The Andover Poltergeist

In 1679, the home of William Morse in Andover, Massachusetts, became the site of violent poltergeist activity. The case was documented by Increase Mather and foreshadowed the Salem witch hysteria that would come thirteen years later.

The Activity

Stones crashed through windows. Furniture was overturned. Objects flew through the air. The disturbances centered on the Morses’ grandson, John Stiles, who lived with them. The activity was so violent that the family feared for their lives.

The Accusations

As was common in Puritan New England, the supernatural disturbances were blamed on witchcraft. A local woman named Caleb Powell was accused of causing the phenomena through sorcery. She was investigated but not prosecuted.

The Documentation

Increase Mather, the prominent Puritan minister, investigated the case and included it in his book “An Essay for the Recording of Illustrious Providences.” His detailed account makes this one of the best-documented colonial poltergeist cases.

The Pattern

The phenomena followed the classic poltergeist pattern: centered on an adolescent, violent but not directly harmful, and eventually fading. Young John Stiles’s emotional turmoil may have been the true source.

Assessment

The Andover case demonstrates that poltergeist phenomena have been consistent across centuries. The Puritan interpretation of witchcraft led to accusations, but the phenomena themselves matched modern poltergeist patterns.