How a wartime medium became Britain's last person imprisoned for witchcraft

History · Published 8 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: During the Second World War, a spiritualist medium shared news of a secret naval tragedy during a séance. This unexpected leak of classified information alarmed British intelligence, leading to her trial at the Old Bailey and her historic imprisonment under an ancient law used to punish those claiming magical powers.

Helen Duncan, born Helen MacFarlane in 1897, was a professional medium who supported her family of six through séances. Operating in the tradition of Spiritualism—a movement that gained massive popularity following the trauma of World War I and the influenza pandemic—Duncan used trance states and 'spirit guides' named Peggy and Albert to communicate with the dead. During her performances, she famously produced ectoplasm, a white substance that flowed from her mouth and nose to represent spirits. Before her marriage to Henry Duncan in 1916, she was known by the nickname "Hellish Nell" during her early years in Callander, Scotland.

While some skeptics, such as researcher Harry Price, suspected her ectoplasm was merely regurgitated cheesecloth and egg whites, Duncan's fame grew. However, her career collided with the intense secrecy of World War II. On May 24, 1941, during a sitting in Edinburgh, a spirit announced the sinking of the HMS Barham. This information was highly classified, and the news was overheard by Roy Firebrace, Scotland’s chief of military intelligence, who had not yet been briefed on the tragedy. The medium's performances typically took place in darkened rooms, where she utilized a soft red light to set the atmosphere for her clients.

The British government, fearing that mediums could inadvertently leak intelligence to enemy spies, moved to suppress such activities. Duncan was ultimately charged under the Witchcraft Act of 1735. Notably, this law was designed to punish those claiming to practice magic rather than outlawing actual sorcery. Her trial at the Old Bailey on March 23, 1944, marked the final time an individual was imprisoned under such witchcraft-themed legislation in Great Britain. The legal proceedings took place in London, as crowds gathered at the historic Old Bailey to witness the trial of the middle-aged mother.

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