1 00:00:01,340 --> 00:00:04,300 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly Frey. 3 00:00:14,620 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: And I'm Tracy B. Wilson. It's a haunting! Or is it? 4 00:00:20,329 --> 00:00:22,110 Speaker 1: And if it's not a haunting, was it a hoax? 5 00:00:22,250 --> 00:00:24,650 Speaker 1: And if it is a hoax, whose hoax is it? 6 00:00:25,650 --> 00:00:29,490 Speaker 1: We cannot answer those questions conclusively about today's episode, but 7 00:00:29,530 --> 00:00:34,810 Speaker 1: we can examine them. On February 2nd of 1834, a 8 00:00:34,870 --> 00:00:38,450 Speaker 1: very strange thing happened at Beelings House in the village 9 00:00:38,490 --> 00:00:42,729 Speaker 1: of Great Beelings in the county of Suffolk, England. The servants' 10 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,100 Speaker 1: bells of the house rang, the bells that would ring 11 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: to call a servant. That would not be particularly odd 12 00:00:48,860 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: if it weren't for the fact that they were ringing 13 00:00:50,460 --> 00:00:55,620 Speaker 1: on their own with no one apparently initiating it. This 14 00:00:55,700 --> 00:00:58,940 Speaker 1: is a series of events that is touted by believers 15 00:00:59,140 --> 00:01:02,260 Speaker 1: as a documented poltergeist. I'm just going to tell you now, 16 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,190 Speaker 1: if the word poltergeist scares you or haunting stories scare you, 17 00:01:06,770 --> 00:01:08,930 Speaker 1: don't even worry about it. This is pretty benign. It's 18 00:01:08,970 --> 00:01:13,270 Speaker 1: very silly. This is like a ding-dong ditch poltergeist. Yeah, 19 00:01:13,310 --> 00:01:20,090 Speaker 1: it really is. It's not an especially scary one, but 20 00:01:20,130 --> 00:01:22,310 Speaker 1: it's kind of a fun, goofy way to send off 21 00:01:22,350 --> 00:01:26,100 Speaker 1: the Halloween season. Also, although there are some people who 22 00:01:26,140 --> 00:01:28,340 Speaker 1: still want to say that this was clearly a poltergeist 23 00:01:28,380 --> 00:01:33,020 Speaker 1: at play, That has also been very heavily criticized as 24 00:01:33,060 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 1: a position in the nearly 200 years since it happened. 25 00:01:36,459 --> 00:01:38,860 Speaker 1: So today we are going to talk about the Beelings Bells. 26 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,340 Speaker 1: The site of the Beelings House has its own history, 27 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: and that goes back centuries. We talked about the Doomsday 28 00:01:45,900 --> 00:01:49,580 Speaker 1: Book in July of 2024. That was written in the 29 00:01:50,100 --> 00:01:52,940 Speaker 1: 11th century, and it mentions a structure on the side 30 00:01:52,970 --> 00:01:56,230 Speaker 1: of the house. It is listed as a Saxon hall 31 00:01:56,470 --> 00:02:00,020 Speaker 1: that had a dedicated priest. That hall passed through the 32 00:02:00,060 --> 00:02:04,380 Speaker 1: hands of several families for more than 700 years before 33 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: it was torn down in 1775. Some of the materials 34 00:02:08,700 --> 00:02:11,900 Speaker 1: from the original hall were salvaged and used for a 35 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,780 Speaker 1: new construction on the site, and that was Beeling's House. 36 00:02:15,500 --> 00:02:18,820 Speaker 1: In 1806, a man named Major Edward Moore became the 37 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:23,490 Speaker 1: owner of Beeling's House. Moore was born in 1771, and 38 00:02:23,530 --> 00:02:26,310 Speaker 1: when he was just 11, he became a cadet of 39 00:02:26,350 --> 00:02:29,260 Speaker 1: the East India Company, and he was sent to India 40 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:33,230 Speaker 1: by ship the following year. Neither he nor any of 41 00:02:33,270 --> 00:02:35,950 Speaker 1: the others aboard that voyage made it to their intended 42 00:02:36,010 --> 00:02:40,950 Speaker 1: destination of Bombay. Due to weather difficulties, the ship landed 43 00:02:41,110 --> 00:02:44,090 Speaker 1: at Madras, that today is known as Chennai, on the 44 00:02:44,210 --> 00:02:47,250 Speaker 1: eastern coast of India, and Moore and the others were 45 00:02:47,350 --> 00:02:51,329 Speaker 1: simply assigned there instead of trying to continue on. Moore's 46 00:02:51,389 --> 00:02:54,580 Speaker 1: account of what happened at Buehling's house is the primary 47 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: work that we have on it, so it's worth talking 48 00:02:57,300 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: about who he was for some more context. Edward Moore's 49 00:03:01,300 --> 00:03:04,820 Speaker 1: entire career was with the East India Company, and by 50 00:03:04,860 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: the time he was 17, he had been living in 51 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,290 Speaker 1: India for more than five years, and he'd been promoted 52 00:03:10,350 --> 00:03:15,030 Speaker 1: several times. He was on track for a continued rise when, 53 00:03:15,270 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: in 1794, the third of a series of four conflicts 54 00:03:20,340 --> 00:03:24,570 Speaker 1: known as the Mysore Wars began. So Mysore is known 55 00:03:24,630 --> 00:03:27,150 Speaker 1: today as Mysuru, and it is a city in the 56 00:03:27,210 --> 00:03:31,390 Speaker 1: Karnataka state in southern India. And in the most simple terms, 57 00:03:31,930 --> 00:03:36,460 Speaker 1: in 1766, the East India Company got involved in India's 58 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:39,980 Speaker 1: political landscape when it backed the ruler of the princely 59 00:03:40,060 --> 00:03:44,770 Speaker 1: state of Hyderabad in a territory dispute with Mysuru. But 60 00:03:44,830 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: then Hyderabad pulled out of this conflict. They kind of 61 00:03:48,470 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: were done with it. And the fighting continued. But at 62 00:03:51,030 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: that point, it was just between the East India Company 63 00:03:53,620 --> 00:03:56,930 Speaker 1: and Mysuru. And that initial conflict ran from 1767 to 1769. 64 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: A second conflict played out from 1780 to 1784. And 65 00:03:58,500 --> 00:04:01,140 Speaker 1: the third, as we just mentioned, started in 1790. And 66 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:02,860 Speaker 1: at that point, Edward Moore took up arms and served 67 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:15,630 Speaker 1: on behalf of the East India Company. And during that conflict, 68 00:04:15,690 --> 00:04:18,460 Speaker 1: he was injured when he took a bullet to the shoulder. 69 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: But just a few months after sitting things out and recovering, 70 00:04:22,900 --> 00:04:25,219 Speaker 1: he was back on active duty and right back in 71 00:04:25,260 --> 00:04:28,099 Speaker 1: the mix. He was wounded again, and this time he 72 00:04:28,140 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: was sent home to England to recuperate. And while he 73 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:33,500 Speaker 1: was in England, he wrote his first book, which was 74 00:04:33,540 --> 00:04:37,229 Speaker 1: an account of his battle experience, titled A Narrative of 75 00:04:37,270 --> 00:04:40,990 Speaker 1: the Operations of Captain Little's Detachment and of the Maratha 76 00:04:41,110 --> 00:04:45,230 Speaker 1: Army Commanded by Prasurambo during the late Confederacy in India 77 00:04:45,690 --> 00:04:51,620 Speaker 1: against the Nawab-to-Pu Sultan Bahadur. In 1794, Edward Moore married 78 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,500 Speaker 1: a woman named Elizabeth Lynn. We don't have a lot 79 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,280 Speaker 1: of information about Elizabeth other than that her father was 80 00:04:57,339 --> 00:05:02,710 Speaker 1: a surgeon. Moore returned to India in 1796. This time, 81 00:05:02,750 --> 00:05:05,180 Speaker 1: he went to Bombay, where he continued to work for 82 00:05:05,210 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: the East India Company. He was promoted to management of 83 00:05:08,740 --> 00:05:13,020 Speaker 1: the commissary. He also wrote his second book, Digest of 84 00:05:13,060 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 1: the Military Orders and Regulations of the Bombay Army, which 85 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:21,750 Speaker 1: was a work assignment and which was published in 1800. 86 00:05:21,930 --> 00:05:25,110 Speaker 1: That same year, Edward and Elizabeth had a son, also 87 00:05:25,170 --> 00:05:28,510 Speaker 1: named Edward James. The couple also had a daughter named Charlotte. 88 00:05:29,210 --> 00:05:33,590 Speaker 1: Moore retired in 1806. He was entitled to half pay 89 00:05:33,790 --> 00:05:36,210 Speaker 1: as a pension, but then he got an additional pension 90 00:05:36,330 --> 00:05:39,750 Speaker 1: for distinguished service. He was only 35 at the time. 91 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: that he returned once more to England and became the 92 00:05:43,580 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 1: owner of Beelings House. And that same year, he was 93 00:05:46,460 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: made a fellow of the Royal Society. So he rejoined 94 00:05:50,740 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: life back in Britain with a pretty good setup. Yeah, 95 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: retirement at 35 with, like, plenty of money coming in 96 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: for the rest of your life. Yeah. Sounds amazing. In 97 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: his first years living in Great Beelings, Moore worked on 98 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: another book. This was Hindu Pantheon. was published in 1810. 99 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: And this project was the culmination of his collecting and 100 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: study while he had lived in India. One of the 101 00:06:16,260 --> 00:06:19,089 Speaker 1: reasons that he got promoted so frequently when he was 102 00:06:19,130 --> 00:06:23,289 Speaker 1: there was because he had become fluent in local languages 103 00:06:23,390 --> 00:06:25,550 Speaker 1: and he could interact with the people of the country, 104 00:06:26,029 --> 00:06:28,529 Speaker 1: something that was very valuable to the East India Company. 105 00:06:28,589 --> 00:06:30,989 Speaker 1: So that is why he moved up the ranks so quickly. 106 00:06:31,860 --> 00:06:35,420 Speaker 1: This also made him the foremost white expert in Indian 107 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: culture in the eyes of many Englishmen when he returned. 108 00:06:39,339 --> 00:06:42,979 Speaker 1: The Preface to Hindu Pantheon offers Moore's point of view 109 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:46,720 Speaker 1: on this expertise, stating, it having fallen to my lot 110 00:06:46,740 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 1: to visit, in very early life, the extraordinary people whose 111 00:06:50,779 --> 00:06:54,460 Speaker 1: mythology I here endeavor to explain. and to remain among 112 00:06:54,500 --> 00:06:58,460 Speaker 1: them in situations frequently favorable to the acquisition of information 113 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 1: until lately, I take the liberty of offering to the 114 00:07:01,820 --> 00:07:05,860 Speaker 1: public this work, the result of my observations and inquiries. 115 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,739 Speaker 1: He goes on to explain that over his years in India, 116 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,239 Speaker 1: he would sometimes feel really lost in conversations where people 117 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:17,770 Speaker 1: were referencing various spiritual terms or topics, So he started 118 00:07:17,850 --> 00:07:21,710 Speaker 1: collecting pictures and images of everything that he could related 119 00:07:21,770 --> 00:07:25,020 Speaker 1: to these things to study them for himself. And those 120 00:07:25,140 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 1: pictures and his understanding of them and the religious beliefs 121 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,980 Speaker 1: of India formed the basis for this writing. The Dictionary 122 00:07:32,020 --> 00:07:35,500 Speaker 1: of National Biography entry on Moore says of this work, quote, 123 00:07:35,930 --> 00:07:40,190 Speaker 1: though prolix and heavy in style and overweighted with classical 124 00:07:40,250 --> 00:07:44,450 Speaker 1: parallels and irrelevancies, its intrinsic value carried the book through 125 00:07:44,490 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: several editions. This was the only English language book that 126 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: offered this information for decades. Yeah, that book is actually 127 00:07:52,300 --> 00:07:56,460 Speaker 1: still studied by a lot of scholars and kind of 128 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: examined in terms of like how his perception of India's 129 00:08:02,140 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: spirituality is in some ways shockingly insightful and in other ways, 130 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: obviously stunted and wrong. It's a fascinating book and it 131 00:08:09,900 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: has a lot of great imagery in it if you're 132 00:08:11,580 --> 00:08:15,500 Speaker 1: into it. He followed that book up in 1811 with 133 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:19,700 Speaker 1: Hindu Infanticide, an account of the measures adopted for suppressing 134 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: the practice of the systemic murder by their parents of 135 00:08:22,980 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: female infants, which is pretty self-explanatory. But this writing explains 136 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,060 Speaker 1: how this practice became common and then examines the way 137 00:08:30,100 --> 00:08:33,510 Speaker 1: that both the Indian government and the British colonial government 138 00:08:33,590 --> 00:08:36,770 Speaker 1: sought to suppress it. He explains in the opening of 139 00:08:36,809 --> 00:08:39,030 Speaker 1: the book that it spun off of the research and 140 00:08:39,050 --> 00:08:41,770 Speaker 1: work that he was doing when he was writing Hindu Pantheon, 141 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: and that he felt that it was, quote, sufficiently curious 142 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: and interesting to warrant its separate publication. Thirteen years later, 143 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: just before the events we're talking about today began, Moore 144 00:08:53,140 --> 00:08:56,579 Speaker 1: published a book titled Suffolk Words and Phrases, or An 145 00:08:56,620 --> 00:09:00,980 Speaker 1: Attempt to Collect the Lingual Localisms of That County. This 146 00:09:01,059 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 1: is a pretty charming book. It is easy to find 147 00:09:03,580 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: online if you want to read it, and here's an 148 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,620 Speaker 1: example of how he explains the common workings of the 149 00:09:08,730 --> 00:09:12,610 Speaker 1: local speech. Quote, I will take this early occasion to 150 00:09:12,710 --> 00:09:16,730 Speaker 1: notice one of the most common peculiarities of the Suffolk dialect, 151 00:09:17,150 --> 00:09:19,970 Speaker 1: which is the substitution of the plural of a verb 152 00:09:20,070 --> 00:09:23,830 Speaker 1: for the singular in the third person. Of this, several 153 00:09:23,890 --> 00:09:28,580 Speaker 1: instances have already occurred. There ago, for there he goes, 154 00:09:29,260 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 1: and many others will be noticed in this in future articles. 155 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: One is often surprised to hear this localism from the 156 00:09:35,980 --> 00:09:40,550 Speaker 1: lips even of educated and traveled people. But a very 157 00:09:40,690 --> 00:09:43,730 Speaker 1: different type of writing by Edward Moore was published by 158 00:09:43,770 --> 00:09:46,780 Speaker 1: a local paper in 1834. And we will get to 159 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:50,219 Speaker 1: that and the alleged haunting that it's related to after 160 00:09:50,260 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 1: we pause for a sponsor break. So On March 1st, 1834, 161 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:06,580 Speaker 1: the Ipswich Journal published a letter to the editor that 162 00:10:06,620 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 1: had been written by Edward Moore. It opened, quote, Sir, 163 00:10:10,500 --> 00:10:14,300 Speaker 1: a circumstance of an unaccountable nature has recently occurred in 164 00:10:14,340 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: my house, and I shall be obliged by your giving 165 00:10:17,179 --> 00:10:21,140 Speaker 1: insertion to this, my account of it. So Moore continues 166 00:10:21,220 --> 00:10:24,460 Speaker 1: by saying that there have been unusual bell ringings at 167 00:10:24,500 --> 00:10:26,599 Speaker 1: his home and that he wrote a full account of 168 00:10:26,660 --> 00:10:29,510 Speaker 1: everything that was going on, but he realized that that 169 00:10:29,610 --> 00:10:32,390 Speaker 1: detailed version was far too much for the paper to print, 170 00:10:32,970 --> 00:10:35,689 Speaker 1: so he tells the editor he has put together an 171 00:10:35,730 --> 00:10:40,790 Speaker 1: abridged version. Even this abridged version is quite lengthy, but 172 00:10:40,890 --> 00:10:44,689 Speaker 1: it outlines the following. On February 2nd, when Moore returned 173 00:10:44,770 --> 00:10:47,969 Speaker 1: home from Sunday service, he was told by the only 174 00:10:48,030 --> 00:10:51,170 Speaker 1: two servants left in the house that the dining room bell, quote, 175 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,380 Speaker 1: had been rung three times at intervals between 2 and 176 00:10:54,380 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: 5 o'clock. This was odd, but it seemed to have ended, 177 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,939 Speaker 1: so these members of the household staff went about their 178 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: business for the day. But then the following day, the 179 00:11:04,460 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: bell rang several more times, and Edward Moore said that 180 00:11:08,540 --> 00:11:11,050 Speaker 1: he heard the last one, which was just before 5 p.m., 181 00:11:12,429 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: But the bells continued, and they also became more intense. 182 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: On the third day, Moore went out, and when he returned, 183 00:11:18,900 --> 00:11:21,140 Speaker 1: he was told that, quote, all the bells in the 184 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:26,599 Speaker 1: kitchen had been ringing violently. Moore describes the arrangement of 185 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:29,610 Speaker 1: these kitchen bells and what happened after he returned home 186 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,830 Speaker 1: as follows, quote, there are nine bells in a row 187 00:11:32,950 --> 00:11:35,230 Speaker 1: about a foot apart, 10 feet from the floor and 188 00:11:35,230 --> 00:11:38,310 Speaker 1: 12 from the fire, not over it. So it seems 189 00:11:38,350 --> 00:11:41,309 Speaker 1: here that he's trying to establish that steam or heat 190 00:11:41,390 --> 00:11:44,150 Speaker 1: rising from the fire could not have been what caused 191 00:11:44,170 --> 00:11:47,660 Speaker 1: these bells to move. He continues, quote, While I was 192 00:11:47,820 --> 00:11:50,900 Speaker 1: intently looking at the bells and listening to the relation 193 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,459 Speaker 1: that the ringings had occurred at intervals of about a 194 00:11:53,500 --> 00:11:57,329 Speaker 1: quarter of an hour, the same five bells rang violently. 195 00:11:58,110 --> 00:12:00,230 Speaker 1: So violent was it that I should not have been 196 00:12:00,270 --> 00:12:03,770 Speaker 1: surprised if they had been shaken from their fastenings. And 197 00:12:03,809 --> 00:12:06,510 Speaker 1: his son, Edward James, was with him at this point 198 00:12:06,630 --> 00:12:09,490 Speaker 1: and also saw the whole thing. So just in case 199 00:12:09,530 --> 00:12:14,670 Speaker 1: people have never watched, like, any kind of upstairs-downstairs kind 200 00:12:14,710 --> 00:12:17,730 Speaker 1: of drama, we're talking about bells where somebody in one 201 00:12:17,770 --> 00:12:20,100 Speaker 1: part of the house could press a button or hit 202 00:12:20,130 --> 00:12:23,740 Speaker 1: a lever or whatever. Wires strung through the house connected 203 00:12:23,820 --> 00:12:26,959 Speaker 1: to the bells. And for a long time, the wire 204 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,260 Speaker 1: was a physical thing that was, like, pulling on the bells. 205 00:12:30,150 --> 00:12:33,219 Speaker 1: eventually this was upgraded with electricity. So just in case 206 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,339 Speaker 1: you're like, what are these bells that we're talking about? 207 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:41,080 Speaker 1: Because this becomes important to his discussions of what could 208 00:12:41,100 --> 00:12:45,370 Speaker 1: be going on. So much bell talk. Moore relates the 209 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,510 Speaker 1: history of these bells in the house. He states that 210 00:12:47,530 --> 00:12:50,830 Speaker 1: they've been in use for 28 years. They have never 211 00:12:50,929 --> 00:12:54,890 Speaker 1: required any repair except for one breakfast room bell that 212 00:12:54,910 --> 00:12:58,250 Speaker 1: needed its wire replaced twice. four to six weeks before 213 00:12:58,350 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: all of this ringing began. Moore asks of the editor, quote, Now, sir, 214 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:06,220 Speaker 1: is this not a strange relation? At first, the gentle, 215 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,900 Speaker 1: single tinkling, I was disposed to think I could account 216 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:13,100 Speaker 1: for it. But the boisterous clang and agitation of my 217 00:13:13,210 --> 00:13:17,590 Speaker 1: first witnessed peal of five at once showed its fallacy. 218 00:13:18,260 --> 00:13:20,660 Speaker 1: You and your readers may be assured that there is 219 00:13:20,740 --> 00:13:23,339 Speaker 1: no hoax in the matter. I do not mean by me, 220 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,880 Speaker 1: but by anyone. I am thoroughly convinced that the ringing 221 00:13:26,950 --> 00:13:30,809 Speaker 1: is by no human agency. How, then, is it? I 222 00:13:30,850 --> 00:13:35,050 Speaker 1: cannot say. A satisfactory solution is beyond the reach of 223 00:13:35,110 --> 00:13:40,390 Speaker 1: my philosophy. Moore relays more details of additional ringings and 224 00:13:40,450 --> 00:13:43,390 Speaker 1: notes that he has checked all of the wires and 225 00:13:43,450 --> 00:13:47,100 Speaker 1: examined the mechanisms of the bells to no avail. he 226 00:13:47,140 --> 00:13:50,100 Speaker 1: concludes the letter to the editor by saying, quote, I think, sir, 227 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,620 Speaker 1: this strange relation will amuse you and your readers, and 228 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: if you or any of them can give satisfactory explanation 229 00:13:56,970 --> 00:14:00,670 Speaker 1: of it, I farther think it will be instructive to many, 230 00:14:00,809 --> 00:14:05,770 Speaker 1: and among them your very obedient servant, Edward Moore. There 231 00:14:05,830 --> 00:14:08,090 Speaker 1: is also a postscript to this letter, which was also 232 00:14:08,210 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: published in the paper, in which Moore states that he 233 00:14:11,020 --> 00:14:13,340 Speaker 1: read this account as he has written it, and as 234 00:14:13,380 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: it appears in the paper, quote, to six or eight 235 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:20,100 Speaker 1: intelligent gentlemen at Woodbridge, and that some questions came up 236 00:14:20,140 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 1: from them, and he's going to go ahead and answer 237 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,850 Speaker 1: those questions in this postscript before readers of the Ipswich 238 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:28,870 Speaker 1: Journal can ask them, including, quote, that I keep no monkey, 239 00:14:29,610 --> 00:14:32,850 Speaker 1: that my house is not infested with rats, and he 240 00:14:32,950 --> 00:14:35,530 Speaker 1: says that the wires of all the bells involved are 241 00:14:35,610 --> 00:14:39,170 Speaker 1: visible along their entire lengths, with the exception of where 242 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: they pass through solid walls. He notes that the men 243 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,020 Speaker 1: he read the account to suggested it was a trick, 244 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:49,400 Speaker 1: to which his response was, it is possible. He writes 245 00:14:49,420 --> 00:14:52,020 Speaker 1: that he is going to try some experiments, presumably to 246 00:14:52,060 --> 00:14:55,660 Speaker 1: try to replicate the phenomenon. When I was reading through 247 00:14:55,700 --> 00:14:59,250 Speaker 1: this outline, my first thought was, this sounds like mice, man. 248 00:14:59,530 --> 00:15:02,150 Speaker 1: It did not occur to me that a monkey maybe 249 00:15:02,190 --> 00:15:05,340 Speaker 1: could be the culprit here. That kind of makes sense 250 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,340 Speaker 1: since he served in South Asia. I can imagine a 251 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:11,260 Speaker 1: scenario where he might have brought a monkey home, but boy, 252 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:13,470 Speaker 1: did I not think of monkeys. I thought of mice. 253 00:15:15,290 --> 00:15:18,590 Speaker 1: After this letter with the postscript was printed, the Ipswich 254 00:15:18,650 --> 00:15:21,850 Speaker 1: Journal received replies about it, most notably one that appeared 255 00:15:22,030 --> 00:15:25,150 Speaker 1: one week after Moore's letter. And it opens with, quote, Sir, 256 00:15:25,290 --> 00:15:27,230 Speaker 1: I do not flatter myself that I am able to 257 00:15:27,370 --> 00:15:30,710 Speaker 1: elucidate the mystery of the bell ringing at Mr. Moore's 258 00:15:30,770 --> 00:15:34,540 Speaker 1: at Beelings. but I beg to offer a suggestion to 259 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 1: that gentleman. The writer of this letter, who signs that 260 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:41,850 Speaker 1: only a constant reader, says that he will wager that 261 00:15:41,910 --> 00:15:44,910 Speaker 1: if Moore does as he suggests, he will either discover 262 00:15:44,950 --> 00:15:47,010 Speaker 1: the cause or he will find that the bells do 263 00:15:47,050 --> 00:15:49,810 Speaker 1: not ring at all. And so this is the course 264 00:15:49,870 --> 00:15:54,180 Speaker 1: of action that he recommends that Moore take. Quote, When Mr. 265 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: Moore is favored with a repetition of the mysterious peel, 266 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: instead of watching for monkeys or cats or making philosophical 267 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: experiments to send for a few respectable neighbors, seat his 268 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:10,380 Speaker 1: entire establishment in one room and leave a friend with them. 269 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 1: Lock all the outer doors of the house and take 270 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:17,180 Speaker 1: the keys, station a friend on each staircase, and with 271 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:20,490 Speaker 1: another friend make a thorough search of the house, locking 272 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:23,330 Speaker 1: every door and and taking out the key as the 273 00:16:23,390 --> 00:16:27,570 Speaker 1: search proceeds. He reiterates that if Moore does this, he 274 00:16:27,590 --> 00:16:30,510 Speaker 1: will either find an explanation or he will find someone 275 00:16:30,610 --> 00:16:33,410 Speaker 1: doing it. He notes that, quote, in my own house, 276 00:16:33,510 --> 00:16:36,490 Speaker 1: which compared to Mr. Moore's is of a limited extent, 277 00:16:37,070 --> 00:16:39,630 Speaker 1: a person may, in a second, set three bells ringing 278 00:16:39,890 --> 00:16:43,050 Speaker 1: violently by touching the wires, which all pass along a 279 00:16:43,090 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 1: passage and through a hole in the wall. and in 280 00:16:45,860 --> 00:16:48,500 Speaker 1: less than two seconds may get out of the passage 281 00:16:48,950 --> 00:16:52,070 Speaker 1: at any one of the five doors, and may almost 282 00:16:52,270 --> 00:16:56,610 Speaker 1: instantaneously set other bells ringing within two seconds, and within 283 00:16:56,690 --> 00:16:59,810 Speaker 1: two seconds may enter the kitchen in a different direction 284 00:16:59,870 --> 00:17:02,810 Speaker 1: from that of the passage where the three bells were 285 00:17:02,890 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: set ringing. The writer of this also relays a story 286 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:09,939 Speaker 1: of another person in the area who similarly had mysterious 287 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:14,660 Speaker 1: bell ringing at the home and conducted a similar thorough 288 00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 1: investigation and discovered that it was one of their recently 289 00:17:17,609 --> 00:17:21,610 Speaker 1: hired house staff. I like how people are like, oh yeah, 290 00:17:21,650 --> 00:17:24,590 Speaker 1: this happens all the time. It's just bad, bad employees. 291 00:17:25,130 --> 00:17:28,050 Speaker 1: I like how his suggested course of action reads like 292 00:17:28,090 --> 00:17:30,690 Speaker 1: something that would happen in a murder mystery novel where 293 00:17:30,710 --> 00:17:32,570 Speaker 1: you have found a body in the living room and 294 00:17:32,590 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: you've got to figure out who did it. Nobody gets 295 00:17:35,830 --> 00:17:40,610 Speaker 1: out or in. Later, Moore shared a much longer version 296 00:17:40,770 --> 00:17:43,090 Speaker 1: of his own story, and in it, he not only 297 00:17:43,130 --> 00:17:47,310 Speaker 1: went into exhaustive detail of the ways in which the 298 00:17:47,330 --> 00:17:50,310 Speaker 1: bells in the house are wired. I had to tap 299 00:17:50,369 --> 00:17:53,390 Speaker 1: out of the wire bell talk. But he also elaborated 300 00:17:53,550 --> 00:17:56,830 Speaker 1: on his first thought regarding the cause, which was pretty benign. 301 00:17:57,450 --> 00:18:00,580 Speaker 1: He explained that, quote, all over the exterior western end 302 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:04,370 Speaker 1: of the house... a full-wooded old pear tree is trained 303 00:18:04,470 --> 00:18:08,010 Speaker 1: and nailed. It struck me as possible that two or 304 00:18:08,070 --> 00:18:11,169 Speaker 1: three or more blackbirds in which we abound might have 305 00:18:11,210 --> 00:18:13,470 Speaker 1: got among the boughs of the pear tree, and if 306 00:18:13,570 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: fighting or struggling or cooing, might have tightened or shaken 307 00:18:17,690 --> 00:18:21,420 Speaker 1: the wires sufficiently to tinkle a bell. But he comments 308 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:23,780 Speaker 1: that he only thought this before he had witnessed the 309 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:27,100 Speaker 1: ringing himself and before it grew more intense and violent, 310 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: which he thought could in no way be attributed to 311 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:33,160 Speaker 1: birds in the pear tree. He also stated that he, 312 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:36,100 Speaker 1: in his experiments, had found a way to ring five 313 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: bells at once, but it required a rope affixed to cranks, 314 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,250 Speaker 1: and he couldn't get them to ring vigorously in this method. 315 00:18:43,270 --> 00:18:46,230 Speaker 1: It was pretty gentle. He also was able at one 316 00:18:46,270 --> 00:18:48,690 Speaker 1: point to get six bells to ring at once by 317 00:18:48,770 --> 00:18:53,090 Speaker 1: yanking on multiple wires simultaneously with a garden hoe, but 318 00:18:53,230 --> 00:18:57,230 Speaker 1: that too only produced a light ringing. He states that 319 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,700 Speaker 1: if he worked at these experiments for a full year, 320 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:02,820 Speaker 1: he would still be unable to replicate the ringing that 321 00:19:02,900 --> 00:19:06,660 Speaker 1: he and his house staff had witnessed. Moore does offer 322 00:19:06,780 --> 00:19:12,180 Speaker 1: up a possible scientific explanation sort of, quote, it may 323 00:19:12,260 --> 00:19:16,660 Speaker 1: be no advance to say that possibly some hitherto undiscovered 324 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:22,660 Speaker 1: law of electricity or galvanism, latent, brought into activity only 325 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,770 Speaker 1: by certain combinations of metallic alloys in certain concurring or 326 00:19:26,810 --> 00:19:31,190 Speaker 1: varied degrees of tension in connection with certain conditions of 327 00:19:31,290 --> 00:19:36,449 Speaker 1: atmospheric influences acted upon by agencies subtle and occult, etc., etc., 328 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:42,190 Speaker 1: These possibilities, whose combined eventualities may or may not ever 329 00:19:42,230 --> 00:19:46,150 Speaker 1: be developed, may be only another link in the amazing 330 00:19:46,210 --> 00:19:49,970 Speaker 1: chain of results that recent researchers into the mysterious operations 331 00:19:50,500 --> 00:19:54,419 Speaker 1: of science and galvanics have brought under the wandering eye 332 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:59,859 Speaker 1: and contemplation of chemical philosophy. Who can say or imagine 333 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:05,340 Speaker 1: where they are to end? I want to diagram these 334 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:09,639 Speaker 1: sentences to see if that will allow me to figure 335 00:20:09,740 --> 00:20:12,970 Speaker 1: out what he is saying, because none of this makes 336 00:20:13,050 --> 00:20:17,210 Speaker 1: any sense. And the first sentence just kind of dwindles 337 00:20:17,290 --> 00:20:21,170 Speaker 1: into nothingness with no verb where there needs to be one. 338 00:20:22,470 --> 00:20:25,870 Speaker 1: It really, like, I will date myself with this reference. 339 00:20:25,950 --> 00:20:30,290 Speaker 1: It just sounds like Jim Ignatowski from Taxi, essentially boiling 340 00:20:30,310 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: down to, like, Calvinism. It doesn't make any sense at all. 341 00:20:37,380 --> 00:20:39,700 Speaker 1: Coming up, we are going to talk about some other 342 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:44,140 Speaker 1: letters that Moore received from people who had similar stories 343 00:20:44,380 --> 00:20:48,580 Speaker 1: of unexplained events in their experiences. We are going to 344 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,060 Speaker 1: get into those after we hear from the sponsors that 345 00:20:51,080 --> 00:21:02,950 Speaker 1: keep Stuff You Missed in History class going. Music Moore 346 00:21:03,150 --> 00:21:06,369 Speaker 1: received another letter, this one from a woman he chose 347 00:21:06,430 --> 00:21:09,379 Speaker 1: not to name, although he did publish her correspondence in 348 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,140 Speaker 1: part with a note that he had edited out personal 349 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:15,139 Speaker 1: information and details that were not germane to the bell ringing. 350 00:21:15,460 --> 00:21:17,460 Speaker 1: His reason for this is that he can't get a 351 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,100 Speaker 1: hold of her, and he is not sure if she's 352 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 1: still alive when he published this letter some years later, 353 00:21:22,060 --> 00:21:24,780 Speaker 1: and he just didn't want to publish her personal information 354 00:21:24,820 --> 00:21:28,869 Speaker 1: without her permission. So In this letter, she shared her 355 00:21:28,990 --> 00:21:32,050 Speaker 1: own experience of bells violently ringing in her house when 356 00:21:32,090 --> 00:21:35,149 Speaker 1: she was a young girl. Her father, she said, had 357 00:21:35,210 --> 00:21:37,570 Speaker 1: carefully examined the home to see if the ringing was 358 00:21:37,609 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 1: the result of a mouse or another creature, but found nothing. 359 00:21:41,910 --> 00:21:45,900 Speaker 1: She came to believe that the ringing was supernatural. That 360 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: same woman also wrote more a second letter relaying additional 361 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: stories from people that were close to her about candles 362 00:21:52,380 --> 00:21:56,119 Speaker 1: going out, stoves only lighting on one side, etc., to 363 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: support the idea that there had been unexplained things happening 364 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 1: in the area for quite a while. He got letters 365 00:22:02,619 --> 00:22:06,160 Speaker 1: from other people as well. A.W. Felkin wrote him twice. 366 00:22:06,820 --> 00:22:09,100 Speaker 1: Moore had replied to the first and got a second 367 00:22:09,140 --> 00:22:13,119 Speaker 1: letter after it. Felkin's first letter asked, quote, I am 368 00:22:13,180 --> 00:22:16,220 Speaker 1: induced to take the liberty of inquiring whether you have 369 00:22:16,300 --> 00:22:19,850 Speaker 1: heard of the particulars of long and repeated bell ringing 370 00:22:19,940 --> 00:22:24,510 Speaker 1: in a house near Chesterfield. As the other letters Moore received, 371 00:22:24,570 --> 00:22:27,210 Speaker 1: this shares a story similar to what was happening at 372 00:22:27,250 --> 00:22:33,590 Speaker 1: Beeling's house and similarly unexplained. Moore began correspondences with other 373 00:22:33,609 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: people as well. He collected stories that echoed the one 374 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: he had shared in the Ipswich Journal. Moore was in 375 00:22:40,619 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: London during some of this correspondence, but the bells were 376 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,230 Speaker 1: still ringing back home. and he got the full report 377 00:22:46,250 --> 00:22:49,620 Speaker 1: when he returned. His son had also been sending him 378 00:22:49,670 --> 00:22:52,260 Speaker 1: letters while he was away, keeping him apprised of the 379 00:22:52,300 --> 00:22:55,440 Speaker 1: latest connections that were being made with other residents of 380 00:22:55,460 --> 00:22:58,620 Speaker 1: the area who also had random bell ringing in their 381 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,700 Speaker 1: homes at some point in time. It seemed that Moore 382 00:23:01,740 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 1: was assembling quite a network of friends all united through 383 00:23:05,340 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: this curious phenomenon. Moore also received an anonymous note postmarked 384 00:23:10,980 --> 00:23:15,130 Speaker 1: from Colchester which read, quote, Sir, understanding that you have 385 00:23:15,230 --> 00:23:19,570 Speaker 1: lately been favored with periodic concerts from your bells, and 386 00:23:19,630 --> 00:23:24,690 Speaker 1: that it has consequently occasioned no small amusement amongst our neighbors, etc., 387 00:23:25,300 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 1: I cannot help recommending you, as I have great respect 388 00:23:29,100 --> 00:23:32,399 Speaker 1: for your name and character, to silence their tongues as 389 00:23:32,500 --> 00:23:37,209 Speaker 1: well as your noisy inmates by the speedy application of 390 00:23:37,350 --> 00:23:41,850 Speaker 1: toe and twine. With my knowledge of human nature, I 391 00:23:41,869 --> 00:23:44,810 Speaker 1: will venture to say the witch will soon cease her 392 00:23:44,910 --> 00:23:49,370 Speaker 1: diabolical agency, and the circumstance, at least, be a quiet wonder. 393 00:23:50,410 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: So it sounds like this piece of advice is telling 394 00:23:52,540 --> 00:23:55,619 Speaker 1: Mort to just physically restrain the bells from ringing, and 395 00:23:55,700 --> 00:23:59,679 Speaker 1: so whatever spirit that's ringing of them will leave them alone. 396 00:24:00,250 --> 00:24:03,350 Speaker 1: leaving him, of course, without the use of his bells. Yeah, 397 00:24:03,430 --> 00:24:05,890 Speaker 1: I'm like, this is a chicken or the egg situation. Like, 398 00:24:06,170 --> 00:24:08,439 Speaker 1: the bells stopped ringing. Right, because you tied them up. 399 00:24:09,540 --> 00:24:11,700 Speaker 1: That doesn't mean the thing stopped trying to ring them. 400 00:24:11,820 --> 00:24:14,619 Speaker 1: I just found myself going round and round in circles 401 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:16,859 Speaker 1: on that one. But in any case, he didn't need 402 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:21,020 Speaker 1: to physically restrain the bells because March 27th, so just 403 00:24:21,060 --> 00:24:23,780 Speaker 1: a little shy of two months after they started, was 404 00:24:23,820 --> 00:24:26,260 Speaker 1: the last time that the bells at Beelink's house rang 405 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:29,940 Speaker 1: without any explanation. Moore made a note of this on 406 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 1: March 29th, which read, quote, Thursday last, March 27, bells 407 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 1: rung again. Four bells at 20 minutes after four, five 408 00:24:38,020 --> 00:24:42,030 Speaker 1: bells at 20 minutes before five. And the activity just 409 00:24:42,070 --> 00:24:45,210 Speaker 1: stopped after that. In the months that followed, there was 410 00:24:45,270 --> 00:24:49,730 Speaker 1: a similar incident in Greenwich Hospital at the apartments of 411 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:55,010 Speaker 1: a man named Lieutenant Rivers. Moore included accounts about the 412 00:24:55,050 --> 00:24:59,150 Speaker 1: Greenwich Bells and a strange malfunction of the bell at Christchurch, Oxford, 413 00:24:59,190 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: known as Great Tom around the same time in his book, 414 00:25:02,460 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 1: Feelings Bells, which he wrote in the years following his 415 00:25:05,300 --> 00:25:09,980 Speaker 1: own home's bell events. He included other strange bell events 416 00:25:10,060 --> 00:25:13,359 Speaker 1: as well, including an account of the village chimes at 417 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:17,780 Speaker 1: Presbury ringing for three hours straight for no apparent reason 418 00:25:18,220 --> 00:25:22,980 Speaker 1: in early 1841. There are a lot of other oddball 419 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:27,270 Speaker 1: stories in this book as well. They are all unexplained. Yeah, 420 00:25:27,310 --> 00:25:32,020 Speaker 1: everybody was having bell problems in the 1830s and early 1840s. 421 00:25:33,090 --> 00:25:37,090 Speaker 1: That book concludes with the following, quote, to these very 422 00:25:37,210 --> 00:25:42,940 Speaker 1: extraordinary and mysterious communications, I can add nothing. Having arrived 423 00:25:42,980 --> 00:25:44,619 Speaker 1: at the middle of August 1841, it has become necessary 424 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:48,899 Speaker 1: to in reference to the object of this little book, 425 00:25:49,060 --> 00:25:52,300 Speaker 1: to bring it to its end. Here I bid the 426 00:25:52,340 --> 00:25:55,680 Speaker 1: reader farewell, repeating that I shall hear with much interest 427 00:25:56,109 --> 00:25:59,129 Speaker 1: of any promising attempts to develop the cause of the 428 00:25:59,170 --> 00:26:03,830 Speaker 1: strange events herein related, and of any farther mysterious bell-ringing, 429 00:26:04,230 --> 00:26:09,210 Speaker 1: and shall thankfully receive any authenticated communication of other phenomena 430 00:26:09,350 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 1: of a like nature. Edward Moore died on February 26, 1848, 431 00:26:12,690 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 1: at the age of 77. His son, Edward James, had 432 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:21,570 Speaker 1: become rector of Great Beelings and continued to live there 433 00:26:21,690 --> 00:26:24,510 Speaker 1: for the rest of his life. The home remained in 434 00:26:24,530 --> 00:26:26,870 Speaker 1: the family, although the Moores rented it out and they 435 00:26:26,970 --> 00:26:31,969 Speaker 1: didn't live there themselves. No tenants ever reported any paranormal 436 00:26:32,050 --> 00:26:35,060 Speaker 1: activity that we know of, In the years between the 437 00:26:35,100 --> 00:26:38,679 Speaker 1: publication of Beeling's Bells and Moore's Death, the book and 438 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:42,310 Speaker 1: its accounts had already become very popular with readers, spiritualists, 439 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:46,390 Speaker 1: and skeptics, but debate over the bells continued for decades 440 00:26:46,490 --> 00:26:51,350 Speaker 1: after Moore's Death. In 1899, the Journal for Psychical Research 441 00:26:51,430 --> 00:26:55,169 Speaker 1: ran a letter from spiritual investigator Frank Podmore, who is 442 00:26:55,450 --> 00:26:58,710 Speaker 1: absolutely on my short list, that he wrote in response 443 00:26:58,790 --> 00:27:02,630 Speaker 1: to a larger discussion of paranormal events and poltergeists specifically. 444 00:27:03,350 --> 00:27:06,710 Speaker 1: And in it, he references the Beelings Bell's incidents. Quote, 445 00:27:07,070 --> 00:27:11,230 Speaker 1: the evidence is firsthand. It is practically contemporaneous, being based 446 00:27:11,310 --> 00:27:13,889 Speaker 1: on notes made at the time and written out in 447 00:27:13,990 --> 00:27:17,200 Speaker 1: full within a day or two at most. The witness 448 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: is a fellow of the Royal Society who records with 449 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:25,239 Speaker 1: scrupulous care the atmospheric conditions, the readings of barometer and thermometer, 450 00:27:25,619 --> 00:27:28,460 Speaker 1: and points out with justice that the phenomena cannot be 451 00:27:28,530 --> 00:27:32,010 Speaker 1: explained by the known laws of the electric theory. or 452 00:27:32,050 --> 00:27:35,869 Speaker 1: the expansion of metals by rise of temperature. And yet, 453 00:27:36,330 --> 00:27:39,550 Speaker 1: as a witness, Major Moore shows himself on a level 454 00:27:39,930 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 1: with the servant girl who has her fortune told by 455 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: the cards. On February 5th, 1834, that is three days 456 00:27:46,900 --> 00:27:49,780 Speaker 1: after the bell ringing began, he writes, I am thoroughly 457 00:27:49,859 --> 00:27:53,740 Speaker 1: convinced that the ringing is by no human agency. No 458 00:27:53,820 --> 00:27:58,390 Speaker 1: reason is given for this conviction. On February 27th, he writes, 459 00:27:58,530 --> 00:28:01,210 Speaker 1: it is possible that it is all due to trickery. 460 00:28:02,010 --> 00:28:05,290 Speaker 1: No reason is given for this change of opinion. A 461 00:28:05,310 --> 00:28:07,870 Speaker 1: few days later, he repeats his conviction that the bells 462 00:28:08,170 --> 00:28:12,119 Speaker 1: were not rung by any mortal hand. No new facts 463 00:28:12,150 --> 00:28:14,660 Speaker 1: had come to light in the interval, and no reasons 464 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:18,400 Speaker 1: are given for this second change of opinion. Again, though 465 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:21,980 Speaker 1: devoting many pages to describing the courses and the attachments 466 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,490 Speaker 1: of the wires, the state of the weather, and so on, 467 00:28:24,930 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 1: Major Moore never tells us of whom his household consisted 468 00:28:28,540 --> 00:28:31,459 Speaker 1: and never describes a single occasion on which, when they 469 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:36,120 Speaker 1: were all gathered together in his presence, the bell ringing occurred. Further, 470 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,219 Speaker 1: a writer in the Ipswich Journal made the sensible suggestion 471 00:28:39,260 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 1: that Major Moore should begin his investigations by gathering all 472 00:28:42,770 --> 00:28:46,210 Speaker 1: his household into one room and posting trustworthy friends about 473 00:28:46,230 --> 00:28:49,830 Speaker 1: the house. Major Moore, in quoting the letter, adds, I 474 00:28:49,870 --> 00:28:52,870 Speaker 1: did not in any way follow the advice therein offered. 475 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:56,620 Speaker 1: Podmore had laid out all of this to get to 476 00:28:56,660 --> 00:29:00,450 Speaker 1: an interesting conclusion. Quote, I venture to suggest, as a 477 00:29:00,530 --> 00:29:05,250 Speaker 1: plausible theory, that Major Moore, in homely phrase, was not 478 00:29:05,330 --> 00:29:08,550 Speaker 1: such a fool as he looks, and that his book 479 00:29:08,650 --> 00:29:11,540 Speaker 1: is a gentle satire on those who were ready on 480 00:29:11,620 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: such evidence as that here offered to believe in supernormal 481 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:20,980 Speaker 1: or even unfamiliar agencies. This established a theory that Moore, who, 482 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,510 Speaker 1: as Podmore pointed out, was a well-respected man and a 483 00:29:23,530 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: member of the Royal Society, was not trying to create 484 00:29:25,910 --> 00:29:28,770 Speaker 1: a hoax so much as to make a satirical commentary 485 00:29:28,940 --> 00:29:31,410 Speaker 1: on the proclivity to attribute things that are difficult to 486 00:29:31,450 --> 00:29:34,750 Speaker 1: explain to the paranormal. One very vocal critic of this 487 00:29:34,750 --> 00:29:36,910 Speaker 1: whole thing was... Trevor Henry Hall. Hall, who was born 488 00:29:36,930 --> 00:29:39,030 Speaker 1: in 1910, made a living writing books, debunking various historical 489 00:29:39,060 --> 00:29:51,459 Speaker 1: haunting accounts. by offering up rational explanations for the various 490 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,820 Speaker 1: phenomena associated with them. I will say also he is 491 00:29:54,860 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 1: himself controversial because he's pretty conceited and dismissive of everybody 492 00:29:58,740 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 1: as he does this. He's very unkind to anybody that 493 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,200 Speaker 1: was ever perhaps duped by anything. But when it came 494 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,150 Speaker 1: to the Beelings Bells, Hall's take was that Moore became 495 00:30:08,290 --> 00:30:12,030 Speaker 1: so emotionally invested in the Bells that his account can't 496 00:30:12,110 --> 00:30:14,950 Speaker 1: be entirely trusted, even with all of the notes that 497 00:30:14,970 --> 00:30:18,140 Speaker 1: he took. Hall's conclusion is that one of the house 498 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: staff was pranking Moore the entire time. In 1972, Daniel 499 00:30:23,180 --> 00:30:27,700 Speaker 1: Cohen's book, In Search of Ghosts, examined numerous stories of hauntings, 500 00:30:27,820 --> 00:30:31,540 Speaker 1: including the Beeling spells. He noted that it's the most 501 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:36,170 Speaker 1: well-documented instance of bells ringing without human hands being involved, 502 00:30:36,250 --> 00:30:39,980 Speaker 1: but is also skeptical. He points out that while Edward 503 00:30:40,020 --> 00:30:42,860 Speaker 1: Moore gives a lengthy description of the bell system at 504 00:30:42,900 --> 00:30:47,610 Speaker 1: Beeling's house, it's also pretty confusing and notes, quote, the 505 00:30:47,670 --> 00:30:52,030 Speaker 1: confusion seems deliberate rather than the result of bad writing. 506 00:30:53,070 --> 00:30:56,230 Speaker 1: Having read that one sentence, I don't know if I agree. 507 00:30:57,630 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: Cohen also references the scientific word salad that we referenced earlier, 508 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:04,620 Speaker 1: which is why I don't entirely agree, noting how very 509 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,200 Speaker 1: confusing that is, making the case that that's also deliberate. 510 00:31:09,100 --> 00:31:12,500 Speaker 1: He describes Moore's writing on the subject as, quote, a 511 00:31:12,540 --> 00:31:16,900 Speaker 1: gentle satire on the investigations of other odd phenomena. But 512 00:31:17,030 --> 00:31:21,270 Speaker 1: Cohen thinks the satire was too gentle because people still 513 00:31:21,310 --> 00:31:25,210 Speaker 1: think it's a real poltergeist case. Sort of like people 514 00:31:25,790 --> 00:31:30,850 Speaker 1: not realizing what the onion is in today's parlance. It 515 00:31:30,950 --> 00:31:32,910 Speaker 1: happens all the time. And that was, you know, in 516 00:31:32,930 --> 00:31:37,180 Speaker 1: the 70s. People still today... debate over whether Beelink's bells 517 00:31:37,220 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: was an actual poltergeist case although I think most people 518 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:43,140 Speaker 1: at this point are like somebody was clearly messing with 519 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:46,000 Speaker 1: something you could just reach up and yank on those 520 00:31:46,060 --> 00:31:49,260 Speaker 1: wires if you wanted yeah we did with a hoe 521 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 1: but what if you used your hand you need the 522 00:31:52,820 --> 00:31:57,480 Speaker 1: hoe to do six at one time though yeah I 523 00:31:57,550 --> 00:32:00,930 Speaker 1: love this story because it is so cockamamie and I 524 00:32:00,970 --> 00:32:05,440 Speaker 1: just find it charming It's marvelously silly, and I like 525 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,430 Speaker 1: a little silly Halloween action sometimes. Do you have some 526 00:32:08,550 --> 00:32:12,570 Speaker 1: silly listener mail? It's not silly, but it's pretty cool. Okay, good. 527 00:32:13,250 --> 00:32:15,490 Speaker 1: And I asked you about it earlier, and I know 528 00:32:15,510 --> 00:32:17,489 Speaker 1: you also find it cool. We are delighted by this 529 00:32:17,550 --> 00:32:21,100 Speaker 1: listener mail, which comes from our listener, Justin, who maybe 530 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,820 Speaker 1: other listeners know of, because you'll see. Justin writes, Hi, 531 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:27,780 Speaker 1: you might have noticed last night's September 28th episode of 532 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,580 Speaker 1: Jeopardy had a question about a recent subject of yours, 533 00:32:31,060 --> 00:32:34,330 Speaker 1: the Bavarian Illuminati. I got that clue right because I 534 00:32:34,350 --> 00:32:36,710 Speaker 1: was listening to your episode about it on the flight 535 00:32:36,750 --> 00:32:40,070 Speaker 1: to Los Angeles to film that very episode. Thank you 536 00:32:40,110 --> 00:32:42,920 Speaker 1: for a spectacular podcast and bringing joy and also important 537 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:46,140 Speaker 1: lessons to us all. Justin Robbins. I gave his full 538 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: name because he's a Jeopardy champ. And the fact that 539 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:51,520 Speaker 1: we got to help in any tiny way is very 540 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:55,260 Speaker 1: flattering and delightful. Yeah. And I love it. And... He 541 00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:59,140 Speaker 1: includes pet tax. Yay. He writes, for on-theme pet tax, 542 00:32:59,180 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: my family's dog, Gracie, had a phase where she decided 543 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:04,700 Speaker 1: to sit exactly where my mom did to watch TV. 544 00:33:05,180 --> 00:33:07,100 Speaker 1: Mom put a blanket on her to see what would happen. 545 00:33:07,140 --> 00:33:10,180 Speaker 1: The results are attached. Gracie also likes the cold a lot. 546 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: Gracie looks like a German shepherd in these pictures. She 547 00:33:13,740 --> 00:33:17,010 Speaker 1: is sitting under a blanket looking like a delighted, mature 548 00:33:17,070 --> 00:33:20,190 Speaker 1: lady enjoying her TV time. She's watching her stories. She's 549 00:33:20,210 --> 00:33:23,350 Speaker 1: probably watching Jeopardy to watch you win. That is the 550 00:33:23,390 --> 00:33:26,650 Speaker 1: coolest thing ever. There is another attachment that sounds like 551 00:33:26,670 --> 00:33:28,540 Speaker 1: maybe Gracie was doing something cute in the snow, but 552 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:32,220 Speaker 1: I can't get it to load. But Gracie is a beauty. 553 00:33:32,860 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 1: What a sweet baby. And also, congratulations and how cool again. 554 00:33:36,380 --> 00:33:39,880 Speaker 1: I love it. Listen, the Bavarian Illuminati is a gift 555 00:33:39,900 --> 00:33:45,620 Speaker 1: that keeps giving. While we were in Germany and Czechia recently, 556 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 1: our Austrian guide, I talked to him about it. I 557 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:52,760 Speaker 1: was surprised that he was not All up on the 558 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:55,720 Speaker 1: Bavarian Illuminati. And he kind of dismissed it as, I think, 559 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:57,530 Speaker 1: what did I tell you, Tracy? He was like, oh, 560 00:33:57,550 --> 00:34:00,090 Speaker 1: some little angry things. That sounds very like him, is 561 00:34:00,110 --> 00:34:03,330 Speaker 1: the thing to say. Peter is spectacular. We loved him. 562 00:34:04,570 --> 00:34:07,130 Speaker 1: If you would like to write to us and share 563 00:34:07,290 --> 00:34:09,870 Speaker 1: cool things you have done, or just cool things you know, 564 00:34:10,010 --> 00:34:12,770 Speaker 1: or just your pets, or just something you love, you 565 00:34:12,790 --> 00:34:16,930 Speaker 1: can do that at History Podcast at iHeartRadio.com. You can 566 00:34:17,010 --> 00:34:20,080 Speaker 1: also read the show notes for any of our episodes 567 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:23,390 Speaker 1: at MissedInHistory.com. Any episode you click into is going to 568 00:34:23,410 --> 00:34:26,410 Speaker 1: include all of the references that we used in creating it. 569 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:29,339 Speaker 1: So that is there for you. And if you have 570 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:31,480 Speaker 1: not yet subscribed to the podcast and you would like to, 571 00:34:31,620 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: it is the easiest thing in the world, far easier 572 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:36,470 Speaker 1: than answering any difficult Jeopardy questions. You can do that 573 00:34:36,489 --> 00:34:38,730 Speaker 1: on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you listen to your 574 00:34:38,790 --> 00:34:46,750 Speaker 1: favorite shows. Stuff You Missed in History Class is a 575 00:34:46,770 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 576 00:34:51,260 --> 00:34:54,710 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 577 00:34:54,750 --> 00:34:55,370 Speaker 1: favorite shows.