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The Rev. John Wesley and the Poltergeist

© Jill Stefko

John Wesley wrote about his parents' marriage. The union between the Rev. and Mrs. Wesley was not a happy one. Susanna Wesley gave birth to 19 children in 20 years, but only 5 survived infancy. Samuel left his wife and family for a year, 1701 to 1702, because she was a Jacobite and he was a Hanoverian. What led to Samuel's departure was that he noticed Susanna did not say "Amen" when he said a prayer for Prince William. She said she did not believe he was the king. The minister said he would not live with her until she did and saddled his horse and rode away. Although he returned, their conflict was never resolved.

It was either on December 1, 1716 or 1719 (accounts vary as to year), the poltergeist made its presence known.

Accounts vary as to the first awareness of the poltergeist. D. Scott Rogo has an excerpt about the one version in a letter Susanna wrote to her son, Samuel. A maid heard sounds at the dining room door. They were like a person groaning in the throes of death.

According to Rosemary Ellen Guiley, a maid and Samuel's manservant, Robin or Robert Brown heard the groans at approximately 10 PM. Brown thought it was Mr. Tupine, a neighbor who was very ill, opened the door, but no one was there. This happened two or three more times.

When Brown went to bed in his attic room, he saw an empty hand-mill, moving. As he lay in bed, he heard booted footsteps walking I his room and stumbling over his shoes and boots. He heard a turkey gobble.

There were more knockings, rumbling noises by the steps and in the attic, footsteps running up and down the stairs, latches being rattled, chains and sounds of dancing. The children could hear these.

The only one who did not hear the phenomena was Samuel. No one mentioned the noises to him because they thought he would believe they were death omens. Finally, there were nine knocks in the bedroom he and Susanna shared, which he heard.

A pattern developed. The knockings began around 9:45 PM. Before this happened, there were other sounds, as if to herald these noises. They were like a saw creaking, a windmill changing direction or a jack winding up. Then the rappings and knockings would begin all over the house. Sometimes, the house shook in vibration.

Once, there were sounds like bottles being smashed. Another time, the noises were like pewter being thrown around the kitchen. When the family checked to see what had made the sounds, nothing was found amiss. Brown took the family dog, a mastiff to his room because he was terrified of the noises. On the first night, the dog barked just before the sounds began, then it whined and ran.

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