The Stratford Knockings

In 1850, just two years after the Fox Sisters’ Hydesville rappings launched the Spiritualist movement, the home of Reverend Eliakim Phelps in Stratford, Connecticut, became the site of one of the most dramatic poltergeist outbreaks in American history. The “Stratford Knockings” produced phenomena that seemed to mock Christianity, displayed apparent intelligence, and drew investigators from across the nation.

The Household

Reverend Eliakim Phelps was a Presbyterian minister, educated and respectable. He lived with his second wife and four children from her previous marriage in a comfortable home in Stratford. His interest in mesmerism and spiritual phenomena may have contributed to what followed.

On March 10, 1850, the family returned from church to find their home in chaos. Furniture was overturned. Clothing was scattered. Most disturbingly, effigies had been constructed from the family’s possessions—figures kneeling in attitudes of prayer, arranged throughout the house.

The Phenomena

Over the following months, the Phelps household experienced sustained poltergeist activity. Objects moved on their own. Furniture was overturned repeatedly. The effigies continued to appear, always constructed while no one was watching.

The phenomena seemed intelligent and mischievous. They appeared to respond to questions through knocking. They targeted specific family members. They seemed to mock the minister’s religious profession, creating those disturbing prayer effigies.

The two oldest children—Harry, age twelve, and Anna, age sixteen—appeared to be the focus of the activity. When they were away from the house, the phenomena decreased. This pattern of adolescent focus would become recognized as typical in poltergeist cases.

Violence

Unlike some poltergeist cases, the Stratford phenomena became violent. Harry was reportedly lifted and dropped by invisible forces. Objects flew at family members. The children suffered bruises and scratches.

The violence seemed particularly directed at Harry. He was struck, thrown, and apparently tormented by the invisible entity. Whether this represented genuine supernatural attack or evidence that Harry was somehow producing the phenomena himself was debated.

Investigation

The case attracted widespread attention. Ministers, doctors, and journalists visited the house. Some witnessed phenomena; others saw nothing unusual. The debate between supernatural and natural explanations raged in newspapers and pamphlets.

The case occurred during the early enthusiasm of the Spiritualist movement, and some Spiritualists claimed the phenomena as evidence of spirit communication. Skeptics suggested the children were playing elaborate pranks.

Resolution

The phenomena eventually ceased, though accounts differ on exactly when and why. The Phelps family left the house, and subsequent residents reported no unusual activity. The poltergeist, whatever its nature, departed with the family.

Legacy

The Stratford Knockings became one of the foundational cases of American poltergeist research. The case was documented extensively and has been analyzed by subsequent researchers.

The pattern of adolescent focus, intelligent-seeming phenomena, and eventual resolution matches cases recorded worldwide. The mockery of religion—the prayer effigies, the targeting of a minister’s household—added distinctive elements that distinguished the case.

Assessment

The Stratford case illustrates the difficulty of investigating poltergeist phenomena. Credible witnesses reported genuine disturbances, yet the involvement of adolescent children raises questions about possible fraud.

Whether the Phelps children unconsciously generated psychokinetic energy, deliberately produced phenomena, or were tormented by genuine supernatural forces remains unknown. The case stands as an early American poltergeist documentation, shaping understanding of such phenomena for generations.