The Spirits Speak: Inside The Séance Room With Dr Nick Richbell

In this episode of Haunted History Chronicles, we explore the intriguing world of spiritualism, séances, and mediumship through the story of Jenny O’Hara Pincock and the American medium William Cartheuser. Join us as Dr. Nick Richbell shares his research into the séances held in St. Catharines, Ontario, where Cartheuser communicated with spirits, captivating those in attendance. We’ll discuss the significance of these séances, the spiritualist movement of the mid-20th century, and the mysterious figures involved. Tune in for a fascinating journey into the history and mystery of spiritualism and its enduring impact on those who believe.

My Special Guest Is Dr. Nick Richbell

Dr. Nick Richbell recently received his PhD in History from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. His area of research is the history of Spiritualism, and his doctoral dissertation is a biographical history about the medium Maurice Barbanell and his guide, Silver Birch. The teachings of Silver Birch are still talked about in Spiritualist churches today, however, Maurice Barbanell’s name is rarely mentioned.

Nick has long believed that there is more to life than an earthly existence. However, it was not until he started work as the Head of Special Collections and Archives at the University of Waterloo Library that he started to further consider the afterlife. The archives had two séance related collections. The Maines-Pincock Family collection holds records of seances conducted by the American medium William Cartheuser in the private home of Jenny O’Hara Pincock in St. Catharines, Ontario. Another collection, the Thomas Lacey Lecture collection contains over 400 lectures given by Lacey while in trance. Nick was able to bring in a new Lacey collection during his tenure at Waterloo: the Thomas Lacey séance collection: over 100 reel-to-reel tapes from the 1960s of recordings of seances conducted by Lacey in a Kitchener, Ontario home. He is often invited to give talks about his research about this magnificent collection. Nick was the research associate on the audio-documentary, The Ghost of Thomas Lacey, produced by Anthroscope Media.

Originally from London, England, Nick is currently the Head of Special Collections and Archives at Clemson University in South Carolina. Prior to moving to South Carolina, Nick oversaw the Special Collections and Archives department at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. He also managed the archives of the Canadian Pacific Railway in Montreal and worked at the McGill University Archives as well as the McGill University Health Centre.

In this episode, you will be able to: 

1. Discover the history of Jenny O’Hara Pincock’s séances and her connection with medium William Cartheuser.

2. Learn about the fascinating figures behind the séances and their practices of spirit communication.

3. Explore the enduring mysteries of spiritualism and how these séances influenced believers then and now. 

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