The Dodleston Messages: Mysterious Time Travel Communications from 1541 to 2109
In December 1984, a peculiar series of events began unfolding in a small cottage in Doddleston, near the England-Wales border. Ken Webster, a high school teacher living with his girlfriend Debbie and friend Nick, discovered mysterious messages appearing on their BBC computer. These communications, seemingly impossible as the computer wasn't connected to any network, claimed to be from a man named Lucas Wayneman who lived in the same location in 1541.
The messages, written in antiquated English, described details about Lucas's life, including his farm made of red stone and his knowledge of local figures like Edmund Grey. During renovations, Webster discovered red sandstone foundations beneath the cottage, lending credibility to these claims. As the communications continued, they took an even stranger turn when references to people from the year 2109 appeared, suggesting that whatever phenomenon connected Webster to the past also provided a link to the future.
Key Takeaways
Mysterious computer messages claiming to be from 1541 appeared on Ken Webster's disconnected BBC computer in his Doddleston cottage.
The messages contained verifiable historical details and described features of an older structure that was later confirmed during renovations.
The unusual communications eventually expanded to include references to people from the future year 2109, suggesting a multi-temporal phenomenon.
Initial Encounter with the Mysterious Messages
In December 1984, Ken Webster, a high school teacher living with his girlfriend Debbie and friend Nick in Meadow Cottage in Doddleston village, experienced something truly extraordinary. The trio returned home one evening from the local pub to discover a pulsing green light emanating from their cottage windows. Inside, they found an unexpected message on their BBC computer—addressed to them by name—despite the computer being disconnected from any network.
This marked the beginning of a series of unexplained communications. Strange occurrences had already been happening in the cottage—six-toed footprints mysteriously appearing on walls even after being painted over, and household items stacked in towers reaching four feet high when no one was home.
The first proper message appeared after the three returned from a day trip. A new file named "REATE" contained text written in archaic English: "What strange words thou speak although I must confess that I hath also been ill-schooled. Thou art goodly man who hath fanciful woman who dwell in mine home." The message mentioned "devil lights" and referenced someone named Edmund Grey.
Ken showed the message to his colleague Peter Trinder, a literature teacher, who identified it as genuine old English dialect. Curious about establishing communication, Ken typed questions on the computer asking about the sender's identity, time period, and location.
When they returned from the pub hours later, a response awaited them. The mysterious correspondent claimed to be from March 28, 1521, during the reign of Henry VIII. He described living in an "honest farm of oak and stone" and mentioned Edmund Grey of Kineton Hall.
Several inconsistencies troubled Ken initially:
Historical facts seemed wrong (Henry VIII's age was incorrect)
Modern punctuation appeared in supposedly 16th-century writing
No records existed of Edmund or John Grey
As communication continued, the messages were signed by "Lucas Waineman," who provided increasingly detailed information about his life:
He had lost his wife and son to plague
He harvested barley for ale and made cheese
He described his home as being built of red stone
Physical Evidence Emerges
During renovations at Meadow Cottage, Ken and his friends discovered the foundation of an older structure beneath their home—made of red sandstone, exactly as Lucas had described. Peter Trinder's analysis placed the language and references firmly in mid-16th century Cheshire.
The communications took an unexpected turn when Lucas mentioned believing Ken was communicating with people from 2109. When questioned, a new entity responded, suggesting that whatever phenomenon connected Ken to the past also somehow linked to the future.
Ken gradually became convinced these messages weren't hoaxes. The responses appeared too quickly for someone to be breaking in, and the historical details, while initially inconsistent, became increasingly accurate about the 1540s period.
The Mysterious Messages Begin
In December 1984, an extraordinary series of events began unfolding in a small cottage near the England-Wales border. Ken Webster, a high school teacher, was living with his girlfriend Debbie and friend Nick in Meadow Cottage, Doddleston. The trio had already experienced strange occurrences since moving in, including six-toed footprints mysteriously appearing on walls and objects arranged in tall towers when no one was home.
One evening, while returning from the local pub, they noticed an eerie green light pulsing through their cottage windows. Inside, they discovered something truly perplexing - their BBC computer displayed a message addressed to them by name, despite not being connected to any network and the house being empty all evening.
This initial communication marked the beginning of an unprecedented correspondence. The first coherent message appeared as a file named "R-E-A-T-E" and contained archaic language: "What strange words thou speak although I must confess that I hath also been ill-schooled..." The writer identified Ken's home as "mine home" and mentioned "lights which devil maketh."
Ken showed the peculiar text to Peter Trinder, a literature teacher, who suggested it resembled authentic Old English dialect. Intrigued but skeptical, Ken decided to respond with questions:
Who are you?
Did you live in this house?
What year are you from?
Is the king James or Charles?
When they returned from the pub hours later, a reply awaited them. The message claimed the writer lived in "an honest farm of oak and stone" and stated that "thy king of course is Henry VIII who is 6 and 46." It was signed "LW" and dated March 28, 1521.
Some historical details seemed incorrect - Henry VIII was only 30 in 1521, not 46. The messages mentioned Kinerton Hall (which wouldn't be built for centuries) and used modern punctuation like question marks. This inconsistency initially reinforced Ken's suspicion of a hoax.
Subsequent communications revealed more details. The writer identified himself as Lucas Waineman, a farmer who had lost his wife and son to plague. He described harvesting barley for ale, making cheese, and living in a red stone house. Remarkably, during renovations, Ken discovered the foundation of an older structure beneath their cottage - made of red sandstone.
As the correspondence continued, historical details became more accurate. Lucas mentioned Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine Parr, placing him in the 1540s. The dialect and language patterns consistently matched 16th-century Cheshire speech patterns, according to Trinder's analysis.
The situation became even stranger when Lucas revealed something unexpected: "We thought you were also from 2109 like your friend." This startling development suggested the communication channel wasn't just connecting to the past but potentially to the future as well. Ken responded with confusion: "What 2109 friend?"
The mystery deepened as it became clear Lucas believed he was communicating with multiple parties from different time periods. Ken and Debbie increasingly believed these weren't hoaxes but genuine communications across time with someone who had lived on the same land 400 years earlier.
Ken Webster's Investigation
Ken Webster, a high school teacher, moved into Meadow Cottage in Doddleston near the England-Wales border with his girlfriend Debbie and friend Nick. They began experiencing strange phenomena almost immediately - mysterious six-toed footprints on walls that reappeared after being painted over, and objects inexplicably stacked in tall towers around the house.
In December 1984, they returned home to find their BBC computer displaying an unusual message addressing them by name, despite not being connected to any network. This marked the beginning of a series of communications that would challenge their understanding of reality.
Peter Trinder's Expert Analysis
When Webster received the first cryptic message written in archaic language, he sought insights from colleagues. Peter Trinder, a literature teacher, identified the writing as authentic Old English dialect. Trinder's linguistic expertise proved invaluable throughout the investigation.
Webster regularly brought new messages to Trinder for analysis. The literature teacher confirmed that the sentence structure, dialect patterns, and occasional Latin phrases were consistent with mid-16th century writing from the Cheshire area. This matched the claimed origin of the messages.
Trinder also helped evaluate historical claims in the communications. While early messages contained historical inaccuracies (such as Henry VIII's age), later communications showed remarkable historical consistency, including correct references to Catherine Parr as Henry's wife, placing the writer firmly in the 1540s.
Testing the Hoax Theory
Webster initially suspected a practical joke or intrusion. Several factors led him to question this theory:
Speed of responses - Messages appeared too quickly for someone to physically break in
Historical accuracy - Later communications contained details that required historical knowledge
Linguistic authenticity - The unique language patterns would be difficult to fake consistently
Physical evidence - No signs of intrusion were detected
To test whether communication was possible, Webster began actively responding to the messages. He left questions on the computer before going to the pub with Debbie and Nick. Upon returning, they found detailed responses to their specific inquiries.
The messages were signed by someone identifying himself as Lucas Wainman, who believed he lived in the same location but in the year 1541. Despite initial skepticism, Webster gradually found it harder to dismiss the communications as fraudulent.
Discovering the Red Stone Foundation
Lucas Wainman's messages described his home as a "humble" structure made of red stone. This detail seemed significant as Meadow Cottage itself wasn't constructed of this material. During renovations, Webster made a remarkable discovery that lent credibility to the communications.
When digging in the garden and examining the area beneath the kitchen, Webster uncovered an old foundation. The structure was made of red sandstone, exactly matching Lucas's description of his home. This physical evidence suggested that an older building had indeed existed on the property.
The messages also revealed that Lucas was a rural farmer who harvested barley for ale and made cheese. He described losing his wife and son to plague, and provided specific details about local geography that would be difficult for a modern hoaxer to fabricate.
As the investigation progressed, an additional twist emerged when messages referenced communications from the year 2109. This suggested that whatever phenomenon connected Webster to the past might also link to the future, creating a complex temporal communication network centered on this specific location.
Deepening Mystery of Lucas Wayneman
The unexplained occurrences at Meadow Cottage in Doddleston began almost immediately after Ken Webster, his girlfriend Debbie, and friend Nick moved in. Mysterious six-toed footprints appeared on the walls, mysteriously reappearing even after being painted over. Objects in the house would be stacked into towers reaching heights of four feet, with no explanation of who arranged them.
The situation became truly extraordinary in December 1984. Upon returning home one evening, the three noticed an eerie green light pulsating from their cottage windows. Inside, they discovered an unsettling message on their BBC computer—addressed to them by name—despite the computer being disconnected from any network.
More messages followed, initiating an unusual correspondence that would challenge their understanding of reality. The messages were signed "LW," later revealed to be Lucas Wayneman, who claimed to be writing from 1541 and living in the same location.
The archaic language raised immediate questions. Peter Trinder, a literature teacher colleague of Ken's, analyzed the dialect and determined it resembled 16th-century English from the Cheshire area. The mysterious correspondent referred to "devil lights" (presumably the computer) and mentioned an "Edmund Grey" who could afford such luxuries.
Ken decided to engage with this strange communication:
Ken's Questions Lucas's Responses Who are you? Details about being a farmer When do you live? "28th of March 1521" (later corrected) Is the king James or Charles? "King Henry VIII who is 6 and 46" Did you have a family? Lost wife and son to plague
Initial inconsistencies in Lucas's historical knowledge—such as Henry VIII's age—gave way to more accurate information in subsequent messages. Later communications correctly referenced Catherine Parr as Henry's wife, placing the writer in the 1540s.
During renovations at Meadow Cottage, Ken's group made a startling discovery. Under the kitchen floor lay the foundation of a much older structure—made of red sandstone, exactly as Lucas had described his "humble home of red stone."
The mystery deepened when Lucas mentioned believing Ken was communicating from 2109. When questioned about this, Lucas revealed he thought Ken was associated with other people who claimed to be from that future year. This unexpected development suggested the phenomenon might be connecting not just the past and present, but possibly the future as well.
Historical Evidence and Timeline Discrepancies
Examining the Message Content
The messages received through the BBC computer presented several historical inconsistencies that initially raised doubts about their authenticity. In the early communications, the author identified as LW (later revealed as Lucas Wayneman) made several factual errors. He claimed Henry VIII was "6 and 40" (46 years old) in 1521, when historical records show the king was only 30 at that time. The mention of Kineton Hall was particularly problematic, as this structure wouldn't be built for approximately 200 years after the purported time of writing.
The linguistic elements also contained peculiarities. While the language displayed characteristics of 16th century English, it incorporated modern punctuation like question marks that weren't commonly used during that period. The inconsistent use of archaic terminology alongside more contemporary phrasing created a puzzling linguistic profile that didn't fully align with authentic Tudor-era writing.
Search for Historical Records
Efforts to verify the information in Lucas Wayneman's messages yielded mixed results. Literature teacher Peter Trinder analyzed the dialect and sentence structure, determining they were consistent with mid-16th century language from the Cheshire region. This matched Lucas's claimed location near the England-Wales border.
As the communications continued, the historical details became more accurate. Later messages referenced Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine Parr, correctly placing the timeframe in the 1540s. Physical evidence emerged during renovations at Meadow Cottage when the occupants discovered the foundation of an older structure beneath the current building. This foundation was made of red sandstone, matching Lucas's description of his "humble" home built of "red stone."
Despite these confirmations, researchers couldn't locate records of specific individuals mentioned in the messages, such as Richard Wishell or the Gray brothers. However, this absence of documentation isn't necessarily disproving - comprehensive records of common residents in small rural hamlets like Doddleston were rarely maintained during the Tudor period. Only nobility and significant landowners typically appeared in surviving historical documents.
Communication Across Centuries
In December 1984, Ken Webster, his girlfriend Debbie, and friend Nick noticed strange occurrences in their cottage in Doddleston, England. After returning home one evening, they discovered an unexpected message on their BBC computer—addressed to them by name, despite the computer not being connected to any network.
The first message contained unusual language that resembled old English. Peter Trinder, a literature teacher at Ken's school, analyzed the text and suggested it might be from someone living centuries earlier. Curious about this possibility, Ken began responding to the messages to gather more information.
The mysterious correspondent identified himself as Lucas Wayneman, claiming to live in the year 1541 in the same location as Ken's cottage. Lucas described his red stone house and provided details about his life as a farmer who harvested barley and made cheese. Remarkably, during renovations, Ken discovered a red sandstone foundation beneath the cottage, matching Lucas's description.
Lucas mentioned King Henry VIII being 46 years old and married to Catherine Parr, which placed him in the 1540s. While some historical details initially seemed incorrect, the accuracy improved over time. The dialect, sentence structure, and occasional Latin phrases analyzed by Trinder consistently indicated mid-16th century communication from the Cheshire area.
The situation became even more extraordinary when Lucas revealed he thought Ken's messages were coming from 2109. This indicated the phenomenon might connect multiple time periods simultaneously. Ken asked about these future correspondents, receiving the cryptic response: "Ken Deb Peter we are sorry that we can give you only two choices."
As the correspondence continued, Ken became increasingly convinced this wasn't a hoax. The speed of responses made it implausible that someone was breaking into their home to leave files on the computer. Ken and Debbie gradually accepted they might be communicating with someone from 400 years in the past—and possibly with individuals from the future as well.
Introducing the 2109 Dimension
The mysterious communication at Meadow Cottage took an unexpected turn when Lucas Wayneman expressed confusion about Ken's "friend" from 2109. This revelation stunned Ken, Debbie, and Nick, who had no knowledge of any future correspondents accessing their computer.
Ken immediately attempted to establish contact with these future entities by typing "calling 2109" into the BBC computer. To everyone's surprise, a response arrived shortly thereafter. The message began formally addressing Ken, Debbie, and Peter, suggesting these future communicators had been monitoring their exchanges with Lucas all along.
The 2109 correspondents presented a cryptic message indicating they could offer only two choices, though their full intentions remained unclear. This development transformed what was already an extraordinary situation into something even more complex - a three-way communication spanning nearly 600 years.
Ken and his friends found themselves in the middle of a temporal bridge, connecting not only to the past but unexpectedly to the future as well. The cottage in Doddleston had somehow become a nexus point where three different time periods intersected through the unlikely medium of a BBC microcomputer.
The implications were staggering. If genuine, these communications suggested that residents of the 22nd century possessed technology capable of reaching back through time to interact with both the 20th century and the 16th century simultaneously.
Analysis and Verification Endeavors
The mysterious communications at Meadow Cottage prompted several attempts at verification. Ken Webster sought expert opinion from his colleague Peter Trinder, a literature teacher who identified the messages as written in Old English. Trinder's linguistic analysis suggested the dialect originated from the Cheshire area in the mid-16th century, aligning with Lucas Wayneman's claimed location and era.
Initial historical fact-checking revealed discrepancies. Early messages contained inaccurate information, such as Henry VIII's age being reported as 46 in 1521 when he was actually 30. References to Kinerton Hall proved problematic since historical records indicated it wouldn't be constructed for another two centuries.
Physical evidence discovered during renovations supported some claims. While excavating the garden and examining beneath the kitchen, Ken uncovered an older foundation made of red sandstone—matching Lucas's description of his "humble" home constructed of "red stone." This discovery provided tangible corroboration for information that hadn't been previously known to the occupants.
As communications continued, the historical accuracy improved significantly. Lucas later referenced Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine Parr, correctly placing him in the 1540s. The intermittent use of Latin phrases within the messages further authenticated the time period according to Trinder's assessment.
The absence of records for individuals mentioned by Lucas (like Richard Wishell) initially raised suspicions. However, this absence could be explained by the limited documentation typical for ordinary residents of small hamlets like Doddleston during that era. Common farmers wouldn't appear in extensive historical records.
Ken gradually eliminated other explanations. The possibility of an intruder creating the files seemed increasingly unlikely due to the rapid response times. The comprehensive linguistic authenticity, combined with historically accurate details unknown to Ken and his friends, strengthened the case for genuine communication across time.
