Spooky and Weird Stories from Newcastle - A Lambton Seance in 1898

Before you think for a moment that we were not intrigued by all things weird and spooky before the age of 'Ghost Busters' let it be known that we were and in a very big way!!

In fact there was a huge amount of interest in seeking out the supernatural in Australia in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

This short story tells us that seances and clairvoyants travelled near and far to show off their skills to waiting audiences all over Australia and even to Newcastle.

Psychometry (from Greek: ψυχή, psukhē, "spirit, soul" and μέτρον, metron, "measure"), also known as token-object reading, or psychoscopy, is a form of extrasensory perception characterized by the claimed ability to make relevant associations from an object of unknown history by making physical contact with that object.

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate
20 October 1898

LAMBTON A SEANCE

A seance under the auspices of the Newcastle spiritual Research Society was held in Jameson's Hall on Tuesday night.

There was only a small attendance.

Mr. Robert White presided and introduced Madame Barr of Sydney, psychometrist and clairvoyant, who then gave, when in a semi-normal condition, some tests of a supposed connection that exists between an article worn by a person on Earth with some congenial inhabitant of the spirit world, and which would enable her to know his surroundings, events past and present, personal characteristics, and predict his future.

It is fair to state that it was necessary that the article should have been worn for some time.

Most of the audience approached the platform and gave trinkets to the medium, and were told various stories in connection with them which would be regarded as extraordinary even by the most credulous.

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