Important Dates

Although the Fox sisters and the ‘Hydesville Rappings’ of 1848 are considered the ‘birth’ of Modern Spiritualism, there were prior to this date a few people who are considered to be early pioneers of the Spiritualist Movement. Amongst these early pioneers are Emanuel Swedenborg and Andrew Jackson Davis.

Swedenborg (1688-1772) was a scientist who through his trance Mediumship was able to ‘walk’ and communicate amongst spiritual beings. This discovery was significant as prior to Swedenborg; Mediums were thought to open themselves up to Spiritual beings, rather than actually existing amongst them, whilst being very much alive in the physical world.

Andrew Jackson Davis (1826-1910) was up until the age of 16 uneducated. His parents were poor and also uneducated. On March 7^th 1844, Davis wandered away from home in a ‘trance state’ where he encountered the spirits of Swedenborg and another called Galen. From this experience he became able to teach and publish a great deal of work, which was the result of his episodes of ‘Trance.’ He initiated Lyceum education and is known as the ‘Father’ of the lyceum movement.

1848 brought the ‘Hydesville Rappings’ to the attention of the American public and in 1849; Margaretta Fox at the Corinthian Hall in New York gave the first public demonstration.

Three years later in 1852, Mrs W R Hayden travelled from America and became the first Spiritualist Medium to work in Britain.

Born in Darlington in 1853, David Richmond was forced to leave his home in America by The Quakers and returned to Britain and opened the first Spiritualist church in Keighley, Yorkshire. By 1855, the first Spiritualist newspaper was published in Keighley and was called ‘The Yorkshire Spiritual telegraph.’

The latter part of the nineteenth century saw a rapid rise in the interest in Spiritualism and exponents were many.

By 1863 Andrew Jackson Davis had established the first Sunday Lyceum in New York and by 1865; attempts were made to form the ‘National Organisation of Spiritualists’ in Darlington.

In 1869, The Dialectical Society commissioned an investigation into Spiritualism and the report was favourable.

1871 heralded the ‘Principles of Spiritualism which were received by the Medium Emma Hardinge Britten from Robert Owen (in spirit).

 1872 saw another attempt to form a National Spiritualist Organisation. This didn’t happen at this stage but enough interest was shown so that people recognised the need for one and in Liverpool 1873, The British National Association of Spiritualists was formed.

Nine years later (1882) on 29^th February, Sir William Barrat founded the Society for Psychical Research.

In 1887, Emma Hardinge Britten launched a weekly newspaper called ‘Two Worlds’ and in 1889, the Principles of Spiritualism were published here. One year later, the National Spiritualists Federation was formed.

In 1901, the Spiritualist National Union Limited was founded (AKA the SNU). It had legal status and took over the assets and obligations of the Federation a year later. 1916 brought the Parliamentary campaign for the legal recognition of the Union and the Union’s President Ernest Oaten campaigned for the legal recognition of Spiritualism. By 1918, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stated his belief in Spiritualism.

During the 1920’s, it may be assumed that the endorsements and recognition of Spiritualism, were in the ascendancy and between 1931 and 1935 Arthur Findlay published his trilogy: “ On the edge of the Etheric” “ The Rock of Truth” and “The Unfolding Universe” Arthur also founded the weekly newspaper for Spiritualists which is still inexistence – ‘Psychic News’ along with Maurice Barbanell and J.M. Rubens in 1932.

By 1934, Ernest Oaten made an historic first broadcast on behalf of spiritualism on the BBC.

In 1937, The Church of England investigated Spiritualism and its findings were favourable. The report was meant to be suppressed, but it was leaked to ‘Psychic News.’ Two Years later, the Spiritualists National Union (SNU) began to appoint its first Ministers.

Sadly, 1944 brought the trial and conviction of the Medium Helen Duncan.

From 1948 –1950, The SNU and the British Spiritualist Lyceum Union united. In the following year, a celebration of 100 years of spiritualism took place at The Royal Albert Hall and a year later, The SNU was officially recognised as the Official Spiritualist body.

Of great significance to Mediums was the passing of ‘The Fraudulent Mediums Act’ in 1951. This enabled Spiritualists to legally practise their religion and took any legal association they had had, away from the Witchcraft Act 1735 and the Vagrancy Act 1824.

In 1954, the National Federation of Spiritual Healers was formed and ten years later, the Guild for Spiritualist Healers was formed. Also in this year was an act of parliament which legally recognised Spiritualism as a religion.

It was during 1964 that Stansted Hall was bequeathed to the SNU by Arthur Findlay and to this day is still the college for Psychic Science that he intended it to be. By 1966, the hall was named as ‘The Arthur Findlay College’ and opened in the September. Three years later ‘The league of Friends of Stansted Hall’ was inaugurated.

In 1972 the first National Conference of The guild of Spiritualist Healers took place at Stansted Hall. Two years earlier, Sheffield, Yorkshire, London, East Midlands, Northern and Southern Guilds had all been formed and their first meeting also took place at Stansted Hall.

During the 1970’s the SNU developed its administration – taking the Union forward. By 1990, the union celebrated its centenary on the 31^st March (Hydesville Day) at Wembley.

On 18^th January 1993, the respected medium Gordon Higginson and President of the SNU passed to Spirit.

A year later, The Guild of Spiritualist Healers amalgamated with the SNU.

On Hydesville Day 1998, leaders of major Spiritualist Organisations met at Stansted Hall to celebrate the sesquicentenary of the birth of modern Spiritualism. During this year, work began on the Pioneer centre and was completed in 1999.

Modern Spiritualism has made good progress since the days of the Fox sisters. It had become a recognised Religion, laws have been changed and The Arthur Findlay College has a busy year round programme of courses, which attract students from around the world.