The Moberly-Jourdain Incident

On August 10, 1901, Charlotte Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain, two Oxford academics, claimed to have experienced a time slip at the Palace of Versailles. They reported seeing people in 18th-century clothing and feeling a strange, oppressive atmosphere.

The Experience

While walking in the gardens, the women noticed the landscape seemed different. They encountered people in period dress who seemed not to see them. The atmosphere felt dreamy and unpleasant. They later determined the date they had “visited” was August 10, 1792.

The Investigation

Both women independently wrote accounts before comparing them. They found their memories matched and seemed to reference real historical people and places. They later published their account as “An Adventure.”

The Claims

Moberly and Jourdain believed they had somehow walked into August 1792, the day before the monarchy fell. They claimed to have seen Marie Antoinette and other court figures. Their descriptions matched historical research.

The Criticism

Skeptics noted that the women may have encountered a costume party, misremembered details, or unconsciously collaborated on their story. The matching accounts might reflect shared expectations rather than shared experience.

Assessment

The Moberly-Jourdain incident is either a remarkable time slip or an elaborate self-deception. Two educated women of unimpeachable reputation claimed an impossible experience. Whether they walked in 1792 or their own imagination remains debated.