The Enfield Poltergeist

The Enfield Poltergeist case is widely considered one of the most thoroughly documented and compelling poltergeist investigations in history. The events at a council house in North London between 1977 and 1978 attracted investigators, journalists, and skeptics from around the world.

The Family and Setting

The events centered on the Hodgson family living at 284 Green Street in Enfield, North London. Peggy Hodgson, a single mother, lived there with her four children: Margaret (13), Janet (11), Johnny (10), and Billy (7).

The modest council house became the site of phenomena that would be investigated by the Society for Psychical Research, witnessed by police officers, journalists, and numerous visitors.

The Beginning

On August 30, 1977, Peggy Hodgson heard shuffling noises coming from her daughters’ bedroom. She initially assumed the girls were playing. The next night, the family heard loud knocking sounds that seemed to come from the walls.

What followed escalated rapidly:

• A heavy chest of drawers reportedly moved by itself across the room
• Knocking sounds followed specific patterns and seemed to respond to questions
• Objects flew across rooms in front of multiple witnesses
• Furniture overturned repeatedly

When Peggy called the police, WPC Carolyn Heeps responded and witnessed a chair slide across the kitchen floor without anyone touching it. She later signed an affidavit confirming what she saw.

The Investigation

Maurice Grosse of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) arrived in September 1977 and would spend months investigating the case. He was later joined by writer and researcher Guy Lyon Playfair.

During their investigation, Grosse and Playfair documented:

• Over 1,500 specific paranormal incidents
• Multiple forms of phenomena including knockings, object movement, fires starting spontaneously, pools of water appearing, and equipment malfunction
• Physical phenomena witnessed by multiple independent observers
• Janet levitating above her bed (witnessed by neighbors through the window)

Janet and the Voice

The phenomena seemed to center primarily on 11-year-old Janet. Most dramatically, Janet began speaking in a deep, gruff male voice that identified itself as “Bill” - an old man who had died in a chair in the corner of the house.

The voice spoke at length about Bill’s life and death. Researchers later confirmed that a man named Bill Wilkins had indeed died in the house, in the chair Janet identified, of a brain hemorrhage - just as the voice had described.

The voice displayed knowledge Janet could not have possessed:

• Specific details of Bill’s life and death
• Information about previous residents
• Events that occurred before Janet was born

Speech therapists examined Janet and stated that maintaining the voice would be physically harmful and extremely difficult to fake. The voice sessions were recorded extensively.

Witness Accounts

The Enfield case is notable for the number and credibility of its witnesses:

• Police officers: Multiple officers witnessed phenomena and signed affidavits
• Journalists: Daily Mirror photographer Graham Morris captured images of Janet seemingly levitating
• Researchers: SPR investigators spent months documenting events
• Neighbors: Witnessed phenomena through windows
• Tradespeople: Delivery men and workers reported experiences
• BBC crew: Filmed at the house though their equipment repeatedly malfunctioned

Skeptical Analysis

Critics have raised questions about the case:

• Janet and Margaret were caught bending spoons and attempting to fake phenomena on at least one occasion
• Janet later admitted in interviews that she and her sister faked “about 2%” of the phenomena when things were quiet, to keep investigators interested
• Skeptics suggest all phenomena could have been faked by the children

However, investigators note:

• The admitted fakery was a tiny fraction of incidents
• Many phenomena were witnessed when the children were observed or restrained
• Adult witnesses included skeptical police officers and journalists
• The voice phenomenon was examined by medical professionals
• Equipment malfunctions and phenomena continued when children were not present

Duration and End

The poltergeist activity continued for over a year, gradually diminishing in late 1978. The phenomena largely ceased after Janet reached puberty, consistent with theories that poltergeist activity often centers on adolescents.

Janet Hodgson has spoken publicly about the case in adulthood, maintaining that the events were genuine and profoundly affected her life.

Legacy

The Enfield case has been featured in:

• “The Conjuring 2” (2016) - dramatized for film
• Multiple documentaries and television programs
• Books including “This House is Haunted” by Guy Lyon Playfair
• The Sky series “The Enfield Haunting” (2015)

The case remains one of the most studied poltergeist incidents and continues to be debated by believers and skeptics alike. The extensive documentation, multiple witnesses, and the verified death of “Bill” in the house make it one of the most compelling cases in paranormal research.

The house at 284 Green Street still stands and has been occupied by various tenants since the Hodgsons left, with no reported continuation of the phenomena.