Witchcraft

Esoteric discussions, spiritual ruminations, metaphysical mutterings etc.
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Geoff Stuttaford
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Re: Witchcraft

Post by Geoff Stuttaford »

Helen Dunca's granddaughter, in the USA, has been in touch with a couple of friends of mine in London and is attempting to try to get a pardon for her grandmother who was the last person to be convicted of witchcraft in this country, in 1944.

Helen’s granddaughter told my friends that the circumstances of Helen’s arrest and detention were as follows… At one of Helen’s séances she was in a trance and said she could see a young sailor who asked Helen to tell his mother, who was present at the seance, that he was OK
The mother was not ware that her son, whom she believed was on a ship and was still alive, had actually passed on. The mother eventually decided to contact the Naval Authorities to ask why they had not informed her of her son’s death. She told the Authorities how she found out that her son was no longer alive and wanted to know why she had not been advised of his death..

It was the practise, during the last war, not to confirm to the enemy the loss of one f the navy’s ships. The fact that someone had discovered the loss of a member of the crew of a sunken ship had appeared, in a séance, to someone (an unauthorised person) smacked to the authorities of witchcraft as they refused to acknowledge the abilities of some people to be trance mediums.

At a later séance, the police arrested Helen and when she was in a trance, they grabbed her body. Where they grabbed her, burns appeared (it is not known why).
She was removed to Holloway Prison in London in July 1945 but was sent home in March 1946 because the burns that she received during her arrest would not heal and she died a month later.

Apparently the details of her case have been deposited in a very safe place with the instructions that the papers should not be released until 2045 !

Since writing the above I have read Simon's post (above) and my info corresponds in several respects, to the BBC's news item that he quotes.
Geoff

Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel (Polonius)
mike
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Re: Witchcraft

Post by mike »

Many things both good and bad were done in the past because of ignorance and fear, for many if something happened which you could not explain in the normal way, it was declared evil and the work of the devil.This is how the Church even today view dowsing in such a bad way, while they know nothing about it for the most part, they dont understand it, and so declare it evil as its the easy way out, and to be on the safe side....Many witches in the past worked at all levels to provide natural medicine to the people and animals, and were left alone and perhaps even respected in a sort of way, and feared by others.As in life not all witches world wide worked for the good of the people, some were indeed very evil and might have taken the lives of people and animals with natural poisons from the woods and field plants, but I think for the most part these tales are few and far between....I think most people know that what goes around comes around, so you sow evil you reap evil, and with that knowledge you tread careful and respect the Cosmic Cycle.
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TN FireWalker
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Re: Witchcraft

Post by TN FireWalker »

Geoff, how horrible. Its sad to know that people that were "gifted" were arrested as late as 1944.
I wish her success. How crazy is it as well that they have sealed the files for that long of a time.
Very interesting story. Is there a website or something that I could read more about this?
Thank you,
Nancy
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Geoff Stuttaford
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Re: Witchcraft

Post by Geoff Stuttaford »

Hi Nancy, If you Google Helen Duncan you will find quite a lot of info about her. There is also some info on this Forum if you search the subject of Witchcraft and scroll down the headings.
Geoff

Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel (Polonius)
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Re: Witchcraft

Post by TN FireWalker »

Thank you, Sir, I will do that.
Nancy
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