. “Who are you?” she suddenly wanted to know. It was the first time during all the experiments that she had asked such a question. Here is the transcription:

Now I want you to drift on back, even before that. I want you to go back to the time before you were born, even back before you were born into this lifetime. You told us once before that you remembered yourself in a place of waiting… that you were in a place of waiting. Do you see yourself in that place of waiting?… Do you see yourself in that place of waiting? All right. Now rest and relax. Be very comfortable. Be very, very comfortable. You’re going to enjoy this very much. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Now I want you to go back to that life experience in Ireland when you were Bridey Murphy. Now, can you remember that lifetime in Ireland, when you were Bridey Murphy? Can you remember that?

… Mm… Umm-hmm.

All right. Now I want you to go back to the time of your marriage. Can you remember when you were married? When Bridey Murphy was married? Can you remember that? When you were married?

… Who are you?

I am your friend. I’m your friend.

We have traveled before.

Tra—? We have traveled before?

Um-hmm.

That’s good. Now, can you see that… can you see that time that you were married? Can you see that time?

Um-hm. All right. Now tell me what was the name of the man you married?

Brian.

Was Brian his middle name or his first name?

… Uh… They called him… Brian… his father’s name… You want to know about who I married?

Yes. What was his whole name? What was Brian’s whole name? His full name? Brian’s full name. Was that… did he only have the one first name or did he have a middle name?

Oh, he had several names, you know.

Oh well, then tell me all his names. If you can remember them.

He had… Sean. [Pronouncing it “See-an” rather than the Gaelic “Shawn”] Sean. S… Do you want me to spell it for you?

Yes.

S-e-a-n.

All right.

And he had Joseph for the Church.

Yes.

And he had Brian.

Sean [pronouncing it “Shawn”] Joseph Brian?

See-an.

See-an?

It’s “Shawn” too. But “See-an” is the right way.

All right.

Mm-hm.

Any other names? And did Brian come before the Sean Joseph? Or was it Sean Joseph Brian? Was it Sean Joseph Brian?

No. Sean Brian Joseph.

Sean Brian Joseph. And the last name?

MacCarthy.

Fine. Now, relax comfortably. You’re going to enjoy this. Relax and let’s enjoy it completely. Just relax completely. Be very comfortable. Now, where did you get married? Did you get married in Cork or at Belfast?

I… got married at Cork.

You got married in Cork?

I got married… in Cork. But I didn’t tell my folks I got married again in Belfast too.

Oh, I see. You first got married in Cork, and then you were married again in Belfast?

Don’t you repeat that.

No, no, that’s…

You repeat things.

[Laughs.] No, I won’t repeat those tilings.

Um-hm. But I didn’t get married in the church. I just did it… to make Brian happy.

I see. Then you got married first in Cork and then in Belfast?

I got married so that my folks could see me. … They were unhappy about it, you know. I mean, they… felt that I was… that they were losing me. My father was very upset.

I see, and you… and you went to Belfast in a livery, you told us.

Yes.

Well, you used your father’s horse. You told me that you used your father’s horse. But where did you—

[A little indignantly.] That’s all right.

I know. But where did you get the livery?

Well, the livery… it belonged to… it was a stable… Mrs. Strayne’s… husband had a stable.

Oh, I see. All right, now rest and relax. Be very comfortable. Rest and relax. Rest and relax. Now, when you finally got married in the church, did you become a Catholic?

No. I told you that I didn’t. I don’t… I didn’t accept it. I didn’t get married in the church. I got married at Father John’s… room.

Father John’s room?

Um-hm.

I see.

He did it as a favor.

Uh-huh.

But it was… just so it would be recorded for… the Church. For the children we didn’t have….

I understand. Now, rest and relax. Rest and relax and be very comfortable. Enjoy this. In other words, you couldn’t attend Confession and Communion because you weren’t really married in the church?

I didn’t want to.

You didn’t want to attend Confession and Communion?

I’d been taught all my life. Why should I want to do that?

I see. All right.

I didn’t condemn him.

What did you say?

I didn’t condemn Brian. That was the way he was brought up. But he didn’t condemn me.

I see.

If we had children, I promised that they would be what he wanted them.

I see. Now, what was the name of Brian’s grandmother? Brian’s grandmother who lived there very near you. What was her name?

You mean her first name?

Yes. Was her last name MacCarthy?

Oh yes.

What was her first name?

Mmm… They called her… oh… They called her… Oh, how would you say it? They called her… Delilinan.

Devinan?

Delilinan
.

I see. All right.

Delilinan.

All right. Now, there in Belfast, when you lived in Belfast….

Uh-huh…

When you lived in Belfast, did you do your own cooking? And who would do it if I didn’t?

[Chuckle.] You didn’t have a maid?

Oh no.

I see. What was your favorite dish?

Um… I… I liked… uh… platters… or flats of potato cake… But I certainly had my fill of potato cake.

Did you like anything else?

I liked… Oh, I liked… um… I liked beef, and I liked… there’s a root they cook… and I liked radish root with beef… and I like… um… stew… stews…. Oh, I like… I like all the dishes that are made in the… flats.

All right. Where did you buy your foodstuffs? Where did you buy your foodstuffs?

I bought… Brian bought it at the greengrocer’s.

What was the greengrocer’s name?

Oh… tch… John… Your memory will be clear.

Your memory will be clear……. John… John… They called him John. … It started with a C,…

All right. Spell it for us… for me.

There was a… C… a… r… two r’s.

Carr?

[Going right on with the spelling.] i… g… I’m not much at spelling.

I know, but we can get this. C-a-r-r-i, you said. C-a-r-r-i. G… It was g-a-n or e-n or… Carri… Garri…

C-a-r-r-i-g?

… A-n… Just…

Carrigan?

Yes, that’s it.

C-a-r-r-i-g-a-n?

C-a-r-r-i-g-a-n.

You think that’s it?

I think so.

All right….

Maybe not the right spelling, but that’s his name.

All right. Now, where did you buy your shoes? Do you remember where you bought your shoes?

Uh… mmm… I bought ’em… I didn’t do much of the buying.

Well, do you remember the name?

I… It started with a… [Giving up.] Oh, all this spelling is wearing me out.

Well, all right, if it’s bothering you, do not spell it.

It’s a… It’s a house… or something… Cadenns…

You told us Cadenns House before. Is that right?

That’s the place.

All right.

Cadenns House. I don’t know how to spell it.

All right. All right. Now rest and relax. Rest and relax. And enjoy this. Enjoy this. We can have some fun, We can enjoy this. Be comfortable.

If we ever get through spelling, we can.

[Laughs.] All right. We’ll try not to bother you with spelling any more.

Um.

We’ll try not to bother you with spelling any more.

Yes.

Uh. How were the streets lighted? How were the streets lighted there in Belfast?

… Oh dear [Sigh]…. They were just… I don’t know… You’d have to ask Brian about those things…. That’s not for a woman. They were just poles with lights on ’em.

Poles with lights.

Urn… They weren’t… They were burning… burning some way. I don’t know about that. I’ll… I’ll ask.

Now how about… Did you ever write anyone any letters? Or did you ever get any letters from anyone?

… Oh… I… I’d get letters from home.

From Cork, you mean?

Uh-huh.

Did you save any of those letters?

Oh, I did. I saved them.

Would you tell me where you kept them, so perhaps we could find them?

I had them in the hut.

In the hut?

In the house.

Any particular place?

Oh, I had them… You know where the… you know
where the… There’s a… a pewter dish, and it’s… a funny brown color, and it’s on the second shelf.

On the second shelf?

And I had a little tiny… portfolio, and I had it up there. And I had some ribbons, and I had some… letters. And I had some… mm… just… I had some tiny little sacks of rice. And I had… they were sewed to my… lim… There is an elastic band that my mother gave me to put around… my leg… And you’d snap the little rice bags on it And it’s a sign of… purity. And she wanted me to wear it. And I kept it when I went away.

All right. All right, now I’m going to name some names. Maybe you will recognize one or more of these names. Ill just name some names. If you recognize any, you’ll tell me. Now I’ll just start naming some names. And if you recognize any of these, you tell me.

Um-hm.

R. Percival Maxwell.

What a name. Teh. Who’d recognize a name like that?

[Laugh.] John Lawe’s Timber Yard.

John what?

John Lawe. John Lawe’s Timber Yard.

John Lawe’s Timber Yard… That’s a man’s name?

Yes. Do you recognize it at all? Does it mean anything to you? John Lawe’s Timber Yard on 13 James Street?

Uh…

All right. Langtrees and Herdman… Langtrees and Herdman… Langtrees and Herdman. Does that mean anything?

What was that other one?

John Lawe’s Timber Yard, you mean?

[Whispers.] John Lawe’s Timber Yard… timber…

On James Street.

It’s at 13 James Street?

Yes. Do you remember where 13 James Street was?

Oh, I should. There’s something about that… Timber Yard…

All right, let’s—

Did he… did he… did he need a… did he need a—Did he know Brian?

I don’t know.

I think that he… I believe he knew… oh… oh, some thing about him. You just bear with me. About him…. He’s a… Oh, I know something about him… John Lawe’s Timber Yard… He’s… oh… You go on. I’m going to think about it.