In 1705, Margorie McCall was buried alive in Shankill Graveyard in County Armagh, only to wake when grave robbers cut off her finger!
Lurgan’s Shankill Graveyard has many whispered legends and ghostly echoes, but none is more famous than that of Margorie McCall.
The story begins in 1705, when Margorie, the wife of a local doctor, was struck down by a sudden illness. Some say it was a fever, others a plague that had swept through the town. Whatever the cause, she was soon pronounced dead.
Death moved swiftly in the 18th century. Fear of contagion meant burials often happened within hours, and Margorie’s family wasted no time in laying her to rest.
Dressed in her finest clothes, her wedding ring still on her finger, she was lowered into the cold earth of Shankill Graveyard.
Her grieving husband and children left, believing they had said their final goodbyes.
The Awakening in the Dark
That night, as the town of Lurgan slept, a group of grave robbers crept through the cemetery. These men had no interest in Margorie herself, only the precious gold ring that had been buried with her.
But when they tried to slip it from her finger, they found it stuck fast. There was only one way to claim their prize.
A knife was drawn. Steel met flesh.
The moment the blade cut into her, Margorie’s eyes shot open. She gasped, her lungs filling with damp night air.
The robbers, now face to face with a corpse that refused to stay dead, screamed in terror and fled, leaving their tools scattered in the dirt.
Margorie, weak and bleeding, pulled herself free from her coffin and staggered through the graveyard. She knew only one thing – she had to get home.
Terror at the Doorstep
When she finally reached her house, her trembling hands knocked on the door. Inside, her husband, still deep in mourning, hesitated before opening it.
The door swung wide. There stood Margorie, pale and ghostly in her burial shroud.
One version of the story claims he fainted. Another insists his heart gave out on the spot.
Either way, Margorie had returned from the grave – only to find herself a widow.
Despite the horror of her first burial, Margorie went on to live many more years.
But when death finally did come for her, her body was once again lowered into the ground at Shankill Graveyard. This time, there would be no mistakes.
Her tombstone still stands today, bearing the famous inscription:
“Margorie McCall – Lived Once, Buried Twice.”
And yet, some say her story isn’t over. On quiet nights, eerie cries drift through Shankill Graveyard.
Are they the echoes of Margorie’s first burial? Or the lingering terror of those who dared to wake the dead?
Do you know a similar story of premature burial in the UK or Ireland? Tell is in the comments section below!
