Two young lovers wish nothing more than to begin a life together, but an overbearing father keeps them apart. So intent is the father, that he goes so far as to imprison his own daughter and force her to marry another man, a man more “befitting” of the family’s station. Devastated, the young woman lingers, withers, and eventually dies of a broken heart.
It’s that legend that hangs over Sker House in South Wales. The building, which dates back to the 12th century, has a reputation for hauntings. That reputation inspired a book, called “The Maid of Sker” and a recent video game by the same name.
The young couple at the center of the legend are Elizabeth Williams and Thomas Evans. Poor Elizabeth’s father, Isaac, was absolutely opposed to the match. Despite her father’s objections, Elizabeth and Thomas planned to escape one night and elope. The plan might have worked until the Williams’ family dog began to bark, scaring Thomas off.
Isaac was furious. He locked his daughter in a room with boarded up windows to keep her separated from her love. Eventually, Elizabeth was forced into an unhappy marriage with a man named Kirkhouse.
Despite being a married woman, Elizabeth never forgot Thomas. He was a musician and occasionally would ply his trade in a place nearby to Elizabeth. Whenever she could, she would slip out of her house and listen to him play. Yet, the couple’s happiness was never to be. In the end, Elizabeth died in 1776. Those who knew her said it was of a broken heart, though other reports say she starved herself to death.
Centuries later, those who visit Sker House say that Elizabeth is still there. Look up at the windows and you might see a ghostly figure gazing out on the horizon. In one of the upstairs rooms, said to be the room she was kept prisoner, a strange mist is sometimes reported. In the stillness, the sound of chains can faintly be heard, perhaps a sign that Elizabeth’s imprisonment was even worse than simply a locked door.
But Elizabeth isn’t the only ghost said to haunt Sker House. There are also stories of a long dead ship captain who walks the halls. Legend has it his ship was wrecked and plundered near Sker House. Some of the ship’s stolen loot was discovered in the house, pointing to Isaac Williams as the culprit. Perhaps the old captain’s ghost haunts Sker House in a search for his belongings, or perhaps he seeks revenge.