Tom Fool of Muncaster Castle
A castle in Cumbria is said to be haunted by its Tudor jester, a man whose jokes, legend says, could be deadly.
What was reported
Thomas Skelton, known as Tom Fool, is said to have been the jester at Muncaster Castle in the late 1500s. Legend makes him a dark figure: he would give wrong directions to travellers he didn't like, sending them into the quicksands of the estuary, and he's said to have played a part in killing a young carpenter who had fallen in love with the lord's daughter.
His portrait still hangs in the castle, and staff and visitors have reported footsteps, strange noises and sightings, especially in the Tapestry Room.
Explanations offered
Whether Tom Skelton was real is uncertain, though the portrait suggests a historic jester. The claim that 'tomfoolery' comes from his name is a popular story, but the word is older. The castle embraces him, with an annual festival of jesters.
- When
- Told since the 1500s
- Where
- Muncaster Castle, Ravenglass, Cumbria, England, UK
- Witnesses
- Visitors and staff of the castle
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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