The Battersea Poltergeist

One of Britain’s longest-documented poltergeist cases centered on teenager Shirley Hitchings and an entity calling itself “Donald.”

The Beginning (1956)

The Hitchings family at 63 Wycliffe Road experienced:

• A key mysteriously appearing on Shirley’s bed
• Knockings and rappings through the house
• Furniture moving on its own
• Slippers flying across rooms
• Bedclothes pulled off

Enter “Donald”

The entity began communicating through knocks:

• One knock for yes, two for no
• Spelled out messages letter by letter
• Claimed to be “Donald,” a Frenchman who died in 1805
• Said he was looking for “Louis”
• Became increasingly intelligent and interactive

The Manifestations

Physical Activity

• Heavy furniture thrown across rooms
• Objects appearing from nowhere
• Fires spontaneously starting
• Coins materializing
• Shirley levitated off her bed

Written Messages

Donald began writing:

• Notes appeared on surfaces
• Handwriting analyzed by experts
• Messages were coherent and sometimes poetic
• He claimed to love Shirley

The Investigators

Harold Chibbett of the SPR documented:

• 12 years of sustained activity
• Hundreds of witnessed phenomena
• Shirley’s genuine distress
• No evidence of hoaxing

Shirley’s Relationship with Donald

Over the years:

• Donald became protective of Shirley
• He disrupted her relationships with boys
• He appeared jealous and possessive
• Activity decreased when she married
• Donald “left” in 1968

Legacy

The case is notable for:

• Exceptional duration (12 years)
• The entity’s claimed identity
• Detailed documentation
• Shirley’s cooperation with researchers

Shirley Hitchings (now Shirley Hitchings Pugh) has spoken publicly about her experiences.

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The Battersea case remains one of the most compelling poltergeist investigations in British history.