The Great Bealings Bell Mystery

For fifty-three days in early 1834, the servant bells in Major Edward Moor’s home at Great Bealings, Suffolk, rang by themselves. The phenomenon was witnessed by dozens of observers and never explained.

The Phenomenon

The household had nine servant bells connected to a row in the kitchen. Beginning February 2, 1834, the bells began ringing when no one had touched them. They would ring violently, all together or in sequence, at all hours.

The Investigation

Major Moor was a scientist and Fellow of the Royal Society. He investigated systematically, examining the bell wires, replacing components, and having witnesses observe. Nothing explained the ringing.

The Witnesses

Servants, visitors, tradespeople, and Moor himself witnessed the bells ringing. Skeptics who came to debunk left convinced. The bells continued their mysterious ringing regardless of who was watching.

The End

On March 27, 1834, the ringing stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Major Moor published a detailed account of the phenomena. He never found an explanation.

Assessment

Major Moor’s scientific credentials and methodical investigation make the Great Bealings bells a notable poltergeist case. The phenomenon defied all natural explanations available to a trained observer. What rang those bells remains unknown.