Matthew Hassal – the grave of Isle of Man vapire.

The Isle of Man is an ancient land steeped in old superstition and legends of dark wraiths, fairies and even, vampires.
Located on the outskirts of Castletown, is Malew Churchyard, an apparently regular graveyard with gravestones dating back centuries.
Howver, there is a curious grave there, cornered by four iron stakes, draped with heavy chains, with a huge slate slab that covers it.
It remains a mystery as to exactly why the chains were placed here back in the 1850s, but they still stand to this day.
Anyone familiar with the folklore of the British Isles, knows that iron can stop any supernatural being dead in their tracks.
Including vampires.

The burial site belongs to Matthew and Margaret Hassal, husband and wife, and very little is known about the couple, but their unusual resting place is steeped in myth.
The most popular theory is that this is the grave of a vampire.
It seems the two lived a relatively quiet life free of attention.
Nevertheless, all that changed when Matthew, aged 54, inexplicably killed himself.
He had given no indication of despair or trouble, but he just decided to one day, end it all.
According to the legend, an ungodly groan was heard coming from Mr. Hassal during his wake, which panicked those attending to the extent that chains were placed around the grave to keep the vampire from rising again.
Allegedly a stake was also driven through his heart before his burial…just in case.

In any case, in those days, suicide was considered an unforgivable sin that brought with it the promise of eternal damnation, and suicides meant a Christian burial, on consecrated ground, was out of the question.
Some suggest that the grave was dug from behind the stone wall that marks the church boundary as a sort of middle-ground compromise.
The chains and stakes, however, remain a mystery.

Images from web – Google Research