Some of our best ghost stories are no longer told to the public. This includes the amazing tales inside Hamilton’s Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.
The tour is over, but thanks to this website (and Ghost Guide Daniel Podcast) they can still be told to the world!
Scottish Rite Tour in Hamilton
I remember the Scottish Rite tour with a confused longing. Yes, it’s the most mysterious structure in the City of Hamilton. And it’s beautiful. Not to mention filled with deep history in the house, and later the Masonic Cathedral.
The part I longed for was experience. We only started to learn about the spirits of both buildings. Only experienced them closer to Halloween, when the veil was thin and the energies strong.
Each Halloween, multiple undeniable encounters. Each year getting knowledge on the strongest areas. Ones that needed more investigation (physical and historical).
Then it came to an end. The reasons is simple… sometimes certain places don’t take well to the popularity of ghost stories. Unless it’s a place based on history, this offering becomes a liability.
Beauty of the House
The house, known in history as Tuckett’s Towers. Named for the man who built it, George Tuckett.
The ‘Tabacco King of Canada’, he was known for the best quality of cigars, and his forward-thinking employment methods. Strange how the worst companies for us can be the most advanced.
His Marguerite brand of cigar sold well.
Today he and his family rest in one of the three prominent Hamilton Cemetery Mausoleums (he’s the one of the left when driving by)
Inside the House
Walk in through the side door off Queen Street. You’ll be greeted by a small foyer, with a study to your left and a fireplace on your right. Over the fireplace, an original mounted head of a hunted beast.
Walk farther to the area made famous by the movie Crimson Peak. On the left is the dining room where they enjoyed a lavish meal. On the right the famous stairwell where Tom Hiddleston stood with a stain-glass woman watching calmly from behind.
It’s these stairs you’d climb. Up to the illuminated and colorful woman in the white dress. You’ll be drawn to the fictional character later featured on the Marguerite Cigars. The woman from George Tuckett’s dreams, who never exited in the real world.
You’ll focus on her, but eventually realizing the beauty to your left. Turn to see it, the massive portrait handing on the wall, protected by a clear layer of glass.
This is the woman you need to see. She’s the real one! The one who haunts Tuckett’s Towers.
Lady in the White Dress
It was just prior to the start of our Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Ghost Walks. We knew very little about the spirits, but wanted more knowledge.
Bringing in a team of investigators and psychics to roam the house and Cathedral buildings. Tools used to read the space, such as…
- EMF Detectors – Most known tool. Set to read Electromagnetic Fields. This is said to be given off by spirits when they move through a space. The thought, put your EMF in the space as a spirit comes through, and it’ll spike.
- Pendulums – Spiritual tool said to work with your natural psychic subconscious. Ask a question, and it’ll spin Yes/No answers.
- Divining Rods – Ancient device used to find water for digging wells. Same principle… walk through a disturbance in the energy around you and they’ll react. Running water is a disturbance, and so is a spirit.
Joan and the Portrait
One of the teams was on the balcony. Three quarters up to the second floor. Location of the stain-glass woman.
Joan (not her real name) was focused on the stain-glass, holding her EMF detector. She was an investigator with a local Hamilton team. Experienced in scientific and spiritual methods, but not psychic.
Her reaction was pure, when turning to the portrait, and the EMF spiked up to 10.
Nobody told Joan the portrait was a focal point of energy. Reason was… we didn’t know!
The EMF spiked to 10 and Joan stepped back.
In the shock of the moment, every investigator reacts the same. They lower the meter as a natural test. Done from experience. Sometimes out of fear. But needing to know if it will drop to 0. If it goes quiet, then the energy is in front of them.
Joan lowered her meter and it dropped to 0. Bringing it back up to see it spike to 10. The piercing buzz became less annoying, more exciting.
Then it died. Joan’s hand remained only inches from the portrait, yet the EMF was silent. She moved it around, wanting the spike, but it never came.
Goad the Spirit
I don’t recommend it. But some investigators will employ a drastic method.
During frustrated moments, when the carrot is dangled and taken away. After the smallest of ghostly evidence is denied, some team members may use a method called, ‘Goading the Spirit’.
The idea…
- Say things attacking the spirit’s character.
- Make the spirit angry, with increased energy which responds.
That’s what Joan did. Desperate for more evidence, she said, “Spirit, if you’re at all powerful, make the meter spike again. Or maybe you can’t do it. Maybe, you’re too weak.”
She said it two more times, staring closely at the EMF, wanting it to spike. Nothing.
Finally, Joan gave up. Turned to head down the stairs and continue investigating other rooms.
Careful on the Stairs
Heading down, about half-way. Too far to run to the bottom, and impossible to quickly get back up.
She said she felt it on the center of her back, in the middle of her shoulder blades. A small thud. Not strong. More the light touch of a balled up fist.
The shock pitched her forward on the stairs. She told us afterwards, “Thank God I was holding the railing!” As she rubbed her strained forearm muscles.
We watched her fall forward, her right arm fused to the wooden railing, bending at a hard angle.
And in that moment, she thought it was real. A person standing behind her, maybe jealous of the EMF experience. Getting their revenge by pushing her down the stairs. It’s funny what our minds will concoct in these moments.
Only later realizing she was alone. And to this day knowing, it was the woman of the house exerting her will. Showing Joan who was the real boss of Tuckett’s Towers.
Story featured on 09-Mar-2022 Episode of…
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