How a Woman's Dead Fiance Forced Her to Marry His Dead Body in Church

File photo: A dead body

 

A story has been told of a woman who married her dead fiance in a church ceremony in England.

 

The story which appeared in Francais Express recently, dates back to centuries ago.

 

Below is how it was told:

 

Back in June 1666, Dorothy Ford was engaged to be married to William Streat.

 

Streat was the rector of the local church, found in the parish of South Pool in Devon, England, and preparations for the big day were well underway.

 

Tragedy would strike, however, when—just a few days before the wedding day—Reverend Streat was killed in a riding accident.

 

Instead of a wedding, Streat's funeral took place.

 

However, the story didn’t end there. 

 

It's said that friends of the heartbroken Ford soon began to complain of a nightmare they were having, one that kept recurring. In the dream, Streat would come to them and say that he was unable to rest in peace until he had fulfilled his pledge to marry Dorothy.

 

Eventually, he got his wish.

 

On November 27, 1667, Streat’s body was exhumed and his coffin was placed at the front of the church's altar, with Ford standing alongside it. She made her marriage vows—becoming probably the only English woman to marry a corpse.

 

After that, William Streat was reburied and, as the story goes, never haunted anyone's dreams again.