'The Witch of World War II' The Strange Story of Helen Duncan

Summary

The video explores the controversial history of witchcraft in the UK, focusing on Helen Duncan, one of the last women convicted under the Witchcraft Act in the 20th century. Born in Scotland in 1897, Helen became known for her seances and claims of communicating with spirits. Her abilities, including producing ectoplasm, brought her fame but also legal troubles. Convicted during WWII for fraud, her trial highlighted societal fears and changing attitudes towards witchcraft. The case remains a subject of debate, with ongoing campaigns advocating for her pardon.

Takeaways

• 🧙‍♀️ Witchcraft in the UK has a controversial history, with many accused of witchcraft being innocent, particularly women.
• 💀 Helen Duncan, born in 1897 in Scotland, was one of the last women to be convicted under the Witchcraft Act.
• 🔮 Helen claimed to have psychic abilities from childhood, often hearing disembodied voices and making predictions.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Helen married Henry Duncan in 1919, and after a family tragedy, she began hosting seances and connecting with supposed spirits.
• 🧪 Helen became known for her practice of producing ectoplasm during seances, though it was later debunked as a fraudulent act using materials like cheesecloth and chemicals.
• 🚢 In 1941, Helen made an accurate prediction about the secret sinking of the HMS Barham, raising suspicions of espionage.
• 👮 In 1944, Helen was arrested under the Witchcraft Act of 1735 for fraudulent spiritual activity, causing significant public and media attention.
• ⚖️ Despite public outcry, Helen was sentenced to nine months in prison, and her appeal was rejected despite testimony supporting her mediumship.
• 📜 Helen’s trial led to broader legal reforms, including the repeal of the Witchcraft Act and its replacement with the Fraudulent Mediums Act in 1951.
• 🏛️ While some view Helen as a fraudulent medium, others believe she brought comfort to grieving families, and there has been ongoing debate over whether she deserves a posthumous pardon.

Q & A

Who was Helen Duncan, and what made her famous?

Helen Duncan was a Scottish medium known for her séances and claims of contacting the dead. She became famous for her alleged psychic powers, particularly during World War II, and for being one of the last people convicted under the UK Witchcraft Act of 1735.

What early experiences did Helen Duncan have that suggested she had psychic abilities?

As a child, Helen was known for hearing disembodied voices, receiving warnings about friends and loved ones, and experiencing strange events like completing tests while seemingly unconscious. These incidents contributed to her reputation as a psychic.

What was the controversy surrounding Helen Duncan's séances during World War II?

Helen Duncan claimed to have received detailed information about the sinking of the HMS Barham, a naval disaster that was classified at the time. This raised suspicions that she might have obtained the information through espionage, not supernatural means.

What was ectoplasm, and how did Helen Duncan use it during her séances?

Ectoplasm was a substance that Duncan and other mediums claimed emanated from their bodies during trance states, forming ghostly figures. However, later investigations revealed ectoplasm was faked using materials like cheesecloth, egg whites, and chemicals.

Why was Helen Duncan arrested in 1944, and what was the outcome of her trial?

Helen Duncan was arrested and charged under the Witchcraft Act of 1735 for fraudulent spiritual activity. She was found guilty and sentenced to nine months in prison, despite public controversy and criticism from figures like Winston Churchill.

How did the public and authorities react to Helen Duncan's conviction under the Witchcraft Act?

The public and media were outraged, with many criticizing the use of an outdated law to prosecute Duncan. Winston Churchill himself described the charges as obsolete and a waste of resources, reflecting the changing attitudes towards superstition and witchcraft.

What impact did Helen Duncan's trial have on the Witchcraft Act in the UK?

Helen Duncan’s trial highlighted the outdated nature of the Witchcraft Act, leading to its repeal in 1951 and replacement with the Fraudulent Mediums Act, reflecting a shift towards more rational and secular views on spiritual practices.

Did Helen Duncan face further legal issues after her release from prison?

Yes, despite promising not to hold séances again, Helen Duncan was arrested in 1956 for conducting another séance. However, by then the Witchcraft Act had been repealed, and she was not charged under that law.

How did Helen Duncan's supporters view her, and what are their ongoing efforts regarding her legacy?

Helen Duncan's supporters believe she was a genuine medium and that her conviction was unjust. They have campaigned for an apology rather than a pardon, seeking recognition that she provided comfort to grieving families, especially during the war.

What are the arguments both for and against Helen Duncan's psychic abilities?

Supporters argue that her séances provided closure and comfort to grieving families, and point to cases like the HMS Barham as evidence of her psychic abilities. Critics argue she exploited vulnerable people, using tricks like ectoplasm to deceive them, and that any secret information she revealed could have been obtained through non-supernatural means.

Outlines

00:00

🧙‍♀️ The Controversial History of Witches in the UK

This paragraph introduces the controversial history of witches in the UK, discussing the harsh punishments suffered by many, especially women, who were accused of witchcraft. Despite being mostly innocent, many faced death. It highlights how the UK shifted to a more secular society in recent times, with changing beliefs about witchcraft. The story then transitions to one of the last women convicted under the Witchcraft Act, Helen Duncan, in the mid-20th century.

05:01

👶 Helen Duncan’s Early Life and Paranormal Beginnings

Helen Duncan, born in 1897 in Scotland, came from a working-class family. As a child, she was known for her tomboyish behavior and sinister predictions, showing signs of paranormal abilities such as hearing disembodied voices and receiving warnings. Despite her Presbyterian mother’s disapproval, Helen continued developing her psychic abilities. She later worked in a mill and as a nurse after recovering from tuberculosis. Helen married Henry Duncan in 1919, but tragedy struck when their third child died, leaving the couple devastated.

10:03

👻 Helen Duncan’s Journey as a Medium

Helen began hosting séances and developed her supposed powers, attracting attention from paranormal communities. These sessions included physical manifestations and advice from spirit guides like Dr. Williams and Donald. Her abilities brought her to the attention of the London Psychic Centre, where she was certified as a medium. However, Helen was accused of fraud in 1933 after being caught with suspicious materials during a séance. The resulting trial only heightened demand for her services.

15:05

🧪 Ectoplasm Phenomenon and Wartime Predictions

One of Helen's most famous and controversial practices was the production of ectoplasm during her séances, a substance claimed to manifest spirits. Despite being later debunked as cheesecloth and chemicals, Helen’s séances attracted many grief-stricken clients, particularly during World War II. In 1941, Helen allegedly predicted the sinking of the HMS Barham, a naval disaster kept secret at the time, causing the British Navy to suspect espionage. This prediction led to her being monitored by authorities.

⚖️ Helen Duncan's Legal Battle Under the Witchcraft Act

In 1944, Helen Duncan was arrested during a séance and charged under the centuries-old Witchcraft Act of 1735 for fraudulent spiritual activity. The Witchcraft Act, which had once punished people for dealing with malevolent forces, had evolved to punish fraudulent claims of magical powers. Despite offering to demonstrate her abilities in court, Helen was convicted and sentenced to nine months in prison. Winston Churchill himself criticized the trial as a waste of resources, reflecting the shifting societal views on witchcraft and superstition.

🏛️ Aftermath and Legacy of Helen Duncan's Trial

Though Helen was released from prison in 1945, she continued to hold séances, which led to further arrests. By 1951, the Witchcraft Act had been replaced by the Fraudulent Mediums Act, reflecting the growing secularism of British society. Helen’s supporters believe she was wrongly convicted, with some continuing to campaign for her pardon. Her death in 1956 during a séance remains controversial, with claims of ectoplasm violently receding into her body after police interrupted. Today, her legacy remains divisive, with some viewing her as a fraudulent medium, while others believe she brought comfort to grieving families.

Keywords

💡Witchcraft Act

The Witchcraft Act was a series of laws in the UK that regulated accusations and punishments for witchcraft. It was originally enacted in 1563 to criminalize the practice of witchcraft and later revised in 1735 to prohibit claiming to have magical powers. The 1735 version is significant in the video as it was used to convict Helen Duncan in the 20th century for fraudulent witchcraft, highlighting how outdated laws were still being enforced even in modern times.

💡Helen Duncan

Helen Duncan, born Victoria Helen McCrae McFarland, was a Scottish medium who became one of the last people to be convicted under the Witchcraft Act of 1735. The video discusses her life, her alleged abilities as a medium, and her legal troubles, including a high-profile trial during World War II. Duncan’s story is used to illustrate how the perception of witchcraft and spiritualism evolved in the UK during the 20th century.

💡Ectoplasm

Ectoplasm is a term used in spiritualism to describe a supernatural substance that is supposedly produced by mediums during séances. Helen Duncan was known for producing ectoplasm during her sessions, which was later revealed to be faked using materials like cheesecloth and egg whites. The video uses this phenomenon to explore how people’s desperation and grief made them susceptible to believing in such manifestations.

💡Séance

A séance is a meeting or gathering of people who attempt to communicate with the spirits of the dead. In the video, Helen Duncan is depicted hosting séances where she would allegedly channel spirits, sometimes producing ectoplasm. These séances brought her to the attention of authorities and led to her eventual conviction under the Witchcraft Act.

💡HMS Barham

The HMS Barham was a British battleship that was sunk during World War II. Helen Duncan reportedly revealed details of its sinking during a séance, even though the event was classified information due to wartime censorship. This incident raised suspicions that she might have obtained the information through espionage, not supernatural means, which led to her being targeted by the British authorities.

💡Spiritualism

Spiritualism is a belief system centered around the idea that it is possible to communicate with the spirits of the dead. The video discusses how Helen Duncan was part of the broader spiritualist movement in the UK, which gained popularity in the early 20th century. Spiritualism's influence on society and its conflict with established norms and laws form a central theme in the narrative.

💡Fraudulent Medium

A fraudulent medium is someone who falsely claims to have supernatural abilities to communicate with spirits for personal gain. Helen Duncan was accused of being a fraudulent medium, as many of her practices, such as producing ectoplasm, were later proven to be deceptive. This term is crucial in understanding the charges against Duncan and the skepticism surrounding her activities.

💡World War II

World War II serves as an important historical backdrop in the video. It is mentioned in relation to Helen Duncan’s séances, as many of her clients were families of soldiers who had died in the war. The sensitive nature of wartime information, such as the sinking of the HMS Barham, also contributed to the heightened scrutiny of Duncan’s activities by the authorities.

💡Legal Reform

Legal reform refers to the changes in the UK’s laws regarding witchcraft and fraudulent mediums. The video discusses how the Witchcraft Act of 1735 was eventually repealed and replaced with the Fraudulent Mediums Act of 1951, reflecting changing attitudes towards superstition and spirituality. This shift highlights the transition from a society influenced by religious beliefs to one guided by rational legal frameworks.

💡Persecution of Women

The persecution of women is a recurring theme in the video, as the history of witchcraft accusations often disproportionately targeted women. Helen Duncan’s story is framed within this context, showing how she, like many women before her, faced legal and social persecution for alleged supernatural practices. The video suggests that her case was part of a long history of societal biases against women accused of witchcraft.

Highlights

The history of witchcraft in the UK is controversial, with many accused of witchcraft being innocent, yet still facing harsh punishments and even death.

Helen Duncan, born in Scotland in 1897, came from a working-class family and showed early signs of supernatural abilities, earning her the nickname 'Hellish Nell.'

As a child, Helen Duncan exhibited strange behaviors, including hearing disembodied voices and predicting events, which caused tension with her devout Presbyterian mother.

After marrying Henry Duncan, a World War I veteran, Helen turned to hosting séances and became involved in spiritualism, claiming to connect with spirits and manifest ectoplasm.

Helen Duncan gained attention for her mediumship, leading to an invitation from the London Psychic Center and a certification as a medium after undergoing tests.

In 1933, Duncan was charged with fraud after being accused of trying to fake a paranormal manifestation using material hidden under her clothes.

During World War II, Duncan reportedly made accurate statements about the sinking of the HMS Barham, a British battleship, which brought her under suspicion from the British Navy.

Helen Duncan's psychic prediction about the HMS Barham raised concerns about possible espionage, leading to further investigations into her practices.

In 1944, Duncan was arrested during a séance and charged under the 1735 Witchcraft Act for fraudulent spiritual activity, marking one of the last uses of this law.

Her trial attracted significant public and media attention, with some believing her imprisonment was politically motivated due to her wartime predictions.

Winston Churchill criticized Duncan's trial, calling it a waste of resources and describing the Witchcraft Act as outdated and obsolete.

After her release in 1945, Duncan continued to host séances, despite promising to stop, leading to another arrest in 1956 under the new Fraudulent Mediums Act.

Helen Duncan died in 1956, with her supporters claiming that her death was caused by ectoplasm violently receding into her body after being disturbed by the police.

The Witchcraft Act of 1735 was eventually repealed and replaced by the Fraudulent Mediums Act of 1951, reflecting changing societal views on superstition and the supernatural.

Despite her controversial legacy, Duncan is still remembered as a famous medium, with ongoing debates about whether her abilities were real or fraudulent.

Transcripts

whether you believe that witchcraft is

real or not the history of witches in

the UK is very controversial it has

become common knowledge that many people

accused of Witchcraft most of them women

were in fact innocent though this still

didn't save many from suffering harsh

punishments and even

death overall the UK has witnessed a

gradual shift towards a more secular

society over the past last century and

beliefs related to Witchcraft have

changed

drastically there are many fascinating

and often questionable stories about

witches in the Middle Ages but not so

many people know the story of one of the

last women to be convicted under the

Witchcraft Act in the middle of the 20th

century this is the story of Helen

Duncan

Helen Duncan was born Victoria Helen

McCrae McFarland in calendar perire

Scotland on November the 25th

1897 she came from a working class

family and was one of eight children of

Builder and Slater Aral McFarland and

his wife Isabella as a small child Helen

earned the nickname hellish Nell for her

tomboyish way of behaving her occasional

hysterical outbursts and Sinister

predictions indeed her youth is filled

with stories of strange events from her

hearing disembodied voices receiving

warnings about friends and loved ones

and seemingly passing out while sitting

a test in school only to come around to

find her work finished and all questions

answered

correctly all this much to the shagrin

of her devoutly Presbyterian mother as a

teenager Helen started working in Dundee

First in a jut Mill and later as a nurse

she had decided to turn her hand to

nursing after suffering a bout of

tuberculosis after receiving care and a

sanatorium she felt that her future lay

with caring for others she would

eventually meet with first world war

veteran Henry Duncan after he was sent

home from the Army after suffering

romatic Beaver there are claims that

each had seen a vision of the other

before they had met with Helen stating

she was told he would be the man she

marries on May 27th

1919 that is exactly what happened Henry

then began working for a cabinet maker

and while not without their struggles

life seemed to be going well but as is

often the case tragedy was lurking

around the corner

at just 13 months old the couple's third

child Henrietta sadly died of

pneumonia this sent both parents into a

deep depression eventually resulting in

Henry suffering a heart attack

thankfully he survived but was left too

weak to work this heaped pressure on

Helen who had to juggle working in a

bleach Factory while caring for her

husband and growing family as the years

past she had not neglected her supposed

powers and was now hosting weekly

meetings and seances with friends and

others who claim to have paranormal

capabilities each sitting would start

with the group saying a prayer or

reading from the Bible after a previous

attempt to summon Spirits apparently led

to a fireplace being destroyed when a

not so friendly Spirit came through

often during these sances it's claimed

that the spirit of Dr Williams would

instruct Helen and her husband on ways

to improve her connection with the

spirit world these included fastening a

curtain across one corner of the room

and using a red light and trumpet to

increase the volume of the spirit's

voice and help in producing physical

manifestations eventually Dr Williams

was replaced by another Spirit Donald

who instructed those present to begin

inviting others to the

meetings as word of Helen's sances grew

she quickly came to the attention of the

London psychic Center home of the

psychic Union after undergoing a series

of tests she was awarded a diploma and

as a newly certified medium she visited

many of the Union's churches up and down

the

country it was during this period that

Helen had her first brush with the law

when she was charged with fraud after a

woman apparently caught her trying to

hide a bowl of material under her

clothes she believed this would then be

used to produce a supposed

manifestation her trial began in

Edinburgh on May the 3rd

1933 and lasted several days while some

sources state that it eventually ended

in a verdict of not proven with Helen

simply being fined £10 for swearing

newspapers from the time state that she

was in fact found guilty of fraud with

the fine being in place of spending a

week in prison whatever the verdict may

have been the news coverage only served

to grow the demand for hell and services

the second world war brought many visits

from anxious relatives especially those

who had lost close family during the

conflict one phenomenon or trick

depending on your point interview that

Helen was famous for was producing

ectoplasm this very curious and shocking

practice took place during her medium

sessions Duncan would enter a trans-like

state and it was claimed a paranormal

substance known as ectoplasm would

emanate from her body often from her

mouth or

nose these expulsions would often form

figures sometimes even with faces though

she was a major proponent of the

practice Duncan wasn't the only medium

that displayed this bizarre Talent quote

in the early 20th century spiritualist

photography took a curious turn suddenly

mediums were photographed grappling with

strange fibrous materials that emerged

from their mouths noses and ears or

Twisted out from Corners like ring

tentacles

unquote the practice was eventually

proven to be faked with people managing

to take Snippets of the material to be

tested in laboratory

analysis there it was revealed as being

created using a mixture of cheesecloth

egg whites and various chemicals to fake

the appearance of a supposed ethereal

being these tricks and practices may all

seem very silly looking back at the

photographs from that time but remember

that this was happening nearly 100 years

ago and her clients were often grief

stricken people who were so affected by

the death of a loved one that they

simply did not

care sometimes needing to cope with the

loss will make you do things you

wouldn't normally do and believe people

who may not be trustworthy

while the ectoplasm phenomenon may be

easily dismissed one of Helen's psychic

predictions proved more difficult to

discredit in fact the details of her

pressage were so specific and involved

something so secret that it would bring

her practices to the attention of the

British Navy in November 1941 Helen

Duncan held a seance in Portsmouth

England where she reported made several

accurate statements regarding a naval

disaster the sinking of the HMS baram a

British Battleship was Top Secret at the

time due to wartime

censorship however Duncan apparently

described the sinking in detail

including the fact that the ship had

been hit by three Torpedoes before it

exploded these details were apparently

passed to her from a sailor who had died

in the attack whose mother was present

during the

Seance in the book The Two Worlds of

Helen Duncan written in part by one of

Helen's daughters it stated that the

mother of the Sailor confronted Naval

authorities who then began looking into

Helen's practices it's believed that

they were concerned that Duncan might

have obtained classified information

through Espionage rather than through

Supernatural means during another Sals

in

1944 two naval officers were in

attendance when Helen stated that a

figure claimed to be one of the officers

Lieutenant Worth's dead Aunt another

claimed to be his deceased sister but he

had no dead aunt or sister and was

disgusted by what he had seen and heard

worth then reported the events to the

police on January 19th 1944 Helen Duncan

was arrested and initially charged under

the vagrancy act but this would later be

changed to a charge of fraudulent

spiritual activity under the Witchcraft

Act of

1735 between the 16th and 18th centuries

in Scotland the public and rulers of

those times such as King James the 6

became increasingly concerned about

magical practices and people people

dealing with malevolent forces the

Witchcraft Act of

1563 made witchcraft practices or even

Consulting with so-called witches

punishable as capital

offenses this had a strong impact on

Society for the next couple of centuries

many people took advantage of this law

for their own gain it was estimated that

nearly 4,000 people were tried for which

during this time with some 2,500 of them

being executed between 1563 and

1727 the majority of those who were

killed over 80% were women and most

likely innocent in 1735 a new Witchcraft

Act was passed which made it a crime to

claim a person had magical powers or

were guilty of practicing

witchcraft this was an complete reversal

of the 1563 act and reflected a wider

move away from Witch Trials and

executions the last execution for

witchcraft having taken place just a few

years earlier in

17727 so in actuality Helen Duncan

wasn't charged with being a witch but

with claiming to have magical powers

fraudulent witchcraft

this detail did nothing to quell the

public and media outrage that would

ensue the UK like much of the rest of

the world had witnessed many shocking

and tragic occurrences during the war

and now the mension of Witchcraft was

thrown into the

mixer despite the public outcry and

Duncan offering to demonstrate her

supposed abilities to the court on April

the 3rd

1944 she was found guilty of

contravening the Witchcraft Act of

1735 and sentenced to 9 months in prison

after the verdict was read she cried out

I didn't do anything oh God is there a

god while it's believed that her trial

and imprisonment Were Somehow

orchestrated by the government and or

military who feared she could reveal

more secrets days after the trial when

Churchill wrote a letter to the Home

Secretary stating he believed that the

whole debacle had been a waste of

resources he went on to describe the

charges as obsolete Tom fery despite

this Helen Duncan would not be the last

to stand trial under the Witchcraft Act

later that same year in September of

1944 a 72-year-old woman named Jane York

from Forest Gate East East London was

charged under the same act she faced

seven counts of pretending to conjure up

spirits of the Dead her punishment was

simply to pay5 and be of good behavior

for three years as for Helen though in

appeal saw nearly 40 Witnesses testify

that what they saw at the seances had

convinced them of life after death it

was ultimately rejected and she would

serve out her entire sentence being

released in

1945 though she promised never to hold a

sance again she was arrested for doing

so in

1956 there would be no threat of a

second trial under the Witchcraft Act as

it's theorized in no small part due to

the negative reaction to her initial

trial the ACT had since been repealed

and replaced with the fraudulent mediums

Act of

1951 the rep of this Witchcraft Act was

part of broader legal reforms and

reflected changing attitudes towards

Superstition and belief in the

Supernatural this did not of course mean

there was a definitive end to beliefs in

witchcraft or ult practices but it did

Mark a significant shift in how these

beliefs were viewed in the

law it was a recognition of the

increasing secularization of society and

a moved towards more rationalistic

approaches to Law And Justice as she

awaited charges under this new law Helen

Duncan passed away on December the 6th

1956 her supporters claim this was due

to ectoplasm violently receding into her

body after the police knocking at the

door Disturbed her while she was in a

trance Helen's Legacy is a complex one

that still causes dis discussion and

controversy to this day the spiritualist

is still used as an example of a famous

fraudulent medium however there are also

still some people who believe that her

powers were

real whichever side of the debate you

land on it does seem like her Services

did relieve some anxiety and bring a

form of closure to a number of people

who lost members of their family in the

war in an age where treating mental

health was uncommon she managed to bring

them a kind of Peace however many would

still say that she actually took

advantage of those who were in mourning

and gave false hope to people who wanted

proof that there was something tangible

out there after death a bust created in

her honor was presented to her hometown

of kalender in Scotland but backlash

from those with strong religious views

who objected to its public display LED

to it being moved to a museum in nearby

Sterling despite her detractors there

has been an ongoing campaign to Pardon

Helen in 2008 the Scottish Parliament

rejected a petition for this to happen

there were controversies around the

reasons for which she was convicted with

people saying that the reasons were

mostly political

a website set up by the Helen Duncan

Foundation part of the international

Society for scientific mediumship and

parapsychological investigation States

they don't want a pardon instead they

want those who they believe wrongly

convicted her to apologize and admit she

was a remarkable medium who served the

people but what do you believe do you

think that it's possible for people to

converse with the dead I mean how could

she have known about the sinking of the

HMS

Barum several answers to the latter

question have been posited over the

years one theory states that while the

sinking wasn't public knowledge many

family members received letters of

condolence asking them to keep the

sinking secret until the official

announcement others point to a professor

who had been told about the sing and

believed it had already been revealed to

the public whatever you stand on the

controversial issue of

mediumship the case of Helen Duncan is a

notable chapter in Britain's legal

history and again shines a light on how

primarily women have faced persecution

over the years for being witches and for

not being witches

thank you for watching right then take

care and I'll see you next time with

another story to make you say well I

never

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