This article is in reference to a BBC documentary “Dark Premonitions Paranormal Britain’s Last Witch” that is only available in the UK. Helen Duncan was a physical medium in the UK during the Second World War and is notable for being tried and convicted of witchcraft under a 1753 law. Naturally, this law presumes the existence of witchcraft. For this reason, and the exceptional skill she displayed during her lifetime, she was, and still is, a controversial figure to say the least. Like many documentaries on the paranormal, this one is a mixed bag.
In addition to being the owner and chief editor of Paranormal Daily News, I have spent decades researching her work and have worked closely with Helen’s granddaughter. I assisted the producers of the documentary by connecting Helen’s granddaughter, Margaret ‘Maggie’ Hahn, who was too ill at the time to be part of the broadcast, and ensuring her role as the surviving member of the family that is fighting to clear Helen’s name. Margaret has been researching and fighting for over 40 years.
It has also come to our knowledge that some people and organizations are already exploiting Helen’s story for personal gain. We have noted that they are not authorities in the subject matter and are profiting from the pain of the family. Such behavior is condemned by Helen's immediate family and team.
The Most Prolific Medium Of The Time
Helen Duncan was, and still is, the most prolific physical medium of our time. She demonstrated remarkable physical mediumship where she materialized full-form spirit figures in red light. In séances, these spirits were able to commune and communicate with their loved ones, providing astounding evidence. Her name is often whispered with reverence in spiritualist circles and reviled in the corridors of power even to this day. There is no self-proclaimed medium today that can come close to what Helen could do in the séance room. In fact, she has recently become the subject of another BBC documentary that plays out in four parts. I cannot say that I support the choice of the name ‘Dark Premonitions Paranormal Britain's Last Witch, but I understand the need for a clickbait title to sell the show. The show presented itself well and had a compelling storytelling narrative, in my opinion.
Decades after her passing, Helen Duncan’s life remains shrouded in controversy, her legacy tangled in a deception spun by those who sought to silence her. There are many so-called experts who have no connection to Helen and who use third-party knowledge to formulate their assumptions. Skeptics lack firsthand experience of events that challenge the fundamental principles of science, leading them to adopt unfounded assumptions. Scientists who are chained to the materialist paradigm and others who are mere sheep in a pen, unknowing that a wolf has infiltrated.
Truth Obscured
The truth is often obscured by fear and manipulation. Just look at the world around us. Manipulation is rife, and it is no different now than it was in Helen’s time. The fear and manipulation of Helen have left a wound that lingers in her family to this day. The documentary was acceptable in many ways and unacceptable in other ways, featuring some questionable, hypothesis-based theories. However, it's important to keep in mind that the documentary primarily focused on the journey of a single woman, who had no prior knowledge of Helen, yet took on the task of investigating her story.
At times, it felt as though it was way more about the journalist’s journey than the real truth behind Helen, which I would have preferred. This, however, was the true premise of the documentary, and I must set aside my bias. Easier said than done. Nevertheless, it is important to remind ourselves that it is a difficult story to tell with so much controversy. Journalist Sian Eleri infused the storytelling with personal intrigue and kept you engaged, but as usual, the BBC inevitably overdramatized it.
If we accept the documentary's depiction of spiritualism and mediumship as a standard, it falls severely short. There was much that was not said, and the lack of evidence in the demonstrated mediumship did no favors for those of us who have dedicated our lives and service as professional mediums. I'm glad it was about Sian Eleri and her journey, not spiritualism or mediumship. Helen’s life just happened to be the subject. Nevertheless, as I mentioned to Maggie, it was and continues to be an opportunity to uncover the truth and provide behind-the-scenes education.
Building Bridges to the Truth
It is an honor for me to finally uncover the truth and shed light on the shrouded ignorance. As I previously mentioned, my friend and colleague Helen’s granddaughter Margaret Hahn has been fighting for over 40 years to clear her grandmother's name. She was to fly to Scotland to be filmed for the documentary, as she is the only surviving family member who has spoken out about the injustice done to her grandmother over a considerable time. This was something I tried to arrange with the BBC for Margaret. However, Margaret's health deteriorated, making it impossible for her to film on location. We managed to get around it, though, and recorded her interview online.
No Time For False Perceptions and 3rd Party Wisdom
I will not dive into a Rotten Tomatoes-type review of the BBC program. I'll let the so-called experts and pundits try to explain it. The presentation of the facts in a balanced format was a valiant effort to distinguish fact from fiction. But as I mentioned before, more could have been done to focus on Helen and the fight to clear a woman charged under an old, archaic law. The British prime minister during World War II was furious about this law's use in Helen Duncan's case and made his own demands. In a letter to the home secretary, he penned the following:
“Give me a report of the 1735 Witchcraft Act. What was the cost of a trial to the State in which the Recorder (magistrate) was kept busy with all this obsolete tomfoolery to the detriment of the necessary work in the courts?”
Winston Churchill was not ignorant of spiritualism and actually had some of his own experiences with paranormal phenomena.
The Family Lawyer
Graham Hewitt, a retired solicitor and member of Helen’s team to clear her name, stated the following misconception, and we already amended the statement above:
Sir Gerald Dodson certainly was not a junior magistrate. He was admitted as a barrister in 1907. Between 1925 and 1934 he was senior Counsel to the Crown at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey). He became a judge in 1934 and was then appointed as the Recorder of The City of London in September 1937. This meant that he was the most senior judge at the Old Bailey and had the administration of that court and the subsidiary courts under his jurisdiction.
It is time to strip away the veils of misjudgment and bring Helen’s story into the light. For too long, history has been written by those who sought to suppress her, distorting facts to protect their interests. But now, for the first time, we have direct evidence from Helen’s own family. We have proof that challenges the narratives dictated by authority figures of her time. We also have proof of the real identity of Helen’s spirit guide—affectionately known as Uncle Albert.
Let’s Recap Helen’s Work and Downfall
Most within the spiritualist community know of Helen Duncan’s infamous arrest in January 1944, an act of desperation by a government terrified of what she might reveal. In a séance, she manifested the spirit of a sailor from H.M.S. Barham, a warship that had undergone a classified operation. But few realize that her guide, Albert Stewart, had also delivered another staggering revelation: a warning to Brigadier Firebrace, Head of Military Intelligence of Scotland, about the fate of H.M.S. Hood. As a result of the revelation of the sinking of HMS Hood and subsequently HMS Barham, her work was called to the attention of military intelligence as a breach of national security.
During the Second World War, the British Admiralty imposed a strict veil of secrecy over the loss of their warships, concealing these tragedies not only from the enemy but also from their people. Families waited in agony, unaware that their loved ones had perished. When the grim letters of notification finally arrived, they carried not only the weight of sorrow but a stark warning;
Speak of this to no one.
Silence was demanded, enforced by the unrelenting fear that even whispers of the truth might find their way into enemy hands.
Assumptions Abound
The documentary suggests that Helen may have heard the stories that were likely spread in the area due to the need for grieving family members to unsilence themselves from the pain of not knowing. This analogy is reminiscent of old wives gossiping on a Sunday because there was nothing better to do. This statement is simply an assumption; no one truly knows the objective truth, and let's be honest, truth is often personal and subjective.
However, truth can also emerge unexpectedly and unconventionally. Within the sacred space of the séance room, truth had a way of surfacing. Helen’s spirit guide, Albert Stewart, was no ordinary presence, and his connection to the physical world was deeply rooted in a life tragically cut short. Born in Scotland, Albert immigrated to Australia, only to face a cruel fate. On Christmas Eve, 1912, while riding in a cart driven by a twelve-year-old boy, a sudden swerve to avoid a pothole sent him tumbling. The cart overturned, pinning him beneath the water. Desperate efforts to lift the weight proved futile. Albert Stewart drowned, his voice silenced in one world, only to emerge powerfully in another.
Albert's Death Certificate
And so, through Helen, Albert continued his work. He was not just a spirit guide to her. He became a builder of truth, a messenger from the beyond whose insights shook the foundations of secrecy and threatened the government of the day. The British government may have feared Helen Duncan, but what they truly feared was the undeniable reality that the spirit world was listening, watching, and revealing what the living sought to hide.
Questionable Motivations
During the BBC documentary, Helen's motivation comes to fruition, and of course, those who investigated her mediumship failed to see that their motivations may have been clouded by false judgments and expectations. Such as questions about what she earned and if she deliberately chose an area based on the grieving who were ripe for the taking. But I also get how someone who has no experience with the afterlife or mediumship and can only go by third-party knowledge could be sidelined by assumptions.
The Mechanics of Helen’s Mediumship
Modern physical mediumship is also fraught with controversy, and to date, there is no self-proclaimed medium that even comes close to the materialization mediumship that Helen Duncan displayed. The lack of evidence is predominant in modern times compared to the level of empirical evidence that was shown in Helen’s time. Additionally, there is a significant deficiency in our understanding of what defines excellent evidence. But we must also remember that one man’s evidence is another’s failure. This need for real evidence was not evident in the documentary. I felt sorry for Sian, as she clearly was not experiencing what she should have, or, at worst case, it was edited out. The modern-day séance room also comes into question from many avenues, especially those within the skeptics' community, materialist science, and even uninformed spiritual perspectives.
Issues In The Seance Room
Let’s try and examine some issues. We are taken from dark to light, and what I mean is that we evolve from nothing into substance. We transform from formlessness into form, and this transformation represents the journey from dark to light. This journey has been used to justify developing physical mediumship in total darkness, but only certain waveforms of energy or light are needed. Helen exemplified the concept.
She never sat in complete darkness. According to her family and those who sat with Helen, she was always in a subdued red light. Everyone who sat with Helen could see the materialization take place. While the documentary shows one séance that is held in total darkness and another at the end that is in red light, the latter is in no way typical of a legitimate séance. The former was a legitimate seance by today’s understanding. Again, the last event leaves you with more questions than answers, and I suspect it would be fodder for the skeptical community, who will no doubt levy their opinions in due course. Clearly, our intrepid investigator was not convinced, and I know many others were not convinced of Helen’s presence in the room. Evidence is fundamental to all research, and empirical evidence is the pinnacle of scientific research.
Albert Speaks: A Rare Glimpse into the Mechanics of Materialization
In 1932, Albert himself, who was Helen’s guide, granted a rare interview through Helen’s mediumship, documented in The Two Worlds. The conversation not only reaffirmed the depth of his connection to Helen but also provided an extraordinary glimpse into the process of spirit materialization. It was this act of materializing spirits in her séances that both baffled and terrified skeptics.
Albert revealed that his role extended far beyond simply acting as a spirit guide; he was a builder of materialized forms, working with a group of spirits who manipulated a substance he called psychoplasm, as confirmed by Albert. We now refer to this material as ectoplasm, a substance that provides spirits with a temporary physical form. He called it thought manifestation, where the spirit form was shaped by the deceased and the sitters' expectations and energy.
Materialized form example image
The ectoplasm, which resembled a cloth-like material, has been a point of controversy for many years. Many of the fake photographs depicting ectoplasm demonstrations, initially dismissed as Helen's fraudulent material, were actually staged to illustrate how spirit manifestations operated. This incident is clearly noted in a private diary that belonged to Helen’s husband, and we have the record in our possession.
Theories and Hypotheses
This revelation of fully materialized ectoplasm aligned with contemporary spiritualist theories but also posed unsettling implications for skeptics. If materializations were influenced by human consciousness as much as by spirit agency, could thoughts alone shape what was seen? That is a valid point and should also be considered in a séance, as most are prepared and have expectations. I even found myself falling into that trap at times and have always had to bring my awareness back to the moment. If so, could Albert's existence be partly due to the collective mind of his believers?
Nevertheless, the evidence presented gave far more weight to the truth of the continuation of consciousness after the death of the physical body. The evidence was astounding and empirical, and we have written statements from those at the various séances, including private sittings with Helen. A great deal of the evidence and phenomena was corroborated and had similar patterns throughout all séances and in all areas that were many miles apart. This brings into question the theory that the phenomenon was fake. Cheesecloth cannot disappear into the floor, yet the ectoplasm was witnessed and corroborated as having done exactly that. The witnesses were at different times, had no relationships, and were in areas that were all hundreds of miles apart, yet they all claimed the same. I will leave you with that thought to contemplate.
Spirit Forms Have Weight
During the interview, Albert also disclosed an astonishing fact: materialized spirit forms had weight. While most spirits manifested at around 4 to 9 pounds, some figures, particularly in highly developed cases, could reach up to 30 pounds. Helen, as the medium, could only withstand the extraction of about 26 to 30 pounds of substance from her body before suffering extreme exhaustion.
Undeniable Empirical Evidence
The empirical evidence presented was undeniable. The séance room was illuminated by ruby light, allowing witnesses to observe Albert’s full-form materializations. Sitters saw Helen enveloped in vast streams of ectoplasm. Up to ten measured yards of the substance extended from her mouth and nostrils before retracting. The sight was both mesmerizing and unsettling, leaving even seasoned investigators at a loss for rational explanation. Also note my theory above regarding witness statements.
Albert also spoke of the environment’s role in these manifestations. Atmospheric conditions influenced séance success, with dry and cold nights being most favorable. He explained that each sitter in attendance played an integral role, unknowingly contributing elements of their physiology to the spirit’s formation. This included calcium from bones, breath from lungs, and mental energy all being siphoned into the process. So, it shows the need for the spirit, the medium, and the sitters to work together during the séance.
Beyond the mechanics, Albert revealed an unsettling perception of the living from his vantage point in the spirit world. To him, those in the physical realm appeared shadowy and dark, almost insubstantial —merely echoes of their true selves. He said that, in contrast, it was often the spirits, not the living, who struggled to accept their passing. This is rather comforting because it exemplifies how we continue to exist after the death of the physical body and continue with our incorporeal form.
In this extraordinary exchange, Albert did more than defend Helen’s mediumship. He provided a framework for understanding how spirit communication worked at its deepest levels. He refuted the notion that séances were mere parlor tricks, instead positioning them as scientific experiments in an undiscovered field of study.
The Head Of Intelligence Sat With Helen Duncan
On May 24, 1941, Brigadier Roy Firebrace, Head of Intelligence in Scotland, had the opportunity to attend a séance with Mrs. Duncan in Edinburgh. Mrs. Duncan’s control, Albert Stewart, appeared during the séance and suddenly said, “a great British battleship has been sunk”. Brigadier Firebrace was not aware of us losing a ship. When he returned to his headquarters approximately two hours after the sitting, he heard on a private line from the Admiralty in Scotland that the H.M.S. Hood had sunk.
After receiving the news, Brigadier Firebrace checked the time of the sitting, and it was the actual time that Albert materialized and provided him with information about the sinking of the H.M.S. Hood.
According to Brigadier Firebrace, the authorities looked at Mrs. Duncan as a somewhat dangerous person. He went on to say that Scotland Yard did go to the spiritualist organization and consulted with Mrs. Duncan and Brigadier Firebrace to see how Mrs. Duncan could be prevented from giving out information like this, as the authorities admitted the information was accurate. This set in motion a series of events that led to the authorities targeting Mrs. Duncan.
Intelligence Services Surveilled Helen
In an interview with Chief Constable of Portsmouth, Arthur West, in 1979, West confirmed the intelligence community’s agenda. The recorded interview was played during the BBC documentary, and you can clearly hear West claiming there was governmental foul play or a conspiracy. In short, West claimed that the intelligence services or government institutions would do anything to get rid of her or just make it all go away. Helen became a scapegoat for the governmental agenda. I can understand why there was turbulence in the intelligence community. D-DAY was not far away, and there was a need to keep everything as secretive as possible, so the revelations by Helen were considered a potential intelligence threat. After all, it was World War II.
Guy Liddel Quote
The Barham case has come up once more. A medium has produced a drowned sailor called Syd, who was recognized by several people present at the seance and said he was one of the crew. Cookie and Cussen are once more taking up the trail.
(Lawyer) Graham also further corroborated new evidence and stated in an email to PDN:
That was the basis of the investigation. We are having to prove that the main witnesses in the case were there as “agents provocateur” in order to entrap Helen and to force her to be arrested. They had a misleading understanding that she was using “muslin cloth” rather than ectoplasm. They have no deep understanding of what physical mediumship was all about. Harry Price had tried to intervene (to) give information to the Chief Constable. He was on the expedition to earn money. I have a letter from his “secretary” working in the War office that she had confirmed that this was an intervention on behalf of the Admiralty.
On 19 January when she was arrested, Worth and Cross went out to achieve an entrapment on police instructions. The police were in attendance outside the séance room and that is when Inspector Ford intervened. This had been manufactured as an exercise on 17 January. All of this is new evidence which has not been reviewed or disclosed and is confidential until approved by the grandchildren. At the time of writing this, it has been officially approved.
Skeptics and Magicians
Despite the extensive research and investigations into Helen’s mediumship, there was never any fraud detected, and all claims of fraud were mere assumptions. Those assumptions exist to this day. At one point in the documentary, a well-known skeptic, Professor Richard Wiseman, known for his exposure of fraud in psychic phenomena and mediumship, is brought in to discuss the research of Harry Price and to offer his personal theory in support of Price's assumptions. Wiseman shows Sian various photos that apparently depict fraudulent materialism, and he discusses the belief that what she was doing was regurgitating cheesecloth.
Again, these are mere assumptions, and no one has any proof of the genuineness of the images from both camps and if the photos may have been staged as a mere example. One has to also consider the amount of so-called cheesecloth Helen would need to consume. It would be a biological and physiological impossibility to swallow the amount that was protruded without serious injury to the biological functioning of the human anatomy.
Magicians and Skeptics
The documentary also fails to mention the magic circle leader's evidence or explanation, who was baffled by the events. Actually, I am probably being unfair, as perhaps the editors would not have any experience with Mediumship and would not know how important it really is to have this as testimony. Nevertheless, one of the most striking validations of Helen Duncan’s mediumship came from none other than Will Goldston, founder of the Magician’s Circle and a man who spent his life studying and exposing illusions. In 1932, Goldston attended her séances not as a believer but as an expert trained to detect deception. He was left speechless by what he witnessed. He described multiple spirit forms, each with distinct personalities and voices, something he admitted could not be explained by ventriloquism, sleight of hand, or any known trickery.
In a later test séance, Helen was bound with handcuffs, cord, and thread, and her thumbs were tied so tightly they left marks. Still, within minutes, she walked freely from the cabinet. Goldston openly stated that he had no explanation for what he saw. Coming from someone so deeply rooted in the world of magic and illusion, that kind of testimony holds weight. It suggests that what unfolded in those rooms wasn’t performance. It was genuine, and it defied explanation. This is one part of the story that should not have been omitted. It would have given balance to a skeptical inquiry.
Voiced Opinions
I voiced my opinion to the BBC producer about the use of any skeptics before filming and during the information-gathering phase of the documentary. I also voiced the concerns of Maggie based on the history of the past events that persecuted the family, and we did not want another repeat of the past. However, I accepted the need to have a balanced approach and to give the opinions on the science and skeptical side of the inquiry. I do feel that whilst it was handled adequately, more could have been done to contrast the two dynamics.
The Truth Behind the Persecution
Helen Duncan’s story is not just one of mediumship. It is a story of persecution, of a world unwilling to accept the unknown, and of a woman whose gifts became a battleground between truth and power. The British authorities sought to discredit her, twisting scientific phenomena into accusations of fraud. The church branded her work as heresy. However, the evidence—the very laws of physics governing the ectoplasmic materializations repeatedly witnessed—presents a different perspective. During the trial, Helen’s lawyer actually offered proof of the existence of Albert by demonstrating the mediumship and manifesting the voice of Albert, but the jury declined it. We do not know if the decline was forced or if it may have been a genuine fear of the potential for discarnate phenomena to present themselves. Nevertheless, Albert was willing to demonstrate his existence.
The interview with Albert serves as both a testament to Helen Duncan’s authenticity and a direct challenge to those who dismissed her as a charlatan. It stands as a stark reminder that Helen was not the illusionist they claimed, nor the fraud they feared. She was an entirely different entity, posing a far greater threat to the establishment. Helen shattered the very illusions of reality and power. She was the keeper of a door they desperately wanted to keep shut.
And today, as we revisit Helen’s legacy, we must ask ourselves: What is it that we still fear?
And more importantly:
Are we finally ready to listen?
Final Thoughts
This article is a collaborative effort aimed at revealing the truth and definitively dispelling myths. There will be more articles to come as we focus on new evidence unknown to the public and, of course, the legal community. Personally, I believe the documentary was one of the better ones available, although it may have overlooked some important points. I acknowledge the potential influence of my personal bias. Nevertheless, it has shed more light on the case, and the documentary was more balanced. We are happy about that, and the new evidence will bring us one step closer. Margaret is aware of those who are profiting from the case and she notes that none of these individuals or organizations are supported by the family or Helen’s team.
Together, we will continue the fight for Helen’s legacy and truth. Maggie is fighting—not only for her grandmother but also for her life— as she battles a horrific illness. Her greatest strength comes from the love and the desire she has to fight not only for Helen Duncan but to reveal the real truth behind this remarkable woman who was the greatest ambassador for spirit in her time and whose impact can still be felt today.
