The Battersea Poltergeist

The Battersea Poltergeist haunting spanned twelve years from 1956 to 1968, making it one of the longest poltergeist cases on record. The entity terrorized the Hitchings family in their south London home, focusing particularly on teenage daughter Shirley. Unusually for a poltergeist, the entity identified itself with a name, Donald, and communicated extensively through knocking codes and written messages.

The Beginning

The disturbances at 63 Wycliffe Road in Battersea began in January 1956 when the Hitchings family, Walter, Kitty, and their fifteen-year-old daughter Shirley, started hearing strange noises. Keys would rattle in doors. Objects would disappear and reappear elsewhere. The sounds of footsteps echoed through the house when no one was walking.

Initially, the family tried to find rational explanations. They checked for mice, investigated the plumbing, and looked for pranksters. When no ordinary cause could be found, and the phenomena continued to escalate, they became convinced something supernatural was occurring.

Communication

What made the Battersea case unusual was the entity’s willingness to communicate. Using a code of knocks, one for yes, two for no, the family was able to conduct conversations with the presence. Asked to identify itself, the entity gave the name Donald.

Donald’s communications became increasingly sophisticated. He would answer questions about himself, claiming to have once been a living person. He expressed interest in Shirley, demanding to be called the name of his choosing and growing agitated when ignored.

Written messages also appeared. Scraps of paper with writing on them were found throughout the house. The handwriting was distinctive and consistent, unlike any family member’s hand. The messages ranged from mundane to threatening.

Escalation

The phenomena grew more violent over time. Objects were thrown with force. Fires started spontaneously, requiring family members to keep constant watch. The family’s possessions were destroyed in incidents that seemed designed to intimidate and punish.

Shirley was particularly targeted. Items around her would move or fly toward her. She reported being scratched and pinched by invisible hands. The entity seemed both attracted to her and jealous of her relationships with others.

The family’s life became a siege. They could not leave the house unattended for fear of fire. They could not host visitors without subjecting them to bizarre phenomena. Normal activities became impossible.

Investigation

The case attracted investigators, including members of the Society for Psychical Research. Harry Price, the famous ghost hunter, was no longer alive, but his successor Harold Chibbett took an interest in the case.

Investigators documented the phenomena through interviews, observation, and collection of the written messages. They could not explain what they witnessed, though some suspected Shirley might be responsible, either consciously or unconsciously.

The case was featured in newspapers, making the Hitchings family minor celebrities. This attention may have contributed to the phenomena’s persistence, as poltergeists are sometimes believed to feed on emotional energy.

The Question of Shirley

As with many poltergeist cases, attention focused on the teenage girl at the center of events. Poltergeist phenomena frequently center on adolescents, particularly girls, leading some researchers to propose that the unconscious minds of troubled teenagers somehow generate the disturbances.

Shirley Hitchings denied creating the phenomena and maintained throughout her life that Donald was a genuine entity. She cooperated with investigators and submitted to testing. No evidence of fraud was ever proven, but suspicions lingered.

Resolution

The phenomena gradually diminished in intensity during the 1960s. As Shirley grew older and her life circumstances changed, Donald’s presence faded. The family eventually moved from Wycliffe Road, and the disturbances did not follow them.

Shirley Hitchings later collaborated on a book about the case, “The Poltergeist Prince of London,” published in 2013. She maintained her account of events until her death, insisting that Donald had been real and that the experience had shaped her entire life.

Legacy

The Battersea Poltergeist remains one of Britain’s most famous poltergeist cases. Its unusual duration and the entity’s communications make it distinctive among such accounts.

The case is cited in discussions of poltergeist phenomena, particularly regarding the relationship between poltergeists and adolescent psychic activity. Whether Donald was a genuine spirit, a manifestation of Shirley’s unconscious mind, or an elaborate hoax remains debated.

The extensive documentation of the case, including the written messages and investigator reports, provides valuable material for researchers. Whatever caused the events at Wycliffe Road, the Battersea Poltergeist left an enduring mark on British paranormal history.