The Battersea Poltergeist

For over a decade, a modest home in Battersea, South London, was the site of persistent poltergeist phenomena. From 1956 to 1968, the Robinson family experienced disturbances that attracted investigators, journalists, and curiosity-seekers. The Battersea poltergeist became one of the longest-running cases in British paranormal history.

The Household

The home at 63 Wycliffe Road was occupied by a large extended family. At its center were Frederick Robinson, his wife, and their numerous children and grandchildren. The house was crowded, noisy, and by all accounts unremarkable before the phenomena began.

In 1956, strange events started. Milk bottles arranged themselves into patterns. Doors opened and closed without cause. Small objects moved when no one was looking. The family initially dismissed the incidents.

Escalation

The activity intensified over months. Heavy furniture moved across rooms. Objects flew through the air. Loud banging sounds emanated from walls. The disturbances occurred at all hours and seemed to target no particular family member.

Unlike many poltergeist cases, the Battersea phenomena did not center on a single adolescent. The family was large and multigenerational, and activity occurred regardless of who was present.

Investigation

The case attracted investigation from the Society for Psychical Research. Harold Chibbett, a prominent investigator, documented the phenomena over multiple visits. He witnessed objects moving and heard unexplained sounds.

Chibbett could not identify a natural cause for the disturbances. He also could not identify a typical poltergeist focus—the adolescent whose psychological turmoil might generate the phenomena. The Battersea case did not fit established patterns.

Media Attention

The longevity of the case attracted media coverage. Journalists visited the house and sometimes experienced phenomena themselves. Television crews attempted to capture activity on film.

The family’s willingness to discuss their experiences and allow access distinguished them from many haunting victims, who often seek privacy. The Robinsons seemed eager for help and attention.

The Shirley Hitchings Connection

In later analyses, attention focused on Shirley Hitchings, a teenage girl living in the house. Some researchers suggested she was the poltergeist focus, though the activity did not follow the typical pattern of adolescent-centered phenomena.

Shirley eventually wrote a book about her experiences, “The Poltergeist Prince of London,” describing a relationship with the entity that went beyond typical poltergeist accounts. She claimed the poltergeist communicated with her and had a distinct personality.

Unusual Features

The Battersea poltergeist displayed several unusual features. Its longevity exceeded typical poltergeist cases, which usually last weeks or months rather than years. It did not appear tied to a single individual. It seemed to have personality and intention beyond random disturbance.

Some researchers suggested the phenomena might represent a genuine haunting rather than a poltergeist—a distinction based on the apparent intelligence and persistence of the entity.

Resolution

The phenomena gradually decreased in the late 1960s. By 1968, the house had returned to relative normalcy. Family members moved out over the following years, and no subsequent residents reported unusual activity.

Assessment

The Battersea poltergeist challenges typical poltergeist theory. Its duration, the absence of a clear focus, and the apparent intelligence of the entity set it apart from more standard cases.

Skeptics suggest the extended family’s attention-seeking behavior and the lack of controlled observation make the case unreliable. Believers point to the multiple witnesses, the investigated phenomena, and the sheer persistence of the activity.

The case remains significant for its duration and for its influence on subsequent investigation. Shirley Hitchings’ account has become an important primary source for understanding how poltergeist victims experience and interpret their phenomena.

Whether genuine haunting, classic poltergeist, or prolonged family delusion, the Battersea case remains one of British paranormal research’s most extensive and puzzling files.