Christine’s Blog 2: Black-Eyed Children

January 26, 2016

Christine Hamlett Walsh is the co-host of Rescue Mediums Seasons 1-3. Living in the UK, she investigates hauntings, captures mesmerizing ghost photos, and creates psychic art portraits.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. Here is another story about my investigations. I hope you enjoy it.

The Phenomenon of the Black-Eyed Children

Last year, national papers in the UK featured a few stories about black-eyed children. Sightings have been reported all over the world, so when they were reported in Cannock Chase, not too far away from where I live, I was not surprised to be asked to investigate.

I’ll first give a brief description of some reported encounters with these strange children. In 1988, Brian Bethel reported that two black-eyed children asked him for a lift in his car. They said they were lost and needed to get home. Brian felt very sorry for them (after all, they were just kids) but when he saw their black eyes he knew something was wrong, felt scared, and refused them a lift.

Another story tells of a lady who was disturbed late at night by her dog barking while it was looking through the window. She went to investigate the disturbance but could see nothing. She beckoned the dog to follow her to the front door, and, as she reached for the door handle, the dog started whimpering and cowering. Through the peephole, she saw two children standing there. One looked about sixteen and the other about three. Upon opening the door, she noticed that both the children were wearing beige hooded tops and jeans. The older one said they needed to use her phone; they both kept their heads down. The older one repeated their need to come in and ring their mother because they needed help. The woman felt very sorry for them, but when they looked up and she saw they had black eyes, she slammed the door shut. The older child shouted and became aggressive, pleading to be let in. The woman said if they wrote down their mother’s number she would ring for them. Eventually they left, much to her relief.

One story tells of a knock on the door on Halloween. The homeowner thought it strange as it was 10pm and most trick-or-treaters were finished. Upon answering the door, the homeowner saw two children: a boy and girl. The girl looked to be about eleven and the boy nine. Once again the children asked to come in the house to use the phone. This homeowner became very scared upon seeing their black eyes and refused them entry. They became very angry.

All the stories about these children bear the same resemblance: the children wanted to come into the home or vehicle, and it seems that they have to be invited in before they can enter, just like vampires. Indeed, some think that’s what they are. Others describe them as aliens or alien-human hybrids, lost souls, and even demons.

I was asked to go to Cannock Chase because two black-eyed children had been seen in the forest by a couple walking towards their car. They asked for a lift and turned nasty when the couple were freaked by their evil-looking black eyes. The couple ran to their car and drove away, leaving the children staring after them.

My Encounter with the Children at Cannock Chase

When I got to the forest I decided to go to the place near to where the sighting had been. I did what I always do on a investigation: I sent my thoughts out to see what happened. I managed to speak to three spirit children. They told me that they were not going to leave or stop appearing to people until their story was told. I asked why and they told me it was because of the anger they felt, and also because they wanted to be found. They said their bodies were buried in unmarked graves on Cannock Chase and what happened to them was not right. From what I could gather, these children had been in an orphanage or work house. Some injustice had been inflicted on them causing their deaths, and they had been buried on Cannock Chase. I agreed to try to find out about their stories, and I am still working on this. I don’t know if the children I spoke with were the same as the black-eyed children seen by the couple. But they were the only children I encountered, and they had a story to tell.

Black-eyed child on Cannock Chase peeping behind tree

Could this be victim Christine Ann Darby?

Cannock Chase has a dark history. In 1966, the bodies of two little girls, Margaret Reynolds and Diana Joy Tilt, were found together after they had been murdered. In 1967, the body of another little girl who was murdered, Christine Ann Darby, was found a mile away from the others. Raymond Leslie Morris was convicted of Christine’s death, and he was suspected of murdering Margaret and Diana. He died in prison aged eighty-four after serving forty-five years. I took several photos there, and at a nearby pub which had also been visited by the black-eyed children. I was very surprised at the results. One shows a black-eyed child peeping round a tree, and another taken in the pub shows a young child with their fist up to their face with black eyes. Some say this photo resembles Christine Ann Darby.

I went to Cannock Chase with my husband David, and with Robin from the Daily Star newspaper who was keen to see if I could make contact with the children. My photos were published in the nationals and caused quite a stir. In one of David’s photos I noticed a familiar friend: my old dog Ben, whose been in spirit for over fifteen years (see photo). He was there with me protecting me as he always did when on the earthplane.

Next time I’ll share the story of Leicester Cathedral.

Bye for now, Christine x