THE ENFIELD POLTERGEIST

THE ENFIELD POLTERGEIST: INVESTIGATING ONE OF THE MOST INFAMOUS HAUNTINGS IN HISTORY

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In the stillness of the night, two young sisters lay side by side in their bedroom, whispering under the covers as the soft glow of the moon filtered through the curtains. Suddenly, the air in the room seems to thicken, the temperature drops sharply. A strange, unseen force grips the youngest sister. Her body lifts violently off the bed, as if invisible hands have taken hold of her. Eyes wide in terror, the older sister screams, watching helplessly as her younger sibling is violently flung across the room. Janet crashes to the floor in shock, the sound breaking the heavy silence, while the shadows in the corner seem to pulse with a malevolent presence.

The Enfield Haunting, also known as the Enfield Poltergeist, is one of the most famous and well-documented cases of paranormal activity in the UK. It took place between 1977 and 1979 at 284 Green Street, a council house in Enfield, North London. The events centred around the Hodgson family, particularly two sisters, Janet, aged 11, and Margaret, aged 13.

The haunting began in August 1977 when the family reported strange occurrences such as furniture moving on its own, knocking sounds and objects being thrown across rooms. As the activity intensified, the phenomena included levitation, cold breezes, physical assaults, and even voices speaking through Janet. These events were witnessed by multiple people, including neighbours, journalists, police officers and paranormal investigators.

Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair, members of the Society for Psychical Research, were among the primary investigators. They spent long periods at the house, documenting the occurrences and interviewing the family. Their findings included audio recordings of the mysterious voices and photographs of Apparent levitation.

Despite extensive documentation, the Enfield Haunting remains controversial. Sceptics argue that the events were exaggerated or fabricated, pointing to inconsistencies in the accounts and the possibility of the children playing pranks. However, many witnesses and investigators maintain that the phenomena were genuine and unexplained.

Despite uncertainties and disagreements, the Enfield Haunting continues to be one of the most thoroughly documented and debated supposed paranormal occurrences to date. Numerous films, books, and TV shows have been produced on the subject. It is believed by some to have inspired the 80s movie Poltergeist (1982). The BBC docudrama Ghostwatch (1992) was influenced by the haunting, and later, The Conjuring 2 (2016) depicted the Warrens investigating the renowned case.

THE HODGSONS

The Hodgson family, at the heart of the Enfield Haunting, consisted of single mother Peggy Hodgson and her four children.

Peggy Hodgson

At the age of 47, Margaret (Peggy) Hodgson was a single mother who raised her children in a modest council house at 284 Green Street. Peggy, recognized for her practical and grounded nature, remained focused on her children despite no longer being with her husband, with whom she had a turbulent relationship that the children often witnessed.

Janet Hodgson

Janet Hodgson, aged 11 at the time, was the primary focus of the poltergeist activity. She experienced the most intense phenomena, including levitation, being thrown from her bed, and speaking in a deep, raspy voice that claimed to be the spirit of a deceased man named Bill Wilkins. Janet’s experiences were extensively documented by investigators and the media, making her the central figure in the haunting.

Margaret Hodgson

Margaret Hodgson, Janet’s older sister, was 13 years old during the events. While not as prominently affected as Janet, Margaret also witnessed and experienced various disturbances. She supported her sister’s accounts and was present during many of the documented incidents. It was said that Margaret was a sensitive girl who would get emotional easily.

Johnny and Billy Hodgson

Johnny and Billy Hodgson, the younger brothers, were also part of the household. Johnny, aged 10, often stayed at a school for troubled children, while Billy, aged 7, was also affected by the disruptions, though not as much as their sisters. Their accounts and reactions contributed to the overall narrative of the haunting, though they were less frequently mentioned in reports.

FIRST INCIDENTS

At 9:30 pm on 31 August 1977, Janet and John heard shuffling noises in their bedroom. Their mother, Peggy, also hearing the noises from downstairs, decided to go to their room and tell them to stop making the noises. Peggy reportedly witnessed a chest of drawers mov a distance of eighteen inches across the room three times without any visible physical contact from anyone in the room. Filled with fear, Peggy quickly asked for help from their neighbours, the Nottingham family.

Vic and his son Gary Nottingham arrived and also heard additional knocking sounds. Vic later mentioned that he could not identify the source of the knocks, which appeared to follow him throughout the house. Peggy Nottingham then contacted the authorities.

WPC Heeps and PC Hyams arrived at around 1am. WPC Heeps observed a chair moving three to four feet across the living room floor without any physical interaction. More knocking sounds were heard by both the family and the police officers in attendance.

In the days that followed, marbles and Lego were seen flying around the house seemingly on their own. Witnessed by family members and the Nottingham family, various officials, and others who visited, but none were able to stop the ongoing phenomena.  

On the 4th of September, Mrs. Nottingham, Peggy's neighbour, called the Daily Mirror seeking help. Reporter Douglas Bence and photographer Graham Morris visited the house and witnessed objects flying around. Graham Morris was struck on the forehead by a piece of Lego moving at high speed. On the 7th of September, senior reporter for the Daily Mirror George Fallows and photographer David Thorpe also visited the house.

SPR INVOLVMENT

In early September, the Daily Mirror reached out to the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) and spoke with the secretary Eleanor O’Keeffe. O’Keeffe then contacted Maurice Grosse, a new member of the organization, who expressed his willingness to investigate any intriguing cases that might arise. Grosse, a successful inventor known for innovations like the rotating advertising billboard, became interested in paranormal phenomena after a series of significant events following the tragic death of his daughter Janet in August 1976 due to a motorcycle accident.

On the 5th of September, Grosse visited the house and advised Mrs. Hodgson to stay calm and keep notes of any incidents. Three days later, Grosse and three journalists from the Daily Mirror heard a loud crash coming from another part of the house. Believing everyone in the house was in his presence and accounted for, Grosse was convinced the family was telling the truth and decided to take the case. Subsequent visits revealed marbles flying through the air, doors opening on their own, and various objects moving mysteriously. Grosse, the Hodgson's, Peggy Nottingham's father, four reporters, and photographers from the Daily Mirror witnessed these events. At this early stage, up to ten individuals not related to the family had personally observed the phenomena.

Responding to Grosse's request for help from the SPR, author and investigator Guy Lyon Playfair arrived on the 12th of September. Being one of the most experienced members of the SPR with regards to poltergeist activity, senior members felt Playfair would be the perfect person to go in and report back on the findings. Playfair and Grosse worked together for more than a year, carrying out 180 visits and 25 all-night vigils at the house, capturing over 200 hours of audio, which has made it one of the most extensively documented paranormal cases in history.

Guy, an educated man, dedicated several years to studying psychic research in Brazil, where his true passion and intrigue were sparked. Unlike Maurice, Guy was more receptive to the spiritual aspects of the paranormal. He believed in the abilities of mediums and later arranged a séance at the Hodgson's house. As a successful author, he went on to write a book detailing the case, titled "This House is Haunted" (1980). Subsequently, he authored another book, "The Geller Effect" (1987, with Uri Geller), firmly believing in Geller's genuine psychic abilities.

The majority of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) members were doubtful of the case, feeling that Grosse and Playfair were not being open enough to investigate the phenomena thoroughly and were too quick to attribute everything to the poltergeist. One night, three senior SPR members visited the Hodgson's house in search of solid evidence. Tony Cornell, Alan Gauld, and Bernard Carr went to the bedroom where the family was settling down for the night, hoping to provoke a reaction from the spirit. After a short period of inactivity, Maurice Grosse informed them that things would start to happen if they left the room. Following his advice, the SPR members exited the room, and shortly after the door closed, activity ensued. This Convinced the SPR members that the family was responsible for the occurrences, the three men noted that incidents only occurred when the family was left alone.

On four separate occasions, another prominent SPR figure Anita Gregory a highly educated and scientifically-minded woman, visited the house. During each visit, she was convinced that Janet was playing tricks, noting that very little happened in her presence apart from a few childish insults supposedly coming from the voice of Bill the spirit. She believed that Guy and Maurice were not sufficiently critical of the evidence and that the evidence they provided to the SPR consisted mainly of barely audible recordings of shuffling, screams and bangs, believing that this did not provide significant evidence.

During the investigation, Hugh Pincott from the SPR and David Robertson, a physics student, were confronted by the voice of Bill upon entering Janet's bedroom. He instructed them to face the wall and avoid looking at Janet, as it would scare him. The voice of Bill proceeded to ask the men a series of questions, focusing on why do girls have periods and why do men wear those plastic things when they get in bed with women, the voice even questioned Maurice Grosse about the process of how girls give birth. The questions seem more characteristic of a young girl rather than those of a deceased man in his 70s who had a wife and child.

STANDOUT MOMENTS OF THE CASE

WPC Caroline Heeps official statement

"On Thursday 1st September 1977 at approximately 1am, I was on duty in my capacity as a policewoman, when I received a radio message to 284, Wood [sic] St, Enfield. I went to this address where I found a number of people standing in the living room. I was told by the occupier of this house that strange things had been happening during the last few nights and that they believed that the house was haunted. Myself and another PC entered the living room of the house and the occupier switched off the lights. Almost immediately I heard the sound of knocking on the wall that backs onto the next door neighbour's house. There were four distinct taps on the wall and then silence. About two minutes later I heard more tapping, but this time it was coming from a different wall, again it was a distinctive peal of four taps. The PC and the neighbours checked the walls, attic and pipes, but could find nothing to explain the knockings".

The Voice

One of the most remarkable occurrences during the Enfield Haunting was the voice coming from Janet Hodgson, claiming to be the spirit of a deceased man named Bill Wilkins. This voice, unlike Janet's usual tone, was deep, gruff, and distinctly different.

The voice manifested in December 1977, a few months after the haunting had commenced. Janet identified it as Bill Wilkins, who had passed away in the house years before.

Investigators, such as Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair, documented multiple instances where the voice communicated through Janet. Upon analysing these recordings, some experts suggested that Janet might have been using her false vocal cords, a technique known as "ventriloquism," to produce the voice.

Sceptics contended that Janet might have been feigning the voice for attention, noting its childlike phrasing and vocabulary. While acknowledging fabricating some incidents, Janet maintained that the majority of the phenomena, including the voice, were authentic. The voice introduced a significant level of mystery and intricacy to the Enfield haunting. It emerged as a compelling piece of evidence for believers in the supernatural aspect of the occurrences.

Maurice and Guy attempted to record the voice while Janet's mouth was taped shut. Initially, the voice was muffled but then became clearer. Maurice instructed Janet to hold water in her mouth then reapplied the tape. After a period of silence from the voice, Maurice asked for it to speak, This led to some unclear sounds before Janet seemed to have difficulty and then spat out the water, angering Maurice.

The voice phenomenon remains one of the most debated aspects of the Enfield Haunting, with opinions divided between those who see it as proof of supernatural activity and those who believe it was a clever hoax.

Levitation Photos

The levitation photographs from the Enfield Haunting are widely recognized and controversial pieces of evidence from the case. Graham Morris of the Daily Mail took these images using a remote trigger connected to his camera. Upon hearing a noise, he activated the trigger, capturing the now famous images. The images allegedly depict Janet Hodgson hovering above her bed. Let's delve into these photographs and the controversy surrounding them.

The photographs portray Janet Hodgson appearing to float in mid-air over her bed, with her body assuming different positions that hint at her being raised or propelled by an invisible force. Critics contend that the images might simply show Janet leaping off her bed rather than being levitated by a supernatural entity.

Some observers note that Janet's body positions in the photographs resemble those of someone jumping, not levitating.

The photographer, Graham Morris, has mentioned that while the photographs are intriguing, they do not definitively confirm levitation. He acknowledged that Janet could have been jumping, but also pointed out that the pictures were taken within a context of numerous other unexplained occurrences.

Janet maintained that the levitation was authentic and not something she had faked.

Janet described feeling as if she was pulled up by her wrists and lifted upright, then lifted by the waist, carried through the air, and finally dropped near the door.

The levitation photographs continue to be a central aspect of the Enfield Haunting, showcasing the sensational and seemingly inexplicable events recounted by the Hodgson family. They persist as a topic of contention, with believers interpreting them as proof of genuine paranormal activity and sceptics regarding them as easily explainable deceptions.

According to certain reports, the images made available to the public were staged recreations of the original pictures. This was done because the original images were deemed by the Daily Mirror, unsuitable for publication due to being in black and white and too grainy. Janet was then asked to re-enact the events for publication. Interestingly, the original images are said to be in possession of the SPR, further fuelling curiosity around the phenomena and casting doubt on the authenticity of the images in the public domain.

BBC Radio Report From Roz Morris

Roz Morris, a BBC radio reporter, was assigned to conduct an interview due to a lack of content for her radio show. Sceptical about the situation, she interviewed Maurice. While recording, they heard a noise from upstairs, prompting them to investigate. They discovered that a chair had moved about 9 feet in Janet's room and Janet appeared to be asleep, just as she had been 10 minutes earlier. Neither of the girls were believed to have orchestrated the events. Roz described the wall knocking as remarkable, and upon returning several times, she continued to hear it.

Roz's report aired for 10 minutes on The World This Weekend on Sunday, September 11th, 1977. Intrigued by the strange events surrounding the Hodgson family, she create a 40-minute radio documentary, which premiered on BBC Radio 4 in December 1978. The documentary was rebroadcast in 1979 on Radio 4 and twice on BBC World Service Radio. The program features recordings of poltergeist phenomena, such as unexplained knocking sounds on walls, as well as the deep voice appearing to come from Janet and her sister Margaret, claiming to be the voices of a ghosts called Bill.

“ I simply don’t know what was happening at Enfield just over forty years ago. But what I do know is that in a long career as a journalist and broadcaster, this is the strangest and most disturbing story I have ever reported on.” Roz Morris.

Lollipop Lady Gives Eye Witness Statement

One afternoon, Hazel Short was carry out her role as the neighbourhood crossing guard. As she reached the Hodgson’s residence to retrieve her lollipop hidden in the bush outside their home, she was startled to see something inexplicable. The following is her official statement.

"I was standing there looking at the house, when all of a sudden a couple of books came flying across and hit the window. It was so sudden. I heard the noise because it was so quiet, there was no traffic, and it made me jump…

Then after a little while, I saw Janet. I don’t know if there’s a bed underneath that window, but she was going up and down bodily as though someone was just tossing her up and down bodily, in a horizontal position, like as if someone had got hold of her legs and back and was throwing her up and down.

I definitely saw her come up about window height, but I thought if she was bouncing, she’d bounce from her feet, she wouldn’t be able to get enough power to bounce off her back, to come up that high. My friend could see her as well, we both could see her". Hazel Short.

As the incident took place, inside the house, investigator David Robertson was following Janet upstairs. When Janet entered the room closely followed by David, he reported the door was slammed shut in his face, unable to enter the room, Robertson claimed the door was being held by a powerful force not allowing him to enter. He could hear Janet being tossed around and things flying around the room. Unable to enter, he recorded the incident on his audio recorder.

The Radio Photo

During one of Janet's trance-like episodes, which involved biting, scratching and crying behaviour, which Maurice Grosse believed to be a sign of possession. The situation escalating to the point where both the family and Grosse grew worried about Janet's well-being. With no immediate solutions available, they decided to seek help from a doctor. When the doctor arrived, Janet was sedated. Once she had fallen to sleep everyone returned downstairs. Graham Morris, a journalist from the Daily Mirror, was startled by a loud noise. He hurried upstairs with Janet's uncle and found her asleep on a radio that was resting on a chest of drawers, appearing to be completely oblivious to her surroundings. Morris managed to capture the scene in the photograph above.

CASE OVERVIEW

During the initial phase of the investigation, Peggy Hodgson sensed a presence in the house, feeling as if it was watching her. She suspected that the haunting might be linked to some furniture purchased by her ex-husband from a neighbour who was later found guilty of tragically killing his young daughter. The strange events seemed to coincide with the introduction of the furniture into their home. They decided to burn the furniture and replace it in an attempt to rid the house of the haunting, but to no avail

Maurice sought assistance from the council, the school, and even arranged a holiday to Clacton-on-Sea to provide the family with a much-needed break from the distressing occurrences at 284 Green Street.

The case attracted widespread media attention, with reporters and various news outlets from across the globe reaching out to the family for updates and interviews. This only intensified the stress they were experiencing. The notoriety of the case led Ed and Lorraine Warren to visit, The warrens would go on to confirm the reality of the haunting.

A séance was conducted, during which the medium identified Janet as the conduit for the dark entity haunting the house, warning that challenging it would lead to a war. As the case garnered more media coverage, famous ventriloquist Ray Allen visited to determine if the girls were mimicking Bill's voice. He believed they were pretending to be haunted as they seemed to find it very amusing and loved the media attention they were receiving at the time.

During a particular incident, Janet was asleep when suddenly there was screaming and commotion coming from her room. Playfair entered the room to find Janet with a curtain wrapped around her neck, alleging that she was being choked. Peggy expressed her belief that there is a malevolent presence in the house trying to kill Janet.

As the situation escalated, Janet became increasingly distressed, exhibiting trance-like episodes and engaging in erratic behaviour, drawing graphic pictures and expressing how she was going to kill someone. After facing bullying at school and being negatively impacted by media attention, it was suggested that Janet should be separated from the family to alleviate the haunting targeting her. She was sent to St. Joseph's children's home and later admitted to Maudsley Hospital in London.

Under the care of Dr Peter Fenwick, tests were conducted on Janet, revealing normal brain function, prompting a focus on her behaviour. Away from her family, Janet's demeanour improved significantly. She expressed feeling a sense of impending activity when with her family, which dissipated when alone. After six weeks, she returned home, despite her mother's reluctance to have her back.

In October 1978, just over a year after the Enfield haunting began a Dutch journalist named Peter Liefhebber, drawn by the media coverage, introduced the family to a Dutch medium named Dono Gmelig-Meyling. Upon his visit to 284 Green Street, Dono sensed a connection between Maurice Grosse and the occurrences in the house, claiming to have visions of a woman resembling Maurice's deceased daughter. After spending some time in Janet's bedroom, he returned downstairs and declared that the spirit had departed. Shortly after this incident, the strange happenings ceased, much to the surprise of Grosse and Playfair. The unusual activity at 284 Green Street stopped, allowing the family to move on with their lives.

 Janet, who never felt truly welcomed or comfortable at home, left at the age of 16. Despite still being impacted by those events, she later got married and started a family of her own. Janet would later confess that she still senses the presence to this day and that it has never truly left her.

SCPUK ANALYSIS

At SCPUK, we believe that this is a fascinating case filled with numerous complexities and personal emotions and interests that led to one of the most extensively documented and renowned hauntings in history. The claims and statements may seem incredible at first glance, making one wonder how so many impartial individuals could have misinterpreted the situation.

Upon closer examination of the case background and the individuals involved, cracks start to emerge. Delve further, and these cracks become even more noticeable.

The Hodgson's are a family facing financial difficulties, having recently lost the husband and father figure. Their oldest son had been sent to a school for troubled children, reducing the family size from 6 to 4. Peggy later confessed that she reflects on their childhood with guilt, realising how difficult it was both before and after their father's departure.

Then there is Janet, a distressed girl struggling to cope with her father's absence, something she would later acknowledge as very challenging. In addition, her older brother was sent away to a boarding school, all the while she was experiencing puberty, dealing with physical and emotional changes. All in all you are left with a girl who is angry, scared, emotional, and lost, searching for something to fill the void and assist her in coping with the issues she is facing.

Considering the horror movement gaining traction in the public eye following the success of the blockbuster movie The Exorcist, this could influence the thoughts and imagination of a vulnerable and impressionable girl like Janet.

Maurice Grosse had underlying motives that he may not have been fully aware of. He joined the SPR following paranormal occurrences after the tragic passing of his daughter, leading him to seek answers. This resulted in an emotionally charged man desperately attempting to communicate with the afterlife to find his deceased daughter. The fact that his daughter shared the name Janet further intensified his connection to the case. In his pursuit to make contact with the other side, Grosse unknowingly desired the evidence to be genuine, to the extent that he may have tailored the narrative to suit his own agenda.

Guy Lyon Playfair was someone who believed in the more dubious aspects of the paranormal. While he had faith in the abilities of mediums, psychic surgeons, and individuals like Uri Geller, who would eventually be exposed as a fraud. Without questioning everyone in the realm of mediumship, the field is rife with charlatans and con artists, which suggests that despite his education and knowledge, Guy may have displayed vulnerabilities to deception.

Combining these factors results in a perilous mix: a young troubled girl in desperate need of attention or something to fill the void in her life; a man seeking contact with his deceased daughter from the other side; and another man who is susceptible to suggestion and easily deceived by trickery.

Therefore, we need to examine the evidence, including the hundreds of hours of audio recordings from the case that, unfortunately, must be immediately discarded. These recordings solely consist of noises like bangs, knocks, and screaming, offering no substantial evidence.

Now, let's consider the photos captured during the incidents. What concrete evidence do they offer? Primarily, they show pieces of furniture overturned, the family appearing distressed or scared, and Janet in awkward positions. There is no photographic evidence of furniture actually levitating or Lego pieces flying through the air. All the pictures were taken after the event occurred and, therefore, must be completely disregarded.

That brings us to the most convincing evidence in this case: the eyewitness statements. However, upon further examination, they are not as clear-cut as they appear. While it may sound harsh, in paranormal matters, eyewitness accounts do not hold much weight. Our minds are easily influenced by suggestion, and during times of mass hysteria, fear, and confusion, many things can be perceived inaccurately.

When considering the most reliable statements, WPC Heeps explains her confusion regarding the chair's movement across the room. She also notes that this event only happened once the lights were switched off. How much can one really perceive in a room filled with hysterical people when the lights are out?

Graham Morris from the Daily Mirror reported witnessing Lego pieces and marbles flying across the room. He was hit by one of them but later mentioned that due to the emotional turmoil and confusion at that moment, it was difficult to accurately capture the events unfolding with his camera.

Let's analyze the pictures showing Janet appearing to levitate. Despite the initial impression, our position at SCPUK is that these images actually show Janet leaping out of bed. There is no proof to substantiate the claims of her levitating or being moved across the room by an invisible force. If these photos are indeed reenactments, they must be disregarded entirely. Without the original images accessible to the public, we regrettably lack evidence to support the credibility of these incidents.

Similarly, when examining the image showing Janet seemingly asleep while the spirit positioned her on top of the radio in her room, a closer inspection reveals that her left arm is taut, bearing her weight, and a few toes from her left foot are pressing against the wall for balance. This posture is not typical of a heavily sedated girl in a deep sleep.

At SCPUK, we believe that Janet was the ghost haunting 284 Green Street in Enfield, North London. Maurice Grosse acknowledged discovering Janet knocking on the floors and walls, moving the cameras, and attributing it to the ghost. The voice of Bill spoke in a manner resembling that of a 12-year-old girl rather than a man in his 70s. Upon watching the video footage of Janet, it is evident that there are subtle lip movements as she awkwardly tries to conceal them.

In an attempt to seek attention due to feeling lost, lonely, and scared, Janet inadvertently haunted her own family. As the story gained traction and garnered more interest, her sense of value also increased. While listening to audio recordings of events, the scared girl never called out for her mother, opting instead for Maurice, Guy, or Graham, which further indicates her need for the absence of male figures in her life. Desiring attention and continuing with the events further entangled her in the deception. Getting caught in a web of deceit during a challenging period in her life more than likely led to a mental breakdown. The involvement of investigators Maurice and Guy inadvertently fuelled the fire, drawing more attention to the case.

It is a fascinating tale of the human psyche and how individual beliefs and desires can turn a unintentional hoax into what could be the most famous poltergeist case in history.