The Woman who changed History
Seventy-five years ago, something happened that changed the lives of all spiritually-minded people. We should be deeply grateful, yet hardly anyone now knows about the shocking experiences of the woman who gave us the freedom of belief that we enjoy today.
Victoria Helen MacFarlane was born in 1897 near Stirling in Scotland. As a child, she began to exhibit psychic abilities and was known for her prophesies. At sixteen she moved to Dundee to work as a nurse, and met Henry Duncan who became her husband. Henry was a wounded veteran of World War I and he encouraged Helen to develop her psychic talents. The couple went on to have six children and, in those days of hardship, Helen worked part-time in a bleach factory. All of this no doubt contributed to her developing longstanding health problems, including heart trouble due to being overweight.
In the next few years, Helen would often go into trance. During one of these sessions, a disembodied voice told Henry that Helen had the potential to materialise spirits, so he duly made a ‘cabinet’ for this work. One day, the ectoplasm Helen evoked swirled into the shape of a tall, elderly and distinguished man who introduced himself as a guide named ‘Uncle Albert’. He became master of ceremonies at the materialisation séances that the Duncans now began to hold. Very soon, Helen gained a great reputation for ‘proving’ life after death.
Now, a degree of balance needs to be introduced to this account here because even Helen Duncan’s supporters would accept that she was not an easy personality! Her behaviour was occasionally hysterical or violent: a public example of this was during test séances organised by the researcher Harry Price in 1931. There were also some incidents of fraud, such as when the London Spiritualist Alliance revealed that a sample of Helen’s ‘ectoplasm’ had proved to be cheesecloth mixed with paper and egg white. Helen was prosecuted and fined.
We are very familiar now with the debate about whether talented ‘celebrities’ should be judged for their personal behaviour. And after all, history is full of rather dubious characters who have made huge contributions to the arts, sciences and sport.
Helen Duncan is a good case in point, a woman born with extraordinary psychic gifts and a mind very different to the ordinary person. She lived her life between two worlds and, like many mystics, found it hard to adapt to everyday expectations. Add to this the deprivation of the inter-war years and the need to support a large family while suffering ill-health… At this time there was great demand for proof of the survival of people’s loved ones lost in conflict, and Duncan was tempted into some dubious practices when she was unable to ‘produce the goods’.
However, in the light of the extraordinary turning point that was about to come, perhaps we should be charitable about these weaknesses.
In 1941, Helen held two particular séances that were to have huge repercussions for all of us. The first took place in Edinburgh and, as well as making significant predictions that later proved accurate, ‘Uncle Albert’ announced that a British battleship had just been sunk. This information had not been made public and the Admiralty became suspicious as to how it had become known. Similar events occurred at a séance later in Portsmouth, when the spirit of a sailor in uniform materialised; he told his mother in the audience that his ship had been sunk with many lives lost. The woman was shocked, of course, and contacted the Admiralty.
The authorities were now on Helen’s case and began to see her as a security risk. They had no idea whether she had made a lucky guess or had some validity from Spirit… or from ‘elsewhere’. The breaking point came with a further séance two years later when two Navy lieutenants were present, one of whom accused Duncan of fraud and reported her to Hampshire Police. They decided that the most sensible course of action for the sake of national security was ‘better safe than sorry’, so in January 1944 Helen Duncan was arrested on a minor charge under the Vagrancy Act 1824.
But her growing notoriety meant that news of the arrest spread higher up and she was then further charged under the Witchcraft Act 1735. This Act covered “fraudulent spiritual activity” and “pretending to conjure up evil and malicious spirits”.
The trial became a national cause célèbre and an absolute farce. The police had no evidence and their case was based on the simple logic that “spirits of the dead don’t exist”. Helen’s defence barrister put forward the reasonable proposal of holding a séance in court, to prove the afterlife, but Judge Dodson refused. Forty-nine defence witnesses spoke up for Helen Duncan yet the jury still found her guilty and in April 1944 she was sentenced to nine months in prison.
Winston Churchill himself complained about the "obsolete tomfoolery" of the charges. A spotlight had been thrown on the bias of the British judicial system and on sheer religious prejudice, using an obscure section of a two hundred-year old Act intended for entirely different circumstances. As a result, the Witchcraft Act was repealed shortly afterwards, although Duncan’s conviction still stands to this day.
Whatever her personal failings, the role she (perhaps inadvertently) played in establishing our freedom of spiritual belief is surely to be applauded.
Martha's Shock
Martha was halfway between London and Bath when her satnav suddenly offered to reroute her; an incident on the motorway ahead was causing delays of up to an hour. Soon, she was driving down tight country lanes in the depths of the Wiltshire countryside, the May sun dappling through the tall trees, thick clouds of cow parsley brushing the sides of her car as she passed. She couldn’t believe that this route would possibly ever get her back on to a proper road and was beginning to feel a little anxious when she saw it. A small turning. A blue wooden sign with the name Moss Cottage painted on it. A short, gravelled drive, then a pale stone, wisteria-covered cottage behind a small weeping willow. Martha’s heart stopped beating and she pressed hard on her brakes. She stared at the cottage and felt the shock of recognition flood through her. She had been here before, the years melted away, she sat on the step with her Grandmother podding peas in the warm sunshine. Why had the satnav steered her in this direction. She shook her head, reluctantly stepping out of the car to take a better look, had she got it wrong, was this the place or was it very similar. She had to find out.
“Hello, are you lost” came a voice between the trees, the tall stranger had piercing blue eyes, watching her intently. He came forward adjusting his straw hat, in his shorts and t-shirt he was a fine figure of a man. He was holding a pitchfork and smiling.
Martha jumped, she was in a state of shock and didn’t expect anyone to approach her “Oh, my goodness you startled me. My satnav directed me here; and now, yes, I am lost”
“I bet you could do with a cup of tea, and so could I, come along then” he walked to the front door and opened it seemingly expecting Martha to follow.
Martha looked round she didn’t know what she was looking for maybe some sort of divine intervention. What was she doing following this strange man into this house she knew she had been here before, even the front door was the same. Entering the small hallway, the smell of homemade bread and cakes infiltrated her nostrils. The smell of yesteryear, she remembered it so clearly. She expected her Gran to be there sitting in her usual chair as she entered the sitting room. The place looked the same, exactly the same, the chair the dresser with the blue china plates and cups, the small table covered with the red check tablecloth. What was happening?
“Sit, I will bring out the tea and cakes” ordered the man.
Martha sat, her chair very near the window overlooking the garden filled with spring flowers, the blossom beginning to bloom on the trees. She stood and looked out; the garden hadn’t changed at all.
“By the way, my name is Arthur, my wife is Helen, she has gone shopping, but she will be here any moment, I am sure you will stay until she arrives” Arthur smiled he put the tray on the table and began pouring the tea and serving the cake.
Martha nodded, now she knew she was going mad, her granddad was called Arthur and her Grandmother was Helen. What was this all about?
“Thank you for this Arthur it is very kind of you, I must get on my way shortly though, I am on my way to Bath” Martha paused waiting for a response.
“Oh, you won’t need to go before the storm passes” Arthur nodded and sipped his tea.
“But” Martha looked out of the window, the sun was shining although the wind seemed to be blowing the trees about. “it doesn’t look like a storm is brewing”
Arthur smiled and touched his nose “I know these things, what’s your name then?”
Martha looked at this man, he seemed intent on keeping her here, why?
“Have you lived here long? Martha asked as she sipped her tea and took a bite out of the delicious home made cake.
“Oh, about ten years or so, Helen and I wanted to get out of the rat race so when the opportunity came, we moved here” Arthur nodded, filling Martha’s cup with more tea.
“My name is Martha, by the way” she sipped her tea her thoughts racing!
She had only met her grandparents towards the end of their lives, her father a mysterious figure in Martha’s young life had fallen out with them and refused to acknowledge that they existed. Then he died and Martha’s life completely changed aged nine, her mother pushed her from pillar to post. She stayed with Aunt’s, and friends, and then she was sent to boarding school, it was then she was presented to her grandparents, in this very house and had some glorious times during the summer holidays until she left boarding school .
Suddenly the door opened, bustling with shopping bags and paraphernalia Helen swept into the room. She stopped and hesitated and eyed Martha with curiosity. “Well, who have we here then” she said while still looking at Martha.
“This young lady is called Martha” Arthur winked at Helen “She is lost on her way to Bath it seems”
Helen smiled and nodded knowingly at Arthur. “Well, we must make Martha comfortable while we wait out the storm”
Martha looked at Helen, her resemblance to her grandmother was strong, her hair was blond and her beautiful features so much younger, her brown eyes and her rose shaped lips still prominent, her pale unlined skin gave her a beauty that she still had as an older person. Helen busied herself in the kitchen, she hadn’t spoken to Martha.
“Right” Helen suddenly came and sat in grandma’s chair, “I am so glad you came at last Martha; we must wait until the storm has passed to tell you why”
“But the satnav brought me here and I can’t see any evidence of a storm” Martha began looking from Arthur to Helen, she was now getting anxious, what was happening she had not intended to be here at all.
“Oh, tosh” Helen waved her arm to dismiss this theory.
Martha stood, then she felt very dizzy and fell back into the chair, what was in that tea and cake? “I need to go” Martha seemed to shout but the words were not coming out.
“There, there stop worrying about getting to Bath, Arthur and I will take care of you now”
Martha closed her eyes she could not stop the feeling of sleep overwhelming her. Her last thoughts were she needed to get out of this place!
Hours later Martha found herself lying on top of an old fashion faded patchwork quilt in a bedroom she recognized as the one she stayed in as a child. It was dark with only the intermittent light from the lightening as it crashed across the sky outside, the thunder clapped again, the rain was lashing down on the window. Martha sat up, this was the predicted storm, she needed to get out of this house. She tried the bedside lamp with no response, still working with the light of the storm she walked to the door ready to make her escape. As she approached the door opened and In walked Helen with a cup of tea for her.
“Martha, we will tell you why you are here when the storm subsides, for now you must rest, drink your tea, then all will be revealed” Helen was speaking as she sat Martha down on the bed once again.
“Are you my grandparents” Martha declared now beginning to worry about her predicament
Helen smiled and patted Martha’s arm and lifted her head up by her chin. “All will be revealed” she said as she walked out of the door. Martha heard the key being turned she was going nowhere it seemed.
Martha decided not to drink the tea, but somehow, she still felt very sleepy. Martha went to the washbasin in the corner of the room, swilled her face, poured away the tea and just had some water. She needed to think, she went to the window and tried to open it, but it was stuck or locked she couldn’t think straight, she must pull herself together and find a way of getting out of this house. Her handbag with her mobile phone was downstairs. Why was she here?
She shook her head what was happening, she looked around in the semi darkness, the patchwork quilt had faded but she remembered the little squares of material she helped sew many years ago. Here was that pretty flowered dress she grew out of, her Mum’s polka dot lemon blouse, the old kitchen curtains, her Dad’s plaid shirt so many memories. Her eyes began to close again, maybe she could just sleep again then she could feel better and make her escape then.
Martha stirred as the door opened again, her eyes just wouldn’t open. Everything seemed so far away.
“You gave her too much of the drug” she heard a voice say
“She will come round soon; she won’t be going anywhere for a while so why not come downstairs and wait” The two people left the room, Martha tried to bring herself back into the reality of the moment, she found it extremely hard, who was this other person, what did they want of her?
Martha woke again daylight peeping through the curtains, a blanket had been put over her during the night, she felt groggy but was more able to focus on things around her.
She tried the door again, this time it opened, she found the bathroom and decided she would make her escape, all she had to do was get her car keys and her handbag then she could get on her intended journey to Bath.
She crept downstairs, hoping the creaks would not wake anyone up, the sitting room door was closed, and she gingerly opened it hoping that no-one was in there to prevent her leaving.
“Ah, you are awake at last” Helen whispered, “Come on in, I will get us some tea”
Martha was adamant now she was not staying any longer. “No thank you, I will collect my belongings and go, my family will wonder where I am”
“Now, Martha I know your daughters don’t live at home with you, you husband is away in Hong Kong on business so what have you got to rush home to?”
Martha was flabbergasted, how did this woman know about her life?
Her anxiety level reached it’s peak, and now it was time for some straight talking.
“How do you know what is going on in my life? I just want to go home, you cannot kidnap me like this, I will collect my things and go” Martha was almost shouting, she felt so helpless.
Just then the door opened, Martha couldn’t believe her eyes, in walked her Dad, he was alive!
“Hello Martha” He came and took her hands “It is so lovely to see you after all this time”
“But you are dead” Martha shook her head and let go of his hands “You are dead, what’s is this all about” Big tears began to flow unheeded; she sat down with a bump. “I don’t understand, I really don’t understand”
Her Dad nodded at Helen, “Let’s have that tea, and we can all sit and talk about how this has happened”
Martha looked at her Dad, he had aged so much, and his skin looked like parchment and was almost yellow, and his eyes told of the sorrow he felt, Martha wanted to hug him, but she was too angry.
“How did the Satnav bring me here? Martha faltered, her tears still flowing.
“I have watched and waited for the right time, my computer skills directed your satnav, Helen is your cousin and inherited your Gran’s house” Martha’s Dad watched the reaction on her face “I was a witness in a criminal case involving some very bad people, so I had to invent my death and start anew under a different guise. I never stopped thinking about you, and indeed plotted this so I could see you. I have not got that long to live but I wanted you to know how much I loved you before I departed”
Martha eventually gave her Dad a hug, they talked for hours catching up with old times. Her Dad told her that her Mum had tried to protect her by sending her to different places when she was a child to make sure she was kept safe. Helen hugged her and now told her all about her Gran, and how she had helped her in her later years.
“I thought I was going mad” Martha smiled “It now makes sense; Helen I will keep in touch, and I won’t rely on the satnav to divert me this time. And Dad let us meet up again, surely it will be safe now!”
They all nodded and smiled; things can happen when you least expect them!