'The Witch of World War II' The Strange Story of Helen Duncan
Summary
TLDRThe 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
🧙♀️ 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.
👶 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.
👻 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.
🧪 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Witchcraft Act
💡Helen Duncan
💡Ectoplasm
💡Séance
💡HMS Barham
💡Spiritualism
💡Fraudulent Medium
💡World War II
💡Legal Reform
💡Persecution of Women
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
[Music]
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