The Busby Chair

We all have favourite chairs in our home or at our local, but I’d never think of cursing it so that no one could sit in it after I was gone. But that’s what Thomas Busby did in 1702, right before he was executed for strangling his father-in-law for sitting in his chair. According to local legend, right before he finished his last meal at his local pub, he said, “May Sudden Death come to anyone who dare sit on the chair.”

Since then, anyone who’s sat in the chair (63 in total) at the pub has died under mysterious and tragic circumstances. It’s gotten so bad that to prevent accidental (or even intentional suicide by curse), the pub gave the chair away to the Thirsk Museum, who promptly hung it from the ceiling to prevent anyone from sitting there.