As stated above in the advertisement for this present-day hotel, this castle was home to the Chancellor family for more than 750 years. It was likely the home of George Chancler (#62,209, his son, George Chanceler (#31105) and his wife Elizabeth (Brown) (#31106), and their son William Chanceler (#15553) and his wife Margaret (Hamilton) (#15554), and their son William Chancellor (#7777) and his wife Agnes (Hamilton) (#7778). Their son, Robert Chancellor (#3889) of Shield Hill and his wife Agnes (Symington) (#3890), and their son John Chancellor (#1945) and his wives Catherine (Hamilton) and then Jean (Dishington)(#1946) probably lived in the castle. Their son Robert Chancellor (Laird of Shieldhill 1642-1661) and his wife Jean, and their son James Chancellor also lived in the castle. Shieldhill stayed in the family for many more generations.

Then, in 1898, the Shieldhill property, the buildings and furnishings were sold at public auction by Frederick Hume Chancellor. In 1941, Sir John Robert Chancellor, bought back the main residence of Shieldhill, along with 1,000 acres of the original land. [The source of ancestral lineage information and all information in purple is The Wroe and Chancellor Families Compiled by William Clarke Wroe, 1992, pages 30-32.)

One advertisement for haunted castles states, "Set in rolling hills and farmland, Shieldhill, a sprawling mansion, incorporates an ancient castle at its core, and said to date as early as 1199. The building is said to be haunted by a 'Grey Lady', the ghost of a daughter, wrapped in a grey cloak, and of one of the Chancellor lords. It is alleged that she was raped by soldiers returning from a battle in the 1650s and became pregnant, but the child was cruelly taken from her at birth and left to die. Another version of this story dates from the 14th century and that she was made pregnant by a gamekeeper's son, and her baby was born dead and then buried without her permission and the girl wept herself to death. Her ghost has reputedly been seen in recent times, walking towards the burial place in the grounds of the hotel, in one of the rooms, as well as on the patio, the roof of the hotel and in the car park. Other manifestations include footsteps and thumps reported during the night, the movement of chairs and television channels changing independently. Her apparition is said to appear mostly to children who are staying at the hotel."

 

Contact person for this website is Susan Snyder: susanleachsnyder@gmail.com