Happy Anniversary Modern Spiritualism!
Spiritualist Connections
Also thought I'd share a link to a bit of history regarding the Fox Sisters who were born in Upper Canada (now known as Ontario Canada).
http://www.thestarofhope.org/index.php/info-about-spiritualism/5-rev-wilma-trebell-s-talk-on-the-fox-sisters?showall=1&limitstart=
Author Rev Wilma Trebell lecture presented at Star of Hope Spiritualist Church, Oshawa ON Canada on May 15, 2011
Spiritualistic type phenomena have existed since the dawn of humanity, the advent of what we know as the Spiritualist movement, or Modern Spiritualism, dates to March 31, 1848, to a small cottage in the town of Hydesville in upper New York State. On this day, two young girls, Maggie and Kate Fox, established the first systematic and intelligible two-way communication with the spirit world.
But it can be said that the Spiritualism began in Canada. Maggie and Kate Fox, considered the founders of the movement were born in Consecon, Prince Edward County, Upper Canada, now Ontario.
After a troubled marriage and financial difficulties, their parents, Margaret and John Fox, decided to move to Canada from the States to try their luck at farming. Elizabeth, one of their daughters, accompanied them. They settled in Consecon on the Bay of Quinte, where Margaret had relatives who descended from United Empire Loyalists. Two other children, David and Leah, now adults, remained in the States.
In Consecon, being close to forty years old, Margaret gave birth to two more children: Margaretta on October 7, 1833 and Katherine on March 27, 1837.
But the farm did not prosper and few years later they decided to return to the States. Elizabeth, having married a Canadian farmer, stayed behind.
The Foxes settled for a time in Rochester, a booming and prosperous town, where their daughter Leah lived.
Two weeks before Christmas in the winter of 1847, a particularly cold one, the Foxes moved to the rural community of Hydesville where they rented a small two room cottage in which to spend the winter while waiting for construction on their new house to resume in the spring. Their son David owned a farm in the vicinity.
For 14-year old Maggie and Kate, soon to turn 11, Hydesville must have proved extremely dull after the excitement of Rochester and especially being cooped up in the small cottage during the long winter months. But during the last two weeks of March, the tedium was suddenly interrupted by strange knocks and furniture being dragged that rattled the beds and the nerves. Sleep was impossible. John Fox searched "every nook and corner" of the house to discover the source of the noises, all to no avail.
On March 31, the exhausted family went to bed early to catch up on some sleep. As soon as their heads hit the pillow the noises started again. Kate and Maggie snapped their fingers imitating the raps. Then Kate clapped her hands several times saying: "Here Mr. Splitfoot, do as I do!" To the family’s astonishment the identical number of raps were heard in response. Maggie then clapped her hands four times, which elicited a corresponding number of raps. Mrs. Fox, whose grandmother and sister had had the gift of second sight, was somewhat acquainted with otherworldly things. However, she did not believe in hauntings and wondered if this was a prank. She decided to quiz the raps asking them the ages of her children. The raps responded accurately and included a child who had died in infancy. She continued her questions and via a "yes/no" rapping code ascertained that they were produced by an "injured spirit" who had been murdered in the cottage and whose remains were buried in the basement. She sent her husband to fetch the neighbours, among them a Mr. Duesler. Mr. Duesler, a practical man, came up with a more efficient way of communication, asking the "injured spirit" to rap when he called out the correct letter of the alphabet. In this way, it was established that the spirit was a peddler named Charles Rosna who had been murdered for his money and buried in the cottage.
As a matter of fact, many years after the Fox sister deaths, excavation in the basement of the Hydesville cottage lead to the discovery of skeletal remains and a peddler’s box. The peddler’s box can be seen today in the museum at Lily Dale Assembly in upstate New York.
It must be noted that about twelve people were in the small house during these events and none of them noticed either Maggie or Kate bobbing apples, cracking their toes, or dislocating their knees, as they would be accused of later - an impossible feat in any case, given the number of rapid raps that were elicited by the adults present. What they actually saw were two young girls sitting frighten on the bed.
Around midnight, Mrs. Fox and the girls went to stay at a neighbour’s house. John Fox and another neighbour remained in the haunted house or “Spook‘s Cottage”, as it became known. Even in those days news travelled fast and the next day the place was surrounded by reporters and the curious who wanted to hear the raps for themselves.
E. E. Lewis, a lawyer and journalist, arrived on April 4 and took statements from Margaret Fox, John Fox and other witnesses. A month later, he published these statements in a pamphlet entitled A Report of the Mysterious Noises Heard in the House of Mr. John D. Fox.
From the relative anonymity of the small village of Hydesville, Kate and Maggie became overnight celebrities, the focus of attention and notoriety that would pursue them all of their lives.
Although they had left the Spook’s Cottage to the paparazzi and the curious, the raps followed the girls wherever they went.
Leah Fish, the oldest sister, now 35 years old, arrived in Hydesville. Leah was a single parent. Having been abandoned by her husband soon after the birth of their daughter Lizzie, she was left to fend for herself and her child and she earned a living teaching piano lessons. Her reduced circumstances had force Leah to be shrewd where money was concerned.
The family thought that by separating the girls the raps and the fuss would finally cease. So Leah took Kate back with her to Rochester, while Maggie stayed behind at her brother David’s house.
Once at Leah’ s house, the raps became more vigorous, escalating to poltergeist activity. Alarmed Leah sought the advice of her old Quaker neighbour, Isaac Post, who suggested that they try to communicate with the spirit by setting up a code similar to Duesler’s of three raps for “yes” and one for “no” as they called the letters of the alphabet. Up to this point Charles Rosna was the sole communicator, but through this cumbersome method of raps and alphabet calling they were rewarded with a message that said: “We are all your dear friends and relatives”.
When Maggie joined them in Rochester, Leah immediately realized that there was much to be gained from her sisters’ spirit rapping talents and began to organize sittings or séances. Isaac and Amy Post attended the séances bringing their Quaker friends and relatives to hear the spirits. To the Quakers, who believed in the guidance of the Inner Light present in everyone, these spirit communications were yet another manifestation of the Inner Light.
In the late 18th century, Franz Anton Mesmer had introduced mesmerism or animal magnetism to the world. It consisted of the transference of magnetic fluids through magnetic passes from a mesmerist to another person to induce trance and healing. It eventually would lead to hypnotism. Mesmerism became all the rage during the 19th century. Isaac Post was a mesmerist and “magnetized” the girls before the séances, which seemed to improve spirit communication.
At the instigation of the spirits, Leah and Maggie gave a public demonstration at Corinthian Hall, Rochester, on November 14, 1849. Kate was considered too young to participate. To prove their genuineness, the sisters agreed to be put through some gruelling tests and undignified body searches. Despite these humiliations, the demonstration proved such a success, that Leah immediately saw an opportunity for moneymaking. Not being a strong medium herself, she started exploiting her sisters’ talents by charging for séances that became more and more impressive, especially when Kate was there. Apart from the raps, furniture moved by itself and instruments played by unseen hands floated about the room. Maggie and Kate, though charming, were simple country girls, unassuming and uneducated, all of which lent a semblance of authenticity to the séances.
Encouraged, Leah considered more profitable venues and they visited several towns where the “spirit rappers”, as the girls became known, demonstrated before large audiences. In 1850, the Fox girls visited New York City and stayed at Barnum’s Hotel, where Leah subjected them to an exhausting schedule of public and private séances from 10 in the morning until close to midnight. Maggie never forgot Leah’s taxing treatment and, years later, when both Kate and Maggie were down and out, she brought it up in her famous confession of 1880 when she declared that the “spirit rappers” had been fraudulent. But more about that later.
Spiritualism was contagious. As the Fox sisters travelled from town to town, they left behind a trail of newly discovered mediums. Genteel and humble parlours resounded to spirit raps and those engaged in Spiritualistic activities reached enormous numbers. By 1858, the estimated number of adherents was around two million – not only mediums and sympathizers, but also those who participating in séances and any one interested in the Spiritualism.
The enormous popularity of the movement was a phenomenon that arose from the rapid changing times of the mid 19th century. The industrial revolution had already resulted in significant economic changes; Darwin’s On The Origin of Species had gnawed at the very roots of Christianity; for many organized religion no longer answered the deeper questions of life.
From the States, Spiritualism spread quickly to Canada and England. No doubt, Elizabeth Ousterhout, the older Fox sister who had remained in Consecon, learned of the Hydesville events soon after they happened through family letters. Then Maggie and Kate visited Elizabeth in 1854 and 1858, conducting séances in Consecon, Bloomsfield and Belleville, all of which helped to fan the spread of Spiritualism in Canada.
In 1852, Mrs. Maria Hayden took Spiritualism to England. Robert Owen, the Welsh social reformer attended one of her séances and became convinced of the truth of Spiritualism. Almost 20 years later and now in the world of spirit, he inspired the essence of the Seven Principles of Spiritualism through the mediumship of Emma Harding Britten. Spiritualism took a firm hold in England, especially in Yorkshire, where the first Spiritualist association was established in Keighley in 1853.
The people attracted to Spiritualism came from all walks of life: royalty, upper, middle and working class. Royalty invited their favourite mediums. The upper and middle classes attended private séances, while the working class attended lectures and demonstrations in public halls, such as the Mechanics Institute. Amongst these were the scholarly, the illiterate, the curious, the philosophers, the bereaved, the freethinkers, the abolitionists, the women-rights advocates and the researchers.
It must also be remembered that Spiritualism was not a religion in those days and that followers of the movement remained Unitarian, Presbyterians, Catholics or whichever faith they belonged to. They saw Spiritualism as an enhancement to their religious beliefs. As Marcus Gunn, a Scottish merchant turned Canadian farmer, expressed in his diary, his Unitarian religion promised a reunion with loved ones in heaven, but Spiritualism made that heaven possible here on earth.
Spiritualism did not become a religion until after World War I for expediency reasons, namely in order to gain legitimacy and to ensure respect and status for its mediums.
As the 19th progressed, mediumship became more and more spectacular. From the spirit raps at Hydesville, mediums caused objects to move by themselves, created apports, caused spirit voices to speak through floating trumpets, levitated, spoke in trance, received automatic writing, materialized hands and culminating in 1860 with the first full-form materialization produced by Leah Underhill, nee Fox. From then on, any medium worth her salt was expected to produce full-form materializations. These unreal expectations lead to the proliferation of fraudulent mediumship that caused Spiritualism to lose credibility which it has never entirely regained.
Spiritualism flourished during the 19th century and into the 20th century, slowly declining after World War II.
But what of the Fox sisters, the founders of Spiritualism? They did not live happy lives. Elisha Kane, a famous Arctic explorer, became besotted with charming, beautiful Maggie who was 19 at the time. Kane came from a wealthy Philadelphia family. He courted Maggie in a conceited way, sending her mixed message that confused her. On the one hand, he would declare ardently to her how much he loved her and that he couldn’t live without her and then, and on the other hand he would let her know that she was ignorant and not good enough for him. Although Maggie ignored his advances, eventually she gave in. At Kane’s insistence, she stopped giving séances, attended school to be educated and groomed, and even became a Roman Catholic as a means of gaining respectability, although Kane himself was Presbyterian. Before embarking on his last expedition, Kane declared his love for Maggie before witnesses gave her a diamond ring, stating that she was now his wife. She never saw him again. Having suffered from poor health since childhood, Kane died during his travels in 1857. Maggie was heart broken. She approached Kane’s family for the inheritance that Kane had promised her, but they did not acknowledge the marriage. After threatening to publish Kane’s letters to her where he addressed her as his wife, the family agreed to small annuity, which they discontinued after a while. The tragic romance led to Maggie’s drinking and eventual alcoholism.
During the Civil War, Charles Livermore retained Kate as his personal medium and she was able to produce the full-form materialization of Livermore’s recently deceased wife Estelle. Prompted by spirit, she travelled to England in 1871. There she enjoyed the attention of psychic researchers and worked with the likes of Daniel Douglas Hume, the medium of European royalty, and other prominent mediums. Of the Fox sisters, Kate was by far the best medium. In 1872 she married Henry Jencken, a barrister who was also a Spiritualist. They had two sons. But Jencken died of a stroke nine years later, leaving Kate almost penniless. Deep in grief and worry, Kate began drinking. She returned to the States where she and Maggie resumed giving séances, interspersed with bouts of alcoholism, one leading to Kate being arrested.
Like child celebrities nowadays, the vast attention and fame they enjoy produces gaps in their development that can lead to alcohol and substance abuse. Maggie and Kate Fox were the child stars of Spiritualism. They remained emotionally immature, unable to cope with life’s challenges, and eventually paid the price. Leah on the other hand had done very well for herself. She married Calvin Brown who had been a friend of the family and, after his death, she married Daniel Underhill, a wealthy New York businessman. Now a respectable housewife, Leah gave séances only for family and friends.
Her sisters must have approached her many times for financial help. Relationships became strained and came to a breaking point when Leah had Kate’s children removed, declaring her an unfit mother. Maggie was furious and as a way of discrediting Leah, she decided to strike the “deathblow to Spiritualism”. On October 21, 1888, before an audience at the New York Academy of Music she confessed that she and her sisters had deceived the world by creating fraudulent raps and blamed Leah for abusing innocent children and manipulating them into duping the public. Maggie retracted her confession a year later, stating that she had done it out of anger at Leah and had also been paid to do it by people who wanted to discredit Spiritualism. However, the confession cast doubts on the genuineness of the Fox sister’s mediumship, although Kate, who was studied by the foremost English psychic researchers was never found to be fraudulent.
In any case, the deathblow did little to affect the Spiritualist movement, which by then had gained such momentum that nothing could have stopped it.
The sisters died in quick succession: Leah in November 1890, Kate in July 1892 and Maggie in March 1893. During their lifetimes, they witnessed Spiritualism evolve from its humble beginnings in the small Hydesville cottage to the royal palaces of Europe. The mediums that succeeded them over the years have brought comfort to the bereaved, hope to the despairing, healing to the ailing, and teachings to the seekers.
So we must remember, as we meet here today, that it all started long ago, on the night of March 31, 1848, when the spirit of Charles Rosna, a hapless peddler, managed to establish the first successful communication between two worlds with two young girls: Kate and Maggie Fox, the founders of Spiritualism.