60 FT389
The Enfield
Poltergeist Tapes
One of the most disturbing cases
in history.What really happened?
MelvynWillin
Whit eCrow Books 2019
Pb,206pp,£11.99, ISBN 9781786770738
In the 43yearssince itsoccur
rence, theEnfield poltergeist
of 197779hasremained an
impressive but controversialcase.
InvestigatorsMauriceGrosse
and Guy Playfair undertook180
periods ofobservationatthe
homeofthe Hodgsonfamilyin
Enfield, northLondon, obtaining
over200 audiocassettes ofevents
and phenomenarecorded on a
daily and nightlybasis. In the
courseofdigitising thesetapes
forthe SocietyforPsychical
Research,Melvyn Willin has
listened to allof them,aswell
as accessingthevoluminous
documentation.Theresults
aredistilledinto thisbook,an
impartialretellingofthe case.
Themost controversial
aspect of the Enfield
casewasthe emergence
of agruff,masculine
voice from11yearold
JanetHodgsonand
occasionally from her
sister and brother.Willin
summarises thecontents
of recordings,presenting
the editedand oftenexpurgated
highlightsof thisvoice,its
outpourings andthe reactionsof
thefamilyand observers.
TheVoice (as it became
known)variouslyidentifieditself
as different deceasedpeople,
whistled, barked, shrieked and
imitatedadog.Suchmediumistic
communicationsfromapparent
discarnate beingsare present
in many poltergeist cases,but
theEnfieldVoiceonlyrarely
saidanything meaningful or
intelligent.Thiscurious aspect
alone provedenough to put many
academics offthe case,especially
wheninDecember 1977 the
voicemadecommentsabout
menstruation.
Seekingfurther perspectives
on therecordings,Willin
reviewsthe longneglected
report producedin1982bythe
EnfieldPoltergeist Investigation
Committee,agroup ofSPR
memberswho examined the
originalevidence andreinter
viewedwitnessesandahitherto
unpublishedprivate report
writtenby Maurice Grosse. Given
thatthe ancient designation of
“unclean spirit”providesanapt
descriptionofthe frequently
obscene utterancesofthe Voice,
Willin includesashortchapter
comparingand contrasting
elements from Enfield with
the MountRainier poltergeist
of 1949 which served as an
inspirationforTheExorcist.
Additional insights and
reflections from interviews with
surviving witnessesofthe events
of 197779provemostinteresting.
Threeuseful appendices
coverpeople,key datesand
phenomena.Avoiding giving
anypersonalverdict,Willin
acknowledges thatmuch more
remainstobesaid, including
on compellingevidence inthe
form of photographs andother
documentarysources.
Theevidential problem with
Enfield is notalackofdata
butasurfeit. If Grosse and
Playfair made one mistakeit
wasassumingthiswould attract
scientists and scholars.Bothat
thetimeand subsequently
it wassuggestedthatthe
original investigators were
out of theirdepth. Butas
thisbookindicates, all
too often itwasremote
academics who proved
illequipped inresponding
effectively,either to the
evidence arisinginan
ongoingcase orin properly
comprehending the impact of
theseeventsonthe livesofa
troubledandimpoverished
singleparentfamily. This failure
to engage and empathise is
recognisedby Dr Hugh Pincott,
interviewed by Willin. It echoes
thesuccinct commentby
GrosseandPlayfair intheSPR
Journalin 1988 concerning the
receptiontheir investigation
received inacademic circles:
“Thereare those,wehave found,
whoarepreparedtobelieve in
psi phenomenaprovidedthey
happened along timeago and
preferablyinanother country.
Thesuggestion that they
happened yesterdayevening
right here is lesswelcome.”
Inprovidingadetailed and
condensedsummaryofthis
complex material,thisbookwill
actasaconfidenceboosting
handbookforopenminded
scholars willing to probe this
impressive andenigmaticcase
further.
Alan Murdie
HHHHH
Master of deception
The Professor
and the Parson
AStory ofDesire,Deceit and
Defrocking
AdamSisman
Profi le Books 2019
Hb,240pp,£12.99,ISBN9781788162111
This is thestory of anotorious
charlatan–and thefamed
historian whokept watch.
Ourparson isRobert
Parkin Peters:academic
imposter, defrockedAnglican
priest, irrepressible fraud.
Our professor is theeminent
HughTrevorRoper,who
crossed pathswiththebogus
Peters at Oxfordin1958.
Thoughtheir meetingwas
brief,and Peters lieddirectly
to TrevorRoper’sface,the
former’soutrageous claims
fascinated the latterfor
decades.Thefile he kept on
Peters’smisdeedsformsthe
basis of Adam Sisman’scrisp
biographyofasulliedsubject.
Sisman discoveredPeters
whenwritingabiographyof
TrevorRoper, and became
so intriguedhechoseto
chroniclePeters’ disgraceful
lifehimself.TrevorRoper
had alsoconsidered writing
an accountofPeters, butwas
dissuadedby thepotentialfor
lawsuit. (Petersgot combative
whenhis fake credentials met
legitimatechallenge,growing
outraged andvolcanicwhen
pressed.) ButPetersdiedin
2005, aged 87,leaving Sisman
to takeupTrevorRoper’s long
observedsubject.
Wecan perhapsgrantPeters
sympathy,considering hewas
borndisabledand spenthis
first nineyearsinasteelframe.
Butis this true?It’s doubtful, as
it wasahardlucktale spunby
Petershimselfin a1959Sunday
Pictorialtellall.Baring his
stained soul,Peters admitted
to fabricatinghispast, tobeing
marriedfour times,and to
being defrocked, butvowed
thosedayswereover. Over
40 yearsofdeceptionwould
followthis publicrepentance:a
cascade ofmarriages (probably
eight in all),deportations and
shortlyheld academic and
church positions.Anaudacious
pretender,heevenappeared
as “DrRobertPeters,Minister
of Religion” onMastermind in
1983.
Theboldnessof it allwas
whatgrabbed TrevorRoper.
Petersusedfakecredentials
andpiousposturing to gain
positions ofauthority,inthe
Church and inacademia.
At times he comesoveras
an underdogeccentric who
scammed pompous academics
andexposed thevulnerabilities
of rarefiedinstitutions.
This might bepartlytrue,
but itwasn’tharmlessfun.
Peterswas certainly apredator
whodeceivedmany, firstand
foremostthe countlesswomen
he manipulated.Sismanchalks
it up to narcissisticpersonality
disorder,summarising his
subject asaman forwhom “the
act ofworshipwasalsoone of
selfworship”.
Peterspresentedhimself as
aman of letters, asaman of
the cloth,butthe letterswere
forged andthe clothwaswool
pulledoverunsuspecting eyes.
It’s certainly worthtakingacue
fromTrevorRoperand keeping
tabs on frauds like Petersthat
come intoour ownlives.
MikePursley
HHHH
Washeapriest or an academic -- or just a
very clever and manipulativeliar?
REVIEWS/BOOKS