The Enfield Poltergeist

The events at 284 Green Street, Enfield, between August 1977 and September 1978 constitute one of the most famous poltergeist cases in history. The case featured furniture moving, objects flying, children levitating, and a demonic voice speaking through an eleven-year-old girl. It was investigated extensively by the Society for Psychical Research and has been the subject of books, documentaries, and films.

The Hodgson Family

The council house at 284 Green Street was home to Peggy Hodgson, a single mother, and her four children: Margaret (13), Janet (11), Johnny (10), and Billy (7). The family was ordinary, working-class, and had no interest in or experience with the paranormal.

The children’s father had recently left the family. The resulting stress and upheaval may have contributed to the events that followed, though the connection remains speculative.

The Beginning

The disturbances began on August 30, 1977. Janet and Johnny complained that their beds were shaking. Peggy heard knockings throughout the house. A heavy chest of drawers slid across the floor on its own.

Terrified, Peggy called the police. WPC Carolyn Heeps responded and witnessed a chair slide across the floor without visible cause. She later signed an affidavit confirming what she had seen. The police could offer no explanation and no help.

Early Investigation

The Hodgsons contacted the Daily Mirror, which sent reporter Douglas Bence and photographer Graham Morris. They witnessed objects flying through the air and were struck by flying marbles and Legos. Their photographs showed items in motion and Janet apparently levitating.

The Society for Psychical Research was contacted. Maurice Grosse, a recently bereaved businessman who had joined the SPR to investigate the paranormal, took on the case. He would be joined by veteran investigator Guy Lyon Playfair.

The Phenomena

Over eighteen months, investigators documented a wide range of phenomena. Furniture moved without visible cause. Objects flew through the air, sometimes striking witnesses. Knockings and rappings occurred constantly, often in intelligent patterns that answered questions.

Janet exhibited particularly dramatic phenomena. She was allegedly thrown from her bed. She was seen to levitate by multiple witnesses, including neighbors who saw her through windows. She entered trance states during which a deep male voice spoke through her.

The Voice

The most controversial aspect of the case was the voice. A deep, masculine, gruff voice began speaking through Janet (and occasionally through her sister Margaret). The voice claimed to be the spirit of an old man named Bill who had died in the house.

Investigators recorded the voice extensively. They examined Janet during sessions and could find no evidence of ventriloquism or ordinary voice production. The voice seemed to come from an unusual location in her throat.

Skeptics noted that Janet was caught on video bouncing on her bed when she claimed to be levitating. She admitted to faking some phenomena, claiming that investigators were so persistent that she gave them what they expected when real phenomena weren’t occurring.

Skeptical Perspectives

The Enfield case remains controversial. Skeptics point to the admitted faking, the focus on attention-seeking pre-adolescents, and the poor controls during investigation. The investigators’ commitment to believing may have biased their observations.

Anita Gregory, an SPR member who visited the house, wrote a critical report. She found the family uncooperative and the investigators insufficiently rigorous. She suspected widespread fraud.

Defender Arguments

Supporters note the number and variety of witnesses, including police, journalists, and neighbors. Much of the activity occurred spontaneously, without opportunity for preparation. The physical evidence, including bent iron bars and items found in impossible locations, suggests genuine phenomena.

Grosse and Playfair maintained until their deaths that the Enfield case was genuine. They acknowledged that Janet sometimes faked phenomena but argued that this did not invalidate the majority of events they witnessed.

The Resolution

The activity diminished in 1978. The family moved to a different council house, and the phenomena did not follow. Janet went on to live a normal life, though troubled by the experience and the attention it brought.

Janet has spoken publicly about the case in recent years. She maintains that the events were genuine, though she admits to occasional faking. She describes the experience as traumatic and wishes it had never happened.

Cultural Impact

The Enfield Poltergeist has inspired films including “The Conjuring 2” (2016) and the miniseries “The Enfield Haunting” (2015). Books by Playfair and others have documented the case in detail.

The case remains a touchstone in poltergeist research. Whatever the truth, Enfield represents either one of the best-documented cases of genuine paranormal activity or a cautionary tale about the need for rigorous investigation.