Mother Barnes was a respected midwife from Great Shefford who was summoned to Littlecote House in 1575 to assist with a secret birth. She was brought to the house blindfolded and told to save the life of the mother at all costs. After successfully delivering the baby, she watched in horror as William Darrell seized the newborn and cast it into the fire, murdering the innocent child to hide evidence of his affair. Though sworn to secrecy under threat, Barnes was traumatized by witnessing this unspeakable act. Years later, she broke her silence and told others about the crime, contributing to Darrell's eventual downfall. Her spirit is believed to remain at Littlecote, forever traumatized by what she witnessed and seeking justice for the murdered infant. She appears as a shadowy figure walking on the lawn and has been seen sitting in bedroom corners, eternally rocking an invisible baby as if trying to comfort the child she couldn't save.