In the late 1800s, a servant at Coldham Hall in Suffolk witnessed the apparition of two women dressed as nuns advancing towards him from portraits hanging in the hall. The incident inspired the young owner, Sir Thomas Gage, to commission a mezzotint of the apparition. The portraits, believed to be cursed, remained at Coldham Hall even after it was sold in 1897. In 2002, Claudia Schiffer and Matthew Vaughn purchased the hall and reportedly experienced paranormal activity after moving the portraits. The story of the haunted nuns’ portraits is unique in that it provides direct evidence of the origin of a ghost story passed down through generations.
In Yorkshire in 1707, the household of John Fawcet experienced nightly disturbances caused by a ghost. The ghost was believed to be John’s grandmother-in-law, Madam Savage, who returned to seek justice for her orphaned granddaughters. The ghost’s appearances became more malevolent over time, causing disruption and physically attacking the family. The haunting allowed women to seek restitution from men without directly defying male authority. The story sheds light on the gender dynamics of hauntings and the ways in which women used supernatural occurrences to their advantage.
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/head-head/four-historians-tell-us-ghost-story