Ghosts of The Royal Bulls Head Inn. Toowoomba :QLD

[KANACKI]

The Royal Bull's Head Inn is a rare, surviving inn building of pre-Separation Queensland. William Horton established his inn at Drayton in the late 1840s, the period when Drayton was an important stopping place between Moreton Bay and the Darling Downs. Legend has it...the old coaching inn is haunted? Not by one ghost but several?

There had been several sightings of ghosts inside the pub,  The Lady in the Night Dress: First recorded in 1908. Believed to Sarah Horton, the wife of the first proprietor, William Horton.

The Three Drovers: Died after chewing on tobacco contaminated with arsenic.

The "Chinaman": Committed suicide after eating throat lozenges soaked in strychnine. Was found dead in an upstairs bedroom.

The Young Man: Died after having his throat cut on the ground floor.

The baby in the well: People have reported hearing the cries of a baby near a disused well at the back of the inn.

So many tragedies......

Are some of those tragic events still haunting the old inn?

To be continued....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

The Royal Bull’s Head Inn is reputably haunted by more than half a dozen restless souls!

Frances Lynch, who was the postmistress at the former pub for over half a century, is one of eight ghosts identified as haunting the Royal Bull’s Head Inn. There’s also the lady in the night dress, first recorded in 1908, and who is believed to be Sarah Horton, the wife of the first proprietor, William Horton.

Bill and Frances Horton established the Royal Bull’s Head in 1848, hosting the pub for over 15 years. Bill “died suddenly” in 1864 at the age of 47, with his wife following the year after, at the young age of 35.

The Toowoomba Chronicle reported on March 9 1865 that “Mrs Horton, widow of the late Mr. William Horton, the well-known proprietor of the Royal Bull’s Head Hotel, Drayton, departed this life on the afternoon of Friday last”. The newspaper reported that Mrs Horton had “been in a precarious state of health ever since the death of her husband.”

Is she the ghost who haunts the stairs. For those who cannot see the pictures I suggest you sign up to this wonderful forums to get an amazing insight into haunted places in Australia.

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

Also haunting the old pub are the three drovers, who died after chewing on tobacco contaminated with arsenic.

Here is the pictures of the room where 3 drovers accidentally poisoned themselves? Was it an accident?

Was it just a melodramatic story or a real event I am not quite sure....

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

Another ghost is of the following.....

Another ghost who haunts the former pub is said to be a young man, who cut his own throat after the publican, Daniel Neile gave the drifter a free bed for the night in 1870. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Thursday May 19, 1870:

The Toowoomba Chronicle says – “One of those fearful cases of self-destruction, the result, no doubt, of excessive drinking took place at the Royal Bull’s Head, Drayton, either late on Friday night last, or early on Saturday morning, the unfortunate man being a stranger who came into Drayton from Toowoomba on Friday, and took up his quarters at the old look-up. About dusk the police officer in charge, on his way to the police paddock, noticed smoke issuing out of the chimney, he went over to see who was there, when he saw this man, and told him he could not stop there. The man told him that he had been drinking rather heavily, and intended camping there for the night. He had been at the creek washing some of his things, and, to all appearance quite sensible; however, the constable told him to go over to the Bull’s Head, and if he had not the means of paying for his night’s lodging, he would pay for it for him. Mr Neale told him that, as he had blankets of his own, he could lie on the sofa and no charge would be made. He only drank, while there, three glasses of grog. In the morning Mr Daniel Neale went into his room and found him lying on the floor with his throat cut, and dead, the jugular vein being severed in two. He was a young man, middle height, dark complexion, and dark curly hair. There was a magisterial inquiry held on the body. The name of the unfortunate man did not transpire.”

Here is pictures of the room where this suicide took place in 1870 below.

to be continued

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

The most chilling ghost story though is undoubtedly the baby in the well. People have reported hearing the cries of a baby near a disused well at the back of the inn.

The Royal Bull’s Head Inn traded until 1872 when Henry Neale closed the premises as a licensed pub. The Darling Downs Gazette reported on July 13 1872:

The Royal Bull’s Head Hotel, that for so many years held the highest place as a house of entertainment, has at length succumbed to the general stagnation of trade, its late proprietor, Mr Neale, though a very obliging and painstaking landlord, and though combining other industries with that of nobbier dispensing, finding it would not pay. The loss of this long-established house has, however, been compensated for by Hanrahan’s Hotel and that of Mr Allen, where the hungry and thirsty are sure to find all their longings satisfied and meet with every civility and kindness.

After the building closed as a pub, it traded as a post office for over 60 years with Frances Lynch at the helm. Miss Lynch died in 1958, and she is said to be one of the ghosts haunting the historic building.

Here is a picture below of Miss lynch not long before she died in 1958.

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

THE Royal Bull’s Head Inn is a heritage listed historical hotel located in Drayton, Queensland. It is currently managed as a trust property by the National Trust of Queensland.

The slab–built inn with shingled roof, served as an important meeting place for local squatters. The inn was large and well equipped with a parlour and all the requirements for a constant stream of visitors, including travellers, clergymen, settlers and anyone travelling to the area from the coast. On August 20 1848 the Rev. Benjamin Glennie conducted his first Church of England service on the Darling Downs, at the Royal Bull’s Head Inn.

In 1859 William Horton the proprietor of the inn and the surrounding land, and added a large extension made out of brick, cedar and timber. The entire inn was beautifully furnished and was regarded as the best on the Darling Downs, and better than some in Brisbane and Ipswich.

William Horton died in 1864 and the inn’s furnishings were sold at auction in 1865. The hotel was then managed by a succession of businessmen, including Timothy Larkin, Samuel Mann and Henry Neale. In 1875 most of the original building and the stables were sold for removal leaving only the 1859 extension and the original kitchen remaining. These are the buildings which are standing today.

In 1879 just over 30 years after the inn was established Thomas Price Horton, William Horton’s son sold the inn to Richard Stephen Lynch a saddler, and his wife Sarah Neale, daughter of Henry Neale. The Lynch family renamed the Royal Bull’s Head Inn “The Terrace” and it became their private residence for more than 90 years. The Lynch family also ran the Drayton Post Office in the building for 60 years and the office remained there until 1952 when Frances Lynch daughter of Richard and Sarah retired. In 1973 the last surviving son, Mr Alan Campbell Lynch, died and the National Trust of Queensland acquired the building.

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

In researching the story a little deeper there are some stories attributed to the old in that are simply incorrect.

There was the wife of publican that died there reputedly seen around 1900. And a young man committed suicide there was fact.

But the story of 3 drovers being poisoned there and a Chinese man killing himself there are just a urban myth taken from other real events not connected to the inn.

3 drovers was murdered by aboriginals at a station nearby. And Chinese man was released from a mental institution and killed a local shepherd in a fit of insanity.

Kanacki