The Battersea Poltergeist

From 1956 to 1968, the Hitchings family of Battersea, South London, endured one of the longest documented poltergeist cases in British history. The phenomena centered on teenage daughter Shirley and included a spirit that communicated through tapping and writing.

The Beginning

The activity began with violent knocking sounds and objects moving on their own. A key flew across a room. Slippers disappeared and reappeared. Furniture overturned. The family sought help from the police, the press, and psychical researchers.

Donald

The poltergeist identified itself through tapping as “Donald,” claiming to be a young man who had died. Donald communicated in Morse code and later through automatic writing produced through Shirley. He told elaborate stories about his life and death that could not be verified.

The Phenomena

The poltergeist’s activities included pools of water appearing on floors, objects floating across rooms, and writing appearing on walls. Fires spontaneously ignited. Visitors witnessed many of these events, and investigators from the Society for Psychical Research documented the case.

The End

The activity gradually decreased as Shirley grew older. By 1968, when she married and left the family home, the phenomena had largely ceased. Shirley maintained throughout her life that the experiences were genuine.

Assessment

The Battersea case is notable for its duration and the personality that the poltergeist developed. Whether Donald was a genuine spirit, a fragment of Shirley’s subconscious, or an elaborate hoax, the case influenced how researchers understand the life cycle of poltergeist events.