The Lewes Poltergeist of 1850

In the autumn of 1850, a household in the ancient town of Lewes, East Sussex, was terrorized by poltergeist activity that drew investigators and journalists from London. The case became one of the most documented poltergeist incidents of the Victorian era.

The Location

The affected house was a respectable dwelling in central Lewes, home to a middle-class family. The town, with its medieval castle and history of religious persecution during the Marian era, had long been considered a place where the boundaries between worlds were thin.

The Onset

Activity began in September 1850 when stones began falling inside the house. The stones appeared to materialize from thin air and fell softly, as if dropped rather than thrown. No source could be identified, and the stones continued even when all doors and windows were secured.

The Escalation

Within weeks, the activity intensified. Furniture moved on its own. Crockery flew from shelves. Loud knockings sounded from walls and floors. The family’s servant girl, aged fifteen, seemed to be the focus of the activity, with objects moving most violently in her presence.

The Investigation

Local clergymen and scientists investigated the case. They sealed rooms, watched the servant girl constantly, and attempted to recreate the phenomena through fraud. They could not explain the activity. Some stones fell while the girl was under direct observation and restrained.

The Resolution

The activity ceased in late October when the servant girl was sent away from the house. She subsequently found employment elsewhere and, according to reports, no further phenomena occurred around her. The family never experienced another disturbance.

Assessment

The Lewes case displays classic poltergeist features, including the presence of a young person at the center of the activity. Whether the servant girl was unconsciously responsible or simply attracted the phenomena, the case contributed significantly to Victorian understanding of poltergeist phenomena.