In 1705, Margorie McCall was buried alive in Shankill Graveyard in County Armagh, only to wake up when serious robbers cut off her finger!
The Shankill -Kerkhof from Lurgan has many whispered legends and spooky echoes, but none is more famous than those of Margoria McCall.
The story begins in 1705, when Margorie, the wife of a local doctor, was knocked down by a sudden disease. Some say it was fever, others a plague swept through the city. Whatever the cause, she was soon declared dead.
Death quickly moved in the 18th century. Fear of infection meant that funerals often took place within a few hours and Margorie’s family wasted no time to let her rest.
Dressed in her best clothes, her wedding ring still on her finger, she was lowered in the cold earth of Shankill Graveyard.
Her grieving husband and children left, convincing that they had said goodbye.
Waking up in the dark
That night, while the city of Lurgan slept, a group of serious robbers crawled through the cemetery. These men were not interested in Margoria itself, only the precious gold ring that was buried with her.
But when she tried to slide it out of her finger, they quickly found it held. There was only one way to claim their price.
A knife was drawn. Steel met meat.
The moment the knife cut into her, Margorie’s eyes shot open. She panted, her lungs filled with damp night air.
The robbers, now face to face with a corpse that refused to stay dead, screamed with fear and fled, spreading their tools in the dirt.
Margoria, weak and bleeding, pulled herself free from her coffin and stumbled through the cemetery. She only knew one thing – she had to come home.
Terror in front of the door
When she finally reached her house, her trembling hands knocked on the door. Inside her husband hesitated, still deep of mourning, before she opened it.
The door waved wide. There was Margorative, pale and spooky in her funeral.
One version of the story claims that he fainted. Another insists that his heart went out on the spot.
Anyway, Margorement had returned from the grave – just to find himself a widow.
Despite the horror of her first funeral, Margorie went to live for many years.
But when death finally came in front of her, her body was left in the ground at Shankill Graveyard. This time there would be no mistakes.
Her tombstone is still today, with the famous inscription:
“Margoria McCall – Lived once, bury twice.”
And yet some say that her story is not over. On quiet nights, Shankill Graveyard is crying.
Are they the echoes of the first funeral of Margoria? Or the persistent fear of those who dared to arouse the dead?
Do you know a similar story of premature funeral in the UK or Ireland? Telling is in the commentary section below!
