One of the most popular paranormal cases in Britain has to be “The Haunting of Enfield.” This paranormal case started in 1977, after the Hodgson family reported what they claimed were supernatural occurrences occurring within their home located in Enfield, North London.
People witnessed an assortment of unusual events such as unexplained knocks on the walls, unexplained movements of furniture, objects floating through the air, and some witnesses reported hearing voices coming from one of the children.
As a result, this case attracted local newspaper reporters; paranormal investigators; local police officers; and curious people who wished to visit the property.
Some paranormal investigators felt that the family had indeed experienced actual paranormal activities at their home, but others felt that many of these experiences may have been trickery or intentional deception by someone in the household.
To determine if there was truth to the account of The Haunting of Enfield, it will be necessary to differentiate between verifiable events from subsequent claims and fabrications (dramatization).
What Was the Haunting of Enfield?
The term “Haunting of Enfield” is used to describe a series of paranormal incidents that reportedly occurred at the Hodgson family residence located on Green Street in Enfield, England, during the years 1977-79.
At this time Peggy Hodgson resided at the property along with her four children. By early August 1977, the Hodgson family reported hearing and seeing inexplicable occurrences in their home. The family stated that furniture moved, objects were thrown, and doors, windows, etc., apparently opened or closed by unknown means.
How Did the Enfield Poltergeist Case Begin?
The events have generally been referred to as being part of the ‘Enfield Poltergeist’ case and not just another example of a Haunting.
A Poltergeist has historically been defined as one form of Paranormal Phenomenon that includes physical disturbances (i.e. Knocking, Objects Moving, etc.) and Unusual Sounds. In contrast to the typical Ghost Story that focuses primarily on sightings of a particular Spirit; Poltergeist cases often are centered around unusual occurrences of some sort.
Reportedly, at the Hodgson residence, reported disturbances escalated with time. Eventually neighbors and investigators began to get involved in the situation and eventually the house was under considerable Public Scrutiny.
While reported disturbances do not automatically mean that a Supernatural Force was responsible for those disturbances.
Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair
The two most prominent researchers connected to this case are Maurice Grosse (a researcher from the Society for Psychical Research) and Guy Lyon Playfair.
Maurice Grosse started investigating the Hodgson house in September 1977. Later he was joined by Guy Lyon Playfair, and they spent many hours watching the family as well as recording all the reported experiences.
As a result of their research they collected photographic documentation, written accounts and audio records. While both Grosse and Playfair believed that much of what they saw could not have been caused by trickery; they did have different interpretations about what it demonstrated.
The Mysterious Voice of Janet Hodgson
One of the most notorious features of The Haunting of Enfield was a bizarre voice reportedly coming from Janet Hodgson.
Janet was just 11 when the trouble began. Investigators were able to hear what they believed to be a deep male voice emanating from her. It claimed to be that of william Bill Wilkins, who supposedly lived in the house before.
The recordings of the voices have been considered an important part of this case. Supporters of janet argued that she appeared to produce a voice which sounded very different from the way she usually speaks.
Skeptics offered another explanation. They speculated that janet could have deliberately changed how she spoke or used a vocal technique to create the unusual sound.
Was the Haunting of Enfield Real?
An extremely significant distinction exists in what can be said when referring to “unusual” occurrences that have been reported by people vs. when it is stated that these same unusual occurrences have been verified/established through science to be supernatural.
There are numerous accounts (well-documented) that members of the Hodgson family experienced some sort of unusual occurrence; there have also been several visits from investigators, journalists and other individuals who observed the house. Also, many materials were obtained during the investigation.
However, it has never been scientifically verified that a ghost, spirit, or other paranormal being was responsible for the unusual occurrences that occurred at the Hodgson residence.
Although researchers with the Society for Psychical Research did investigate various aspects of this case, they did not automatically accept all claims made about the case as valid. It appears that some incidents may be perceived as more compelling than others.
Therefore, The Haunting of Enfield will likely prove to be quite intriguing. The case includes much testimony and documentation; however, it cannot be used to definitively establish that a house is haunted.
Evidence of a Possible Hoax
One of the most compelling reasons for skepticism about the paranormal explanation for the events at Enfield is the possibility that the children involved had created some of their own evidence through staging an event or two.
The possibility of trickery was considered both by those conducting investigations as well as skeptics. Some incidents seemed to involve the children manipulating objects or behaving in such a way that it would be possible for them to create some of the phenomena experienced by investigators and visiting witnesses.
It doesn’t necessarily follow that all events were manufactured.
In fact, even some of the case’s advocates acknowledge that some of the incidents might have been staged by the children.
The position of many advocates of this case however has always been that while it is possible that some of the children had engaged in trickery (which could account for one or possibly several of the incidents), there are still so many things seen by so many people that cannot be explained by simply assuming they were being tricked.
Therefore, the Enfield case likely will not fit nicely into either category; “true haunting” or “completely fake.”
The Role of the Media
Media Coverage Helped Make “The Haunting of Enfield” Famous.
As soon as newspaper articles started to appear about the strange happenings at the Hodgson’s residence, it received extensive attention from many people, including journalists, photographers, investigators, and just regular citizens who wanted to know what was going on within those walls.
While media coverage likely influenced the actual events that took place (for example, if something unusual happened and that event was documented by journalists, etc., then that would have likely encouraged others to behave in a similar way for attention), it also provides additional layers of complexity when assessing the validity of the initial reports.
The Haunting of Enfield in Movies and Television
After the time that the actual events in the case took place, it continues to remain a well known story. This includes books; documentary series; Television shows; and various other forms of media (fictional) which continue to introduce the case to new groups of people.
Although there are some similarities with the original events in the film “the conjuring 2” this film is a dramatization of the case, as well as many other films depicting real cases. When you begin researching The Haunting of Enfield true story, it will be important for you to separate factual information about what occurred during the case from fiction that may be used in movies, etc. It is possible for a film to be inspired by an actual case but not necessarily depict all or even most of the events that actually happened.
Facts vs. Fiction in the Enfield Case
Many people think they know what really happened at The Haunting of Enfield, but there are many things that aren’t completely clear.
Many facts from this event are confirmed. In 1977, the Hodgson family said that something strange was happening in their house. Several journalists wrote articles after investigating these claims. An extensive study was completed by Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair. Many people who witnessed the events reported strange happenings, and there are recordings and documents from the time period.
The interpretation of the supernatural element of the Enfield Haunting is still debated today.
There is no scientifically accepted evidence that would prove a ghost or spirits caused the odd occurrences at Enfield.
Why Is the Haunting of Enfield Still Famous?
More than forty years after the incident in The Haunting of Enfield has continued to captivate audiences due to the fact it is located between historical documentation and paranormal mystery.
Extensive investigation occurred in the case; however, nothing conclusively solved the question.
To believers, the audio recordings and the testimony from witnesses are evidence that an unknown phenomenon did occur.
To skeptics, they believe the recordings and testimony may be evidence of a hoax or inconsistency.
There is no single explanation for each reported occurrence on the property of the Hodgsons. This lack of clarity is why The Haunting of Enfield will continue to endure.
Regardless whether viewed as a true paranormal mystery, a series of staged occurrences, or simply a collection of common and inexplicable events; the case is still considered one of the most contentious cases of paranormal hauntings in the twentieth century.