The three families who lived in the Fox Cottage were the Bells, the Weekmans, and the Fox family. The Bells, in a sense, set the stage for events that would later introduce the Fox sisters to spirit communication. During the Bells residence in the cottage, a peddler came to visit and sell his wares. While the peddler was greeted as an old friend by the family, latter evidence would reveal that Mr. Bell murdered the peddler and buried him in the cellar. The family stole the peddler’s goods and claimed to others that they had purchased the items. The Bells also employed a housekeeper whom they let go of on the eve of the murder, but then rehired three days latter. After the murder, the cottage became noticeably haunted and mysterious rappings were first heard by the housekeeper, Lucretia, and latter by the Bells as well. Lucretia would soon leave the Bell family’s employment due to the haunting. Mrs. Bell’s health quickly deteriorated and the Bells departed the cottage forever. There was a movie loosely based on this haunting called An American Haunting, but the film’s story behind the haunting is completely fictitious.
The Weekmans stayed at the cottage from 1843-1846. They had two young daughters and a housekeeper, Jane. After a quiet year had passed, the haunting returned first with the rapping, then other phenomena occurred as well. One of the daughters felt a cold hand touch her in her bed, and the housekeeper saw a materialization of a young man in trousers and a jacket, presumably the peddler. The Weekmans also left the cottage. The cottage remained vacant until December of 1847.
The Fox family moved into the cottage while construction on their own home was taking place in Hydesville. Soon after the family settled, the haunting returned again and was more pronounced than ever before. At first, the phenomena freightened the family, but latter they would learn to communicate with the spirit through various methods, such as mimicking the raps which the spirit followed in kind. Through this experiment, the family realized the spirit had consciousness and could communicate. Over time, the family devised a system of raps to correspond with letters of the alphabet and/or numbers. It was in this way that the family learned of the murdered peddler and his unfortunate fate at the hands of the Bells. However, it would take many more years for all to be revealed, but it did not stop the birth of Modern Spiritualism and the absolute proof of the continuity of life after the change called death. The Fox sisters would go on to become noted mediums of their era and worked tirelessly for the cause of Modern Spiritualism.
The Weekmans stayed at the cottage from 1843-1846. They had two young daughters and a housekeeper, Jane. After a quiet year had passed, the haunting returned first with the rapping, then other phenomena occurred as well. One of the daughters felt a cold hand touch her in her bed, and the housekeeper saw a materialization of a young man in trousers and a jacket, presumably the peddler. The Weekmans also left the cottage. The cottage remained vacant until December of 1847.
The Fox family moved into the cottage while construction on their own home was taking place in Hydesville. Soon after the family settled, the haunting returned again and was more pronounced than ever before. At first, the phenomena freightened the family, but latter they would learn to communicate with the spirit through various methods, such as mimicking the raps which the spirit followed in kind. Through this experiment, the family realized the spirit had consciousness and could communicate. Over time, the family devised a system of raps to correspond with letters of the alphabet and/or numbers. It was in this way that the family learned of the murdered peddler and his unfortunate fate at the hands of the Bells. However, it would take many more years for all to be revealed, but it did not stop the birth of Modern Spiritualism and the absolute proof of the continuity of life after the change called death. The Fox sisters would go on to become noted mediums of their era and worked tirelessly for the cause of Modern Spiritualism.
The Fox family began their life together in 1812. John Fox married Margaret Smith and they lived comfortably off Mr. Fox’s blacksmith business in Rockland County, NY. They had five children early in their marriage, one of whom passed in infancy. Margaret would separate from John due to his alcoholism. However, they would reunite approximately fourteen years later with John in sobriety. At this point both Margaret and Catherine were born bringing the family to six children, including Ann-Leah, Maria, Elizabeth, and David. The family lived for a brief time in Rochester with Leah, but would soon desire a more rural setting and relocate to Hydesville.
Spiritualists owe a debt of gratitude to the murdered peddler for working so ardently from the Spirit World to gain the attention of the living and ultimately both prove the continuity of life and ignite the movement toward Modern Spiritualism.
Communication with the spirit of the peddler was initiated by Cathie, the youngest, through instructing the spirit to imitate her clapping with his rapping.
Once communication was established, Margaret learned the spirit could mimic counting through rapping, and Mrs. Fox learned the spirit could answer questions of the children’s ages through rapping. Mrs. Fox would next establish a system of raps for “yes” and “no” responses from the spirit, and later attributing letters of the alphabet to the number of raps.
It was discovered from the spirit that he was a thirty-one year old father of five children who had been murdered in the house and his remains were buried in the cellar.
Once communication was established, Margaret learned the spirit could mimic counting through rapping, and Mrs. Fox learned the spirit could answer questions of the children’s ages through rapping. Mrs. Fox would next establish a system of raps for “yes” and “no” responses from the spirit, and later attributing letters of the alphabet to the number of raps.
It was discovered from the spirit that he was a thirty-one year old father of five children who had been murdered in the house and his remains were buried in the cellar.
On November 23, 1904 and article appeared in The Boston Journal that revealed the skeleton of a man had been found in the walls of the house once occupied by the Fox family. The remains were discovered by children playing in the cellar of the cottage which came to be known as the “Spook House”. William H. Hyde, who owned the house, made an investigation and found a nearly whole human skeleton between the earth and crumbling cellar walls.
At one point, the Fox family did attempt to stop the continuing haunting phenomena at the cottage. They discovered that the spirit was more prevalent in the presence of the girls, particularly Kate. Therefore, the family decided to relocate Kate to live with her sister Leah in Rochester. However, the presence continued to assert itself in the presence of Margaret soon thereafter.
After Margaret also experienced the continuing spirit occurrences, she also relocated to Rochester to be with her sisters. In Leah’s home the phenomena continued and the girls consulted with Isaac and Amy Post, who were friends, about it. It was decided that they should employ the alphabet method again to determine what the spirit was trying to tell them. A profound message was received that stated, “Dear Friends, you must proclaim these truths to the world. This is the dawning of a new era; you must not try to conceal it any longer. When you do your duty, God will protect you and the good spirit will watch over you.”
Following the spirit’s communication, the foundation of Modern Spiritualism was established before the world in an organized, public meeting at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, NY on November 14, 1849.
After Margaret also experienced the continuing spirit occurrences, she also relocated to Rochester to be with her sisters. In Leah’s home the phenomena continued and the girls consulted with Isaac and Amy Post, who were friends, about it. It was decided that they should employ the alphabet method again to determine what the spirit was trying to tell them. A profound message was received that stated, “Dear Friends, you must proclaim these truths to the world. This is the dawning of a new era; you must not try to conceal it any longer. When you do your duty, God will protect you and the good spirit will watch over you.”
Following the spirit’s communication, the foundation of Modern Spiritualism was established before the world in an organized, public meeting at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, NY on November 14, 1849.
Additionally, there were numerous pioneers who both aided the Fox sisters, and in their own right, helped cement the truth of Spiritualism’s place in the world including such notables as D. D. Home, Isaac and Amy Post, Horace Greeley, Emma Hardinge Britten, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and others. Indeed, the writer of Sherlock Holmes, who was also a practicing physician, became a staunch advocate of the movement and even gained the moniker of the “St. Paul of Spiritualism”. D.D. Home became known as the greatest physical medium for his miraculous levitations of not only himself, but of objects around him.
Futhermore, many organizations, camps, and publications of the era, at least one of which is still in print today, proliferated. Perhaps most notably were the New York Circle that provided Spiritualism with its first experimental organization, and, of course, the NSAC (National Association of Spiritualist Churches), which was incorporated in November of 1893 in Washington, D.C. Also, the American Society for Psychical Research, which is still active, was founded in Boston in 1885 by Professor Barrett. The organization was dedicated to researching psychical phenomena. While the original organization did dissolve in 1905, it was reestablished under Dr. James H. Hyslop in 1906 and explored the fields of psychical research and abnormal psychology. Of the many Spiritualist camps of the era, the first was held in tents at Pierpont Grove, Malden, Massachusetts, in 1866. The Cassadaga Free Lake Assembly would later become what is known today as Lily Dale today.
Futhermore, many organizations, camps, and publications of the era, at least one of which is still in print today, proliferated. Perhaps most notably were the New York Circle that provided Spiritualism with its first experimental organization, and, of course, the NSAC (National Association of Spiritualist Churches), which was incorporated in November of 1893 in Washington, D.C. Also, the American Society for Psychical Research, which is still active, was founded in Boston in 1885 by Professor Barrett. The organization was dedicated to researching psychical phenomena. While the original organization did dissolve in 1905, it was reestablished under Dr. James H. Hyslop in 1906 and explored the fields of psychical research and abnormal psychology. Of the many Spiritualist camps of the era, the first was held in tents at Pierpont Grove, Malden, Massachusetts, in 1866. The Cassadaga Free Lake Assembly would later become what is known today as Lily Dale today.
