Eddie Brazil, respected paranormal investigator and leading Borley Rectory expert, has died aged 70, leaving behind decades of writing on ghosts and hauntings, writes DAVID SAUNDERSON
For decades, Eddie Brazil was a familiar and trusted voice within the world of psychical research.
Thoughtful, quietly passionate and deeply knowledgeable, he became especially renowned for his expertise on the legendary hauntings of Borley Rectory, widely described as “the most haunted house in England”.
Among paranormal researchers and enthusiasts alike, Eddie was regarded as one of the world’s foremost authorities on the subject.
Who was Eddie Brazil?
Born in Dublin on 17 May 1956 and later raised in London, Eddie’s fascination with the paranormal began early.
A strange experience at his family home in Camberwell when he was just 10 years old set him on a path that would shape the rest of his life.
From that moment on, he immersed himself in psychical research, ghost lore and investigations into hauntings both famous and obscure.
Unlike sensationalists who sought easy thrills, Eddie approached the paranormal with patience, care and intellectual honesty. In interviews and lectures, he often stressed that genuine paranormal investigation was not about jump scares or theatrics, but long periods of waiting, observing and recording.
Speaking about Borley Rectory in one interview with me at his home in High Wycombe some years ago, he explained that most investigations were “very, very boring” because “most times you never see a ghost”.
Yet it was precisely that disciplined approach which earned him so much respect.
Curiosity, humour and determination
But behind the serious researcher was also a wonderfully funny, warm and endlessly curious man.
I always enjoyed meeting up with Eddie over a beer and talking ghosts, hauntings and the strange experiences he had gathered over decades of investigations.
He loved telling stories from the road — some unsettling, many hilarious — and he could happily spend hours discussing haunted places, odd encounters or the peculiar people drawn into the paranormal world.
I can’t remember the specifics but he told me when he was a teenager he rode his bicycle to North Essex from London to visit Borley, showing his early passion for the work of Harry Price and the notable haunting.
Here’s a video of Eddie discussing Borley Rectory:
Eddie could also get gloriously riled up when discussing hardened sceptics or people he felt were too smug or self-important to even entertain the possibility that there might genuinely be “something out there”.
He never claimed to have all the answers, but he firmly believed there were mysteries in this world that deserved to be explored rather than laughed away.
Writings of Eddie Brazil
That was reflected in his writing too.
While Eddie deeply respected classic hauntings and historic cases, he was never content simply retelling stories of dusty castles and creaking old manor houses.
He was always looking for the paranormal in everyday life, in ordinary streets, local pubs, music, television and modern culture. He brought humour and humanity into ghost writing in a way few others managed.
Readers of Spooky Isles particularly loved the lighter side of his work.
Alongside serious investigations and local hauntings, Eddie produced wonderfully entertaining articles on subjects such as rock stars and the paranormal, haunted sitcoms and strange supernatural moments hidden within popular culture.
He understood that ghost stories were not just about fear — they were about people, imagination, memory and the strange experiences that stay with us. He was a major contributor to MR James forums and loved writing and photographing subjects relating to James’ work.
Eddie was part of the Spooky Isles family almost from the very beginning.
He began writing for the site in 2014 with articles about his beloved High Wycombe before going on to contribute dozens more pieces covering hauntings, folklore and paranormal history across Britain and Ireland.
He participated in Spooky Isles events and wowed people when he turned up with actual articles from Borley Rectory that he’d acquired over the years. I remember him being nervous about public speaking, but I assured him he’d be okay. And as it was, I was right. Everyone was gripped by his every word describing the world famous haunting.
Eddie’s style perfectly matched the spirit of Spooky Isles: informed but accessible, atmospheric without becoming overblown, and always rooted in genuine curiosity.
His bibliography reflected the depth of his knowledge.
Besides his own books, he collaborated with respected figures such as Paul Adams and the legendary ghost researcher Peter Underwood, co-authoring The Borley Rectory Companion, which remains essential reading for anyone interested in the case.
You can find his books on Amazon here.
Eddie’s other pursuits
Outside paranormal research, Eddie loved church architecture, exploring battlefields, steam railways and music.
He played guitar in a rock band and even wrote the theme music for the 1983 horror film Expresso Slasho.
He was also a talented photographer whose work appeared in books and magazines on both the paranormal and local history.
Above all, Eddie will be remembered as one of the good people of the paranormal world — generous with his time, passionate about his subject and always encouraging to others who shared his fascination with the unexplained.
He is survived by his wife and daughter.
For those of us lucky enough to know him, the world feels a little quieter and a little less interesting without him in it.
You can read Eddie Brazil articles on Spooky Isles here.
