Its dark, spooky, and heavily forested. You've read about it in books, seen articles in magazines, and now you are here. As you walk up the path, the stony ground makes the going rough. Then you arrive.

What do you see? Forest, everywhere! If you know where to look, you see the remains of a few houses, a root cellar. If you are with a guide, he/she may show you the VORTEX, the Tanner house, and tell you stories of days gone by. The murder, the hoofed creatures, and those who went mad.


This is DUDLEYTOWN, called by many "the scariest place in New England", and by Dan Ackroyd--THE MOST HAUNTED PLACE ON THE EARTH.

But is it? That is what you are here to find out.

This is NOT your usual HAUNTED HOUSE site--here, you get the FACTS, and the DOCUMENTATION along with it.




It started in 1938---the LEGEND, that is, in a book entitled "They found a way", then another book picked up the story, enlarged it, and so it went until today the story has been in over 12 books, 4 magazines, and HUNDREDS of newspaper articles. This does not even take into account the number of times it is mentioned in the press.

I became interested in Dudleytown (as stated elsewhere) through the Warren's book, and then I found the error of the French/Indian War. I further became involved, when a person from my genealogy site requested information on Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, and found that the information clashed with some I had from the "Legend." I was off on a journey that lead here.

This new site is dedicated to the history of Dudleytown. The REAL history. It originally started as an "extra" page on my genealogy site, The New Dudley Genealogies which is dedicated to the history and ancestry of the Dudley Family name. I honestly had NO idea it would draw the response that it did. The email has almost shut down my Email reader twice! Some, sadly, has been hate mail from paranormal "societies" that can NOT believe what is inside. Oh, well. Facts are facts. So lets begin with a few needed remarks.


I will be blunt--this is unlike any other site on the Web that contains stories of DUDLEYTOWN. This site deals with the FACTS. Yes, I will tell you the story........then, through a series of articles I will explain the History of Dudleytown, the family behind it (The Dudley's), and much, much more. Please note that as an Historian and a Genealogist, I am used to documenting my sources....and you will find that I do so throughout. In fact, IF you find a page without a source, please email me and I will correct it. You should find everything you need on a particular page to finish any further research you require. You will find "hot links" throughout to round out your stay.




I will NOT mislead you--as a result of my studies on this subject, I do NOT believe that Dudleytown is haunted.
Or cursed.

In the Explanation section, you will get information gleaned by actual town and church records. When genealogy is involved, that information was also taken from church records, town records, and "The History of the Dudley family" by Dean Dudley, and "Families of Early Guilford, Connecticut" by Alvin Talcott Both books are available at larger public libraries or your local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Family History Center. In addition, descendants of the Guilford branch of the Dudley Family ARE living today. Unfortunately, actual descendants of the Dudley family from Dudleytown are not. HOWEVER, descendants of the Town itself ARE LIVING TODAY--SOME STILL IN CORNWALL.


The history books consulted are to numerous to mention. Most are referenced throughout the site at the bottom of the pages. The pictures that accompany the articles are taken from various books, and the photo's are from a Paranormal Society "expedition" to Dudleytown. Yes, another site has pictures from the SAME expedition, but notice the difference! Some photo's are actual historical documents of death certificates, obituaries, and town records. You get it all here.


In short, unlike other sites, HERE you will find the real deal. Journey with me now to the land of fantasy--then fact.

So let's begin! First, the story..............

To begin a COMPLETE tour, start with the LEGEND, and follow it through.