June Anniversaries

3 Jun 1856
Florence Cook (1856-1904) was born in Hackney, East London. Florence’s mediumship was evident from a young age, and she would see and speak with those living on the other side of the veil. By the time she was 14 she began going into trances in the presence of her family which made them take notice. Her mediumship abilities matured while attending séances in the family home. Florence was a materialisation medium and it has been written that she was the first British medium to produce full manifestations in front of witnesses. Florence is probably best remembered for the work she did with the spirit person known as Katie King. Katie first appeared through Florence’s mediumship in 1872 it then took about a year before Katie was able to manifest her full spirit form and once she achieved full manifestation she could easily walk around to each of the sitters and even throughout the Cook home. Florence’s mediumship also extended into automatic writing with witnesses confirming that the correspondence received was from their loved ones and this written communication took place some distance from the medium. Florence continued to demonstrate her mediumship up until few months before she died in April 1904 of pneumonia. In quoting one of the spirit people Florence helped “you are never dead”.

12 Jun 1851
Sir Oliver Lodge (1851-1940) is born in Staffordshire, England. A distinguished scientist and spiritualist of the Victorian age who championed the continuation of life beyond the grave. Sir Oliver was the first person to transmit a message by radio on 14 August 1894. Sir Oliver began his research into psychic phenomena in the early 1880s and his findings are published by the Society for Psychical Research. Sir Oliver did extensive investigative work with the medium Leonora Piper. Amongst the books he authored is “Raymond: or Life and Death” which details the evidence received from his son Raymond after he was killed in action in WWI.

16 Jun 1917
Jane Fryer (1832-1917) was living in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne when she returned to the world of spirit. Jane was born in Somerset, England and was described as an independent-minded woman, even to the point of refusing to wear a wedding ring because to her it represented servitude to her husband. Jane and her family moved to Victoria, Australia in 1854. In Melbourne, Jane became a prominent member of the Melbourne Progressive Lyceum, she joined the spiritualist, eight-hour day and early-closing movements, and was associated with the Theosophical Society. She was also involved in the women's suffrage movement. Jane is buried in Melbourne General Cemetery.

21 Jun 1913
Annie Bright (1840-1913) Annie returned to the world of spirit while living in East Melbourne. Annie was a journalist, author, lecturer, teacher and medium. She moved to Australia shortly after her marriage in 1864. Although initially living in Sydney she moved to Melbourne in 1905 to take up the role of Editor of the Harbinger of Light. Annie published her autobiography “A Soul’s Pilgrimage” in 1907. In 1912 she published “What Life in the Spiritualist World Really is”. This was her final book and she received it directly from WT Stead who had already passed into the spirit world having died on the Titanic that same year. Annie is buried in Brighton Cemetery.

21 Jun 1886
Daniel Douglas Home (pronounced 'Hume') passes into higher life at his home in France and is buried in Paris. Home was born in Scotland and his mediumship abilities extended to direct voice, trance, clairvoyance and most notably physical mediumship. When Home was a child, he moved with his aunt and uncle from Scotland to America and once his reputation as a medium was established in that country he returned to England in 1855. In England, Home conducted numerous séances which were attended by many of the best-known names of the time, including Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle amongst others.

23 Jun 1888
Edmund Gurney (1847 - 1888) passes into higher life, apparently due to an accidental overdose of chloroform. Gurney was an author however is probably best remembered for his work as a Psychical Researcher. Gurney was educated at Cambridge University and was one of the co-founders of the Society for Psychical Research, along with Professors William Barrett and Henry Sidgwick and fellow Cambridge contemporary Frederic W. H. Myers. In 1874 Gurney along with his friend Frederic Myers started attending séances and they were witness to some impressive spirit phenomena while sitting with William Stainton Moses. After Gurney’s death, he returned from the spirit world through various mediums and in 1889 Gurney made contact through Leonora Piper with messages for Sir Oliver Lodge. Gurney spoke to Sir Oliver about the ease of recognising a medium from his side of the veil “They are like transparent windows to see through”. Gurney also commented that “All the time I’ve been here I have only found two mediums besides this one. More people might be mediums, but many won’t when they can.”

25 Jun 1870
Rules to be Observed When Forming Spiritual Circles. This article was written by Emma Hardinge (as she was known prior to her marriage) and published in the Echo paper in Dunedin.

27 Jun 1859
Leonora Piper (1859-1950) was born in New Hampshire, USA. She first demonstrated evidence of clairaudience at the age of 8 when she received communication “Aunt Sara, not dead, but with you still”. It was subsequently established that her Aunt Sara had died at that exact time and day. Piper was predominantly a trance medium and demonstrated her abilities in both the USA and UK. She was subjected to some of the most stringent testing over several decades by the Society for Psychical Research (based in UK) and the American Society for Psychical Research where she astounded her critics. Piper died in 1950.

30 Jun 2002
Chico Xavier (1910-2002) passes into the spirit world at the age of 92. Xavier was born Francisco de Paula Candido in Brazil. He was a medium and author writing over 400 books. Xavier publicly declared that his books were channelled from spirit. Xavier was very popular in Brazil and appeared numerous TV talk shows in the 60s and 70s. Despite suffering from ill health toward the end of his life Xavier continued to work up until his death in 2002.

thanks Helen - appreciate your work. Love Michelle