Taken from Newsletter Issue 27 - July 2005

One subject that is more readily covered by the world of science fiction through countless generations of TV shows and films like Star Trek is the theory of time slips. Although time slips are not the usual haunt of paranormal clubs. Maybe this needs to be read-dressed as our true life story below will show; this is another realm of the paranormal.

The story begins at the church of St Olave on the Isle of Wight. The church was built in the 13th Century by the family of Estur. In 1831 a local girl called Lucy Lightfoot was a regular at the church and it soon became clear she was attracted to the oak effigy of Edward Estur. Edward was a knight of the 13th century and on his tomb, his figure lies in a suit of mail, a shield upon his left arm and his legs crossed. This is the sign of a knight who fought in the crusades. 18th Century engravings show a small short sword held in the right hand. This is a weapon known as a Chrysoberyl lodestone but since the morning of 13th June 1831 legend states that the Chrysoberyl lodestone has been missing.

Back in 1831 Lucy Lightfoot was often observed standing and staring at the effigy and was once asked “why do you stand so” she replied “I love to be with him and accompany him on his adventures in my thoughts and dreams”. On the morning of 13th June 1831 at 10.30am Lucy was seen to tether her horse to the church gate and go inside the ancient building. Soon afterwards there was a total eclipse of the sun and the land was in darkness for over half an hour. At the same time the most violent storm in living memory burst upon the island. Crops were flattened, fields were flooded, lighting struck farmhouses and Lucy was never seen again.

The story should have ended here were it not for the fact that the rector noticed that the steel Chrysoberyl lodestone had been wrenched from the hand of Edward Estur’s Effigy and lay shattered in pieces on the floor. A jewel that had been set into the hilt had also vanished. Further information on this subject has brought some amazing results. In November 1263 the king of Cyprus was in London to secure the services of many knights for his crusade. Namely one Edward Estur who had with him a beautiful girl from the Isle of Wight called Lucy Lightfoot! They travelled to Cyprus then in 1365 Edward left her there for safety only to be almost killed in the following battles. He forgot about Lucy due to his head wounds and returned to England without her.

Lucy later married a local fisherman three years later. Did a local electrical storm induce a side slip in time itself? Is it a coincidence that there could be two girls with the same name connected to Edward Estur but live hundreds of years apart? This famous incident of a time slip is well recorded and how could there have been two Lucy Lightfoots alive in two centuries hundreds of years apart and connected to the same man? For more information on this story check out the internet under Lucy Lightfoot.