Helen Duncan

Spiritualist claim the presiding judge converted to Spiritualism and became a regular attendee of Helen’s séances. The medical testimony convinced him that she was legitimate. The problem was the law. In the eyes of the law, a real séance was illegal as was a fake séance. This first trial of Helen’s brought national attention to the unfair laws dealing with Spiritualism and the right for people to worship and believe in deity as they choose. For the next several years repeals of the law were discussed repeatedly. It would take a different trial to see its repeal.

The War Secrets Exposed The trial, while finding Helen Duncan guilty did much to call attention to her, gaining her more support and public notoriety. She continued her séances, which included traveling to Portsmouth to carry out séances. During one séance in Portsmouth during the end of November of 1941, Helen Duncan is said to have materialized a sailor from the HMS Barham who told of his ship being sunk. The sailor was wearing a hat with the name of the ship on the hatband, a practice not done by active duty sailors to prevent the name of their ship being revealed if they were captured. Again it would have been impossible for Helen to have had this cap in advance of the séance. The sailor allegedly gave the name, location and time of the HMS Barham sinking as well as the exact number of dead and several of the names of those killed. According to various versions of the story which have now grown to legend status, a member of the Royal Navy attended this séance.

He returned to the office and was informed that the Barham had NOT been sunk. It was much later that he learned the truth. Due to other matters, the English government kept the sinking a secret for some time. Helen Duncan had given the information out publicly, perhaps unwittingly, before the Navy had received it. She was subsequently accused of being a German spy at her second trial. It was suggested by officials she had a short-wave radio in the house and learned of the sinking from the U-Boat commander, an accusation later disproved. It seems poor Helen was dammed if she did and dammed if she didn’t! She was involved with some sort of accusation and violation of the government’s “wartime secrets act,” at one point-but the details are sketchy, although the exact nature of what they accused her of doing and the official outcome of that investigation is still classified under English law, and as far as I know, is still to be released, which clearly doesn’t help! The head of Military Intelligence in Scotland confirmed Helen’s Psychic ability and confirmed public accounts in 1959 when he wrote: “Mrs. Helen Duncan is somewhat of a dangerous person.

Scotland Yard did consult on her, and as to how Mrs. Duncan could be prevented from giving this information out, her information it seems was authentic.” There is a great mix of fact and fiction now surrounding Helen, due to the fact that the records are sealed. The British government has been sealing military secrets for 100 years, but some are now sealed for 150 years, thus the facts of Helen’s 1941 charges are shrouded in mystery. Brigadier Firebrace, attended a séance in Edinburgh during May of 1941. This levelheaded officer described how Mrs. Duncan’s ghostly controller (Her guide), Albert, materialized claiming that a great British battleship had just been sunk, some accounts of the séance claim that Helen named the ship.

Brigadier Firebrace checked with the Admiralty immediately after the séance. He was told no ship had been sunk. Firebrace returned to his home. Two hours later, he received word that H.M.S. Hood had gone down in the North Atlantic, sunk by Hitler’s Bismarck with the loss of 1,418 lives. He also established that, at the time of the séance, not even the Admiralty had known of the disaster. ‘From the point of view of the authorities,’ said Firebrace, ‘Mrs. Duncan was a dangerous person.’ During the trial in 1944 reference was made several times to Helen’s previous arrest and trial in Edinburgh as well as the violation of the War Secrets Act at Portsmouth in 1941. No details were discussed on the trial record or publicly as those documents were sealed. They are believed to be covered still by the official secrets act. Helen’s attorney in 1941 never denied she was prosecuted during 1941, so it is a proven fact that something did happen to Helen at this time, at the hands of the British Government. There has been no record of her serving any time in jail for any crime in this period but she was known to have ‘disappeared’ for many weeks shortly after. Never revealing what had occurred during this missing time. It is believed that Firebrace, upon learning that Helen had revealed classified information about the Braham sinking, gave the order to arrest her, or at least arrange meetings with her to investigate if there was any way she could have learned the truth. She was accused again of having a short wave radio and being in contact with the Germans, which was later proved to be a false allegation. The Navy could not understand how she had the information before they had the details.

The actual facts of the case remain sealed and may never be known to the public. Had it not been for the 1944 trial, it may never have been confirmed publicly that she was investigated- but the records are sealed so the trail goes cold one this issue at this time. From all indications, Firebrace ordered Military Intelligence to spy on Helen. It appears that they spent several years following her, attending her séances and reporting back to superiors. Throughout the war, Helen delivered notices about the health or death of loved ones in séances. She clearly saw no harm in telling loved ones what she believed to be ‘Truth’ One of the most dramatic stories was the woman who was told her husband had been shot down in his plane and was dead, but was still alive and yet was dead. A very muddled and strange message at best. The man had been shot down and presumed dead. The woman received a death notice a few days after the séance. Then the French underground had rescued the man, but he was in poor health, again she was notified of this development. Before they could return him to England he died, thus he was dead yet again, sadly fulfilling Helen’s confusing yet accurate prophecy.

Another séance in Portsmouth was even more interesting and disturbing. January 19, 1944, Helen was arrested at this séance. She was first accused of violating the “Vagrancy Act of 1824,” for pretending to contact the dead. The first problem arose when it was learned that the Home Secretary had ordered the police not to enforce this act against Spiritualist during the war. Helen’s case was then moved for some strange reason to London where she was no longer charged with the vagrancy violation but now with violating the “Witchcraft Act of 1735.” It was also strange and disturbing that this arrest was arranged in advance by a Lieutenant Worth of the Royal Navy who sought out the police to arrest her in a carefully planned raid. Worth even claimed he had grabbed the ectoplasm which he had seen being as large as a bed sheet, but when he grabbed it, it was smaller than a man’s handkerchief.

It was placed in a box, yet it vanished before he could turn it over to the police. No one has ever been able to explain why the Navy wanted Helen arrested that night. Several reports have surfaced leading many researchers to believe it was fear she would reveal the plans for the Normandy invasion inadvertently. Following a week long trial, Helen was found guilty. The jury spending less than thirty minutes considering the facts of the case found Helen Guilty. Helen served eight months in prison for the crime of summoning spirits at least that is one interpretation of the appeal’s transcripts. This incident began with Worth visiting the Portsmouth police asking that Helen be arrested for her Psychic/Paranormal gifts. Under the current law, this would be a vagrancy violation, which the Home Secretary had instructed locals not to enforce during the wartime for a variety of reasons, including the cost and time involved in prosecuting such a trivial matter. Worth insisted and helped in the arrest.

The police arrived at one of Helen’s Séances. Cross revealed his box of ectoplasm to them, only to find it was an empty box. The police sent for a police matron, who strip searched Helen. Again, nothing was found on or in Helen’s body. Every person in the room demanded to be strip searched as well to prove there was nothing phony about neither the ectoplasm nor Helen’s Psychic Mediumship or Psychic ability. The police found nothing. They searched the room in minutia. There have been several versions of the Worth and Cross story recounted by those who attended the séance. Here is where the story is again mixed with folklore and mystery. The local police were set to file charges of vagrancy against Helen. If found guilty she would have paid a small fine or perhaps spend as much as 30 days in jail. Worth became upset about this. According to some, the local police then dropped the charges against Helen. Worth then appeared with a copy of the Witchcraft Act of 1735.

He noted that sections 3 and 4 allowed any person who may “pretend to exercise or use any kind of witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment or conjuration,’ shall be liable on conviction to a year’s imprisonment” He insisted that charges be refilled against Helen using this statue. She was re-arrested and so charged. For some unknown reason the trial, which should have been held in Portsmouth was moved to London. The trial was a show trial and media circus. Even Winston Churchill, then Prime Minster made his outrage over the trial well-known when he wrote: “Give me a report of the 1735 Witchcraft Act.

What was the cost of a trial to the State in which the Recorder was kept busy with all this obsolete tomfoolery to the detriment of the necessary work in the courts?” Following a week of witnesses, the jury deliberated 30 minutes on a Friday afternoon and found her guilty. Many speculate the reason for the brief deliberation was they were being held sequestered in London during bombing raids by the Germans. Had they discussed the case longer, they would have been required to spend the week-end in a hotel that was being bombed nightly. Thus it was safer and quicker to find Helen guilty and leave quickly London as quickly as possible. Helen was released from prison on September 22, 1944.

Many people feel that Brigadier Firebrace had feared Helen would accidentally reveal messages about the planned D-Day invasion of Normandy. The only way to be certain she was kept silent was to lock her away. During her time in prison, according to several witnesses including some former guards, Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother visited her. She gave messages from inside the prison. After her release, she rested for a short period of time, and returned to séances full time.

She also returned to providing for the care of her neighbors needing help, support and money. November 10, 1956, Helen held her last séance. It occurred in Nottingham. Although the laws had been changed and it was no longer illegal to conduct séances, the police chose to arrest her again. Upon arrival at the local jail a doctor was summoned who found electrical burns on her stomach. She was taken to the local hospital and eventually sent home to die. She died in part due to the actions of the police that night at least that is the view of many researchers and supporters.

Five weeks after that last arrest, Helen died, just two days after being released by the hospital. No satisfactory reason has ever been produced that explains the ‘Electrical Burns’ alleged to have been found on Helen Duncan’s Stomach. What did happen to poor Helen-what were these burns that eventually hastened her passing caused by? Many books and papers have revealed and proven many facts about what happened to poor Helen Duncan.

There are many more, yet to be released and made easily accessible in the public domain that would help get nearer to the ‘Truth’ Attempts are still being made posthumously to try to clear Helen Duncan’s name by her family and supporters. Although most ancient outdated witchcraft laws have been repealed, they were replaced by the -

(1) Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951.

This law prevents any Medium or Psychic legally predicting anyone’s passing amongst other things. So one might argue that even today, Psychics and Mediums are not entirely allowed the same religious freedom as other deity worshippers or religions are afforded in the UK.

More recently, calls have been made to pardon Helen Duncan who dies at the age of only 56 after yet another Police raid on her home. The call has been rejected by the Criminal Cases Review as they stated that ‘To Pardon Helen Duncan, would not be in the public interest!  You can read an article HERE from the DailyMail to find out more.

Lies in wartime” by A. Ponsonby

H.M.Prison records containing Helen’s records.

Spiritualist association documents Soviet war records.

Russian G.R.U. archives Crown Prosecution service withheld files section.

Wartime court records Sir Anthony Blunt/Queen mother statements held in Moscow

J.I.C and M. I.5 documentation held in Dzerzhinsky offices

The Churchill papers (unedited)

Last Witch

Helen Duncan, Psychic Medium.
The Last Witch One of the best documented cases in the history of documented paranormal events and personalities, and the one which still excites public intrigue, is the British government’s harassment and imprisonment of Helen Duncan, Scottish Psychic and Medium. She has been dubbed, the last witch.

Helen Duncan has been mistakenly and inaccurately labled in the media as the last witch because hers was the last witch trial in England and really not so very long ago either! As with so many cases of this nature, her life story is now mixed with fact, fiction and legend. She was never a witch nor was she ever associated with Witchcraft she was allegedly a Christian and a spectacularly good medium as far as anyone can surmise!

There are several key events in Helen’s mystery that need to be understood, as each are as important events in this scandal, as well as in the history of personal freedom and of the religious freedom in the UK today. It is now quite amazing to think that religious freedom is afforded to many of us, although the US government recently denied a soldier the right to be buried in a military cemetery, and have a pentangle marked on his grave. (They accept the symbol for anarchy for atheist, Jewish, Muslim and just about any other belief systems symbols, but not anything deemed as a pagan or Wiccan symbol!

However, Pagans and Wiccans are more than welcome to sign up and perhaps even be killed in the service of their country!)

Helen Duncan was tried in the courts for being a medium on three separate occasions that we know of, and she died while yet another court proceeding was pending. Many believe the last arrest and her mistreatment caused her mysterious death. In wartime, psychics were employed as dowsers over maps (Much like todays Remote Viewers) and to astral project over strategic sites, Astrologers over the best times for an attack, and mediums for contacting the dead for information, some of these like, the top celebrity palmist of the day were paid in cases of wine to keep their names off payrolls thus, allowing the government to easily hide their occult dabbling. The chief of wartime naval intelligence, Barry Domville was documented to have spilt the Beans on the use of psychics in wartime on many an occasion.

Churchill was known to joke very publicly about his Intuition regarding the war and events, and he was heard to remark, but not explain-that he had a secret weapon that helped him .A team of Psychics perhaps? The use of psychics during wartime, is no longer a mere musing, there is ample evidence now in the public domain to prove this fact beyond doubt and is no longer considered a fictitious event. It is believed it was Helen Duncan’s refusal to be part of the Churchill/Lord Dowding’s psychic group that prompted the prosecution of Helen Duncan, but it came to light just twenty years ago, that she had in fact innocently advised the British governments occult experts, know as the black team and was mentioned by Louis De Who who led the Astrological section, and occult researcher Dennis Wheatley, who also spoke of the government, secretly looking into some of the most respected mediums of the day.

It is important to understand that, Helen Duncan was prosecuted for fraud, if this was true that she was indeed a fraud, then the prosecutions case, that she was jeopardizing Allied ships by telling the truth, breaking the official secrets act must be incorrect, which is a bit of a dilemma for those wanting to refute conspiracy theories. I also have to point out that the British government who lied about ships not being sunk to improve moral was her prosecutor. It is believed that Helen Duncan had correctly told a select few accurately just which ships were sunk; this had got back to high up ears and quite frankly bugged the hell out of them!

Born – Victoria Helen Macfarlane on Nov. 25 1897 in Callander, Scotland in to a strict Presbyterian home.

She was by all accounts a simple and hard working uneducated woman. Who would have guessed how her life would unfold and the controversy that would surround her? While working in a Jute factory bleaching the flax it is said, she foretold co workers she would marry a man who was currently in France. Her friends and coworkers were stunned as she did not have a boy friend. Some time later she was introduced to Henry Duncan, who had indeed at the time of her revelation been serving during the First World War in France. While serving in the trenches, Henry had contracted rheumatic fever and heat disease. He would work some, but it fell to Helen to support the family.
Now of course this event can be seen as mere coincidence, but it is one of many if that is the case. Folklorist have told that the years of exposure to the bleach left Helen’s throat harsh and scratchy which occasionally made talking difficult and would have made the act of pre swallowing any cheesecloth to be regurgitated during her seances impossible. Those who never investigated the full story of her seances or life often make this accusation.

It has been proved false repeatedly, including under oath. The ectoplasm reportedly seen to be produced by Helen was said to be shiny and gossamer like, not rough dull jute. Although Helen had a life long history of giving messages and knowing things, it was not until the late 1920s that her Psychic Mediumship began to develop to the point of public seances. According to newspaper accounts in the early 1930s, Helen had a following of several thousand individuals. She had become a well-known medium traveling throughout Scotland and England. She was very down to earth, simple and humble, in the opinion of many who made her acquaintance, despite her new found notoriety. Normally, a Psychic Medium is a person who communicates with the spirits of the deceased. Some mediums just give messages, other mediums may have their voices change to bring the voice of the spirit, and the rarest of all the forms of Psychic Mediumship is materialization medium. I have personally never witnessed this, but I can’t see electricity either!

A materialization medium can produce a substance referred to as ectoplasm, a white shiny substance which in some cases takes the shape and form of the body the spirit owned while living. Helen was this type of medium often producing 10 to 15 different images or spirits in an evening it is alleged. Countless witnesses, including some during the trials who were under oath, have recounted memories of family members and loved ones appearing in solid form. The form was clear enough to allow features to be visible. Many times it was the unique features that the spirit demonstrated that gave proof it is said. Before every seance she would strip so a committee of women who could testify to the others that she was not hiding any props, muslin or cheese cloth. Another group of spectators would search the room where the seance were to be conducted. Never is it recorded, did any search produce any prop or fraudulent item. Even the police searched Helen and the seance room and were unable to produce any item which might have been used to fake a spirit. Helen was accused of swallowing cheesecloth then regurgitating it.

There are numerous problems with this accusation. The throat problems caused from working in the jute factory being just one. Often also Helen would eat with some of those taking part in the seance just moments before the seance began. One of her favourite meals to eat just minutes before a seance was ham with cut up potatoes and eggs. She would eat with several members and was never left alone until after the seance was over this is recorded and attested to by many. Helen was known to be a larger lady, weighing over 300lbs and also known to enjoy her food! It is difficult to imagine how she could have eaten several pounds of muslin, ate a large meal and then regurgitated the muslin and some how, transformed it in to the features of the departed!

One of the other areas of proof to the validity of Helen’s seances was the variety of voices she is said to have brought forth. Helen was barely educated or poorly educated with a strong Scottish accent. During the seances the voices were said to be well a full range from an educated and scholarly English accent, to American, Australian and to that of a young children. Interestingly also, Spirits at her seances spoke in many languages ranging from Gaelic, French, German and Spanish. Not only did they speak the various languages but they also spoke and conversed with those present in dialects. Helen did not and could not speak these other languages. Her séances would host as few as five or six people to as many as 30 or even 50 people depending upon the location.

Often she would attend a supporter’s home and do several séances over several days Once people were seated, the only light allowed was a red light, which at the time was believed to help ectoplasm to be seen easier by the naked eye. Most seances began with a prayer and two or three Christian hymns being sung. Dispelling the Wicca theory or accusation completely. It is incredulous to believe a poorly educated Scottish woman in the 1920s could have perpetrated such a fantastic hoax. She was also poor as a church mouse and unable to afford much by way of anything let alone props for a hoax. The only reasonable explanation is that she was a genuine Psychic Medium, a fact many believe was proven in court twice. Besides supporting her family, the meager amount she received from the seances went to several good causes. She lived in a poor area of Scotland. Helen was well-known for paying the local doctors to see her neighbour who could not afford medical care. She also provided food and medicine to those in need. She was considered one of the most giving people that you could ever hope to meet. For years Helen travelled Scotland and England by train giving seances continually to support her family and needy neighbors. By far, nearly every account of her is that she was an honest woman doing what she believed, was a true calling of Spiritualism. Had her life ended with just those accounts, it would have been preferable to the sordid fate she was to suffer and the cover up surrounding her fate and treatment. Many attempts were made and planned by individuals to catch and prove her a fraud-they never succeeded and often completely changed their mind and became firm supporters instead of skeptics. It was during the defense at her first trial when Helen’s true gift came under close, public examination.

It was attested by many and described how Helen was first stripped absolutely naked. She put on black garments specially provided for medical tests. Then she could prove that she had nothing concealed after submitting to this, which she was happy to do by all accounts. The police on arresting Helen, had forced Helen to submit to an internal examination, Nothing was found by attending Doctors. At the time, Spiritualism, Psychics and Mediumship were considered vagrancy by many and illegal under British law. By simply holding a séance, Helen had violated the law. She was found guilty and ordered to pay a ten-pound fine. According to the newspapers, as she walked out the door, she uttered, “May God forgive you all. Apparently, the Judge heard her. Got to part 2