Ghost Map

EN PL

Poltergeists

Poltergeists

The word poltergeist comes from German and means 'noisy ghost'. A typical case lasts from a few weeks to a few months: knocking is heard in the house, objects fall from shelves, stones fly at windows, sometimes small fires break out. The phenomena often centre on a teenager. Parapsychologists speak of 'spontaneous psychokinesis', sceptics of pranks that get out of hand. Several cases were caught as hoaxes; several are still debated.

cases
13
years
1661–1986

Unexplained: 2 Disputed: 9 Legend: 1 Hoax: 1

  1. 17th century

    1. 1661–1663 Poltergeists · Disputed The Drummer of Tedworth John Mompesson’s house in Tedworth (now Tidworth), Wiltshire, United Kingdom After magistrate Mompesson confiscated a vagrant’s drum, his house echoed for two years with nightly drumming, knocking and scratching.

  2. 18th century

    1. 1716–1717 Poltergeists · Disputed “Old Jeffrey” of Epworth Rectory The Old Rectory, Epworth, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom For two winter months knocks, footsteps and groans plagued the family of Rev. Samuel Wesley, father of Methodism’s founder – the children named the ghost “Old Jeffrey”.
    2. 1762 Poltergeists · Hoax The Cock Lane Ghost Cock Lane near Smithfield Market, London, United Kingdom A knocking “ghost of Fanny” accused a widower of poisoning his lover – crowds besieged the house until a committee including Samuel Johnson exposed the fraud.

  3. 19th century

    1. 1817–1821 Poltergeists · Legend The Bell Witch of Tennessee John Bell’s farm on the Red River near Adams, Tennessee, United States An invisible “Kate” tormented farmer John Bell’s family for four years – she talked, sang, slapped and, legend says, killed the head of the family.
    2. 1878–1879 Poltergeists · Disputed The Great Amherst Mystery The Teed cottage on Princess Street, Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada Around 18-year-old Esther Cox, objects flew, fires broke out and a threatening message appeared on the wall of a cramped Nova Scotia cottage.

  4. 1930–1939

    1. 1938 Poltergeists · Disputed The Thornton Heath Poltergeist (Alma Fielding) A house on Beverstone Road, Thornton Heath, London, United Kingdom Flying plates, objects appearing from nowhere and mysterious scratches – a south London housewife’s haunting ended in charges of fraud and a lawsuit.

  5. 1950–1959

    1. 1958 Poltergeists · Disputed The Seaford Poltergeist – the “Popping Bottles” Case The Herrmann family home, Redwood Path, Seaford, Long Island, New York, United States On Long Island bottles uncapped themselves, figurines flew and furniture toppled – for five weeks a detective and Duke parapsychologists investigated.

  6. 1960–1969

    1. 1960 Poltergeists · Unexplained The Sauchie Poltergeist Sauchie near Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, United Kingdom Knocking, a rocking linen chest and rippling bedclothes around an 11-year-old Irish girl – witnessed by a minister, doctors and a teacher.
    2. 1966–1969 Poltergeists · Disputed The Black Monk of Pontefract 30 East Drive, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom Puddles on dry floors, foam from the taps and flying crockery in a Yorkshire council house – the family called the ghost “Fred”, legend gave him a monk’s habit.
    3. 1966–1967 Poltergeists · Disputed The Miami Souvenir Warehouse Poltergeist Tropication Arts warehouse, NE 54th Street, Miami, Florida, United States In a Florida souvenir warehouse beer mugs and alligator ashtrays fell off the shelves by themselves – the activity centred on a 19-year-old shipping clerk.
    4. 1967–1968 Poltergeists · Disputed The Rosenheim Law Office Poltergeist Sigmund Adam’s law office, Rosenheim, Bavaria, Germany Twisting fluorescent tubes, power surges and dozens of calls to the speaking clock – parapsychologists and physicists investigated a Bavarian lawyer’s office.

  7. 1970–1979

    1. 1977–1979 Poltergeists · Disputed The Enfield Poltergeist 284 Green Street, Brimsdown, Enfield, London, United Kingdom Moving furniture, flying toys and a gruff male voice coming from an 11-year-old girl – Britain’s most famous poltergeist still divides researchers.

  8. 1980–1989

    1. 1983–1986 Poltergeists · Unexplained The Sosnowiec Poltergeist A flat in Sosnowiec, Zagłębie Dąbrowskie, Poland Around a young schoolgirl named Joasia in Sosnowiec household items flew, mirrors shattered and matches lit by themselves – the case became the book “The Elusive Force”.