The Poltergeists of Thornton Heath | Ep. 107
Welcome to another episode of Believing the Bizarre. This week, we go back into the wonderful world of hauntings. In a small district of Greater London, England is Thornton Heath.
This district is known for two terrifying poltergeist experiences. We discuss the poltergeist encounters, what separates a poltergeist from a ghost, and much more.
But, were these encounters believable? Listen now!
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What’s up Bizarros?!
We’ll be traveling to England this and dive into the Thornton Heath Poltergeist on our paranormal podcast.
Thornton Heath is a small suburb outside of London to its south. However, this small area has been home to two vicious and well know poltergeist encounters with two different families.
Let’s take a look at these violent hauntings that plagued two families.
The First Haunting
The first takes place in 1938
The story was first delivered to the public by journalist Nandor Fodor. He told the story of Alma Fielding, her husband, son, and the man that stayed with the family.
Alma was 34 on February 13th when the supernatural trouble started. Since childhood, Alma had been plagued by kidney problems. She had a standing prescription for antibacterial medicine, and sedatives to fight it.
She was visiting a friend when the sudden tell-tale pain in her pelvis struck. She knew that her night was bound to be hard.
She went home and fought through the familiar burn. She went immediately to bed at home after taking her prescriptions.
It was a cold stormy February as she lay in bed fighting through the pain.
Alma had to be bed-bound for quite a few days due to her illness. Although a few days into her isolation her husband Leslie, joined her bedside because of his bleeding gums. All of his teeth had been pulled to get him ready for his dentures.
3 days passed as the couple lay in their bed suffering from their ailments. It was cold outside and their windows were all frosted outside.
That Friday is when Alma Fielding noticed something strange. A 6-fingered handprint in the frost.
As that evening fell the couple began drifting to sleep in their bedroom. Suddenly, around midnight, they were awoken by the sound of shattering glass.
They turned on a lamp, and saw the tumbler that had been on their bedroom nightstand was now in a million pieces on the ground. Just then they saw another glass object fly across the bedroom and shatter against the wall.
Leslie whispered to his wife to put out the light. In the dark, their blanket flew up over their faces. They both struggled to turn on the light through the blanket but failed.
They called their son, Donald, for help.
Hurrying into his parent’s room he ripped open the door and ducked as a glass makeup jar shot over his head.
Georgie, the lodger, ran in to help too. He did not duck but he was only hit with a few coins.
Donald tried to turn on the lights, but couldn’t. Thinking quickly he lit a match to see that the lightbulb had vanished from the lamp. It was found on the other side of the bedroom. In one price and still warm to the touch.
That morning Alma woke up feeling better. She went to the kitchen to make breakfast.
But Alma was about to find that the supernatural events from the night before were not confined to the bedroom.
An egg cut through the air and shattered at Alma’s feet as she went to make her tea.
After cleaning the plate that she had eaten breakfast on, her saucer broke clean in half.
Alma didn’t know what to do she didn’t call the police, she called the press. The Sunday Pictorial happened to be running a series on the paranormal.
Alma told the paper to “come to my house there are things going on here I cannot explain”.
The Press Arrives At The Poltergeist House
As soon as the two reporters from the paper arrived they witnessed another egg levitate down the hallway and land out in the yard by their feet.
As Alma walked them to the kitchen they saw a pink dog toy shake at them, and a sharp can opener flew around at head height.
They moved to the front sitting room after making tea and as Alma raised her cup to sip the teacup and the saucer completely floated out of her hands.
The plate then spun and fractured in the air. A part of it jammed into Alma’s thumb causing her to bleed. While attending to Alma’s thumb, the guests heard more glass breaking from the kitchen, they saw another egg smash on the sitting room door and then coal from the fire flew at one of the reporters.
The reporters ran a report where they called the family the “occupants of the house of fear.”
The Second Haunting At Thornton Heath
The unnamed residents heard the blaring of a clock radio first. That’s when the whole thing started. Then from there, it all snowballed.
Whatever it was banging on the walls and stomping on the ceilings. With the noise came a spector that appeared as a vampire. This supernatural entity gave off a strong feeling of malice.
The family felt these disturbances for months, and during that time violent activity began happening.
Pictures fell from walls, glasses and plates flew out of the cupboards and a lamp lept from a table and shattered over the head of the father.
A few days before Christmas, the family watches in terror as the Christmas tree violently shook and the ornaments flew off in all directions breaking against the walls.
To anyone who studies the paranormal, it seems as though the family may have had a poltergeist.
What is a Poltergeist?
A Poltergeist is a spirit or supernatural force that can cause disturbing, and often violent phenomena like inexplicable noises, breaking household items, flying items around the house, banging, and stomping.
Many actions of a poltergeist can be focused on one particular individual in the house, usually a child or adolescent.
What is the Difference Between a Ghost and a Poltergeist?
While there are many similarities between a ghost and a poltergeist, there are a couple of main differences.
One of the biggest differences is that ghosts tend to be spirits that can be neutral or bad whereas poltergeists are mostly malevolent.
Ghosts are usually confined to the place where they died or lived, and poltergeists are not tethered to one place.
Was It A Poltergeist The Second Family Was Dealing With?
Some would argue that the experiences of the second family were not the case of a poltergeist.
They said that this was the action of a spirit rather than a powerful manifestation.
The family invited friends over hoping that their presence would offset the evil presence that was in their home.
While they were enjoying their food and drink they began hearing the banging on the front door. The door blew open and the lights went out.
They all left that night.
The next day they contacted a local church and a priest was immediately sent to the home. A blessing of the property was performed, unfortunately, it didn’t seem to work. The entity stepped up its haunting.
It banged louder than ever on the walls, loud crashes came from the upstairs. That’s also when the figure started to appear. The poltergeist gave off nothing but an evil aura.
Following the failed blessing, the family was put in touch with a spiritualist medium. When the medium arrived she immediately sensed the presence of two spirits in the home. The medium explained the spirits were a farmer and his wife named Chatterton.
The Chattertons, considered the family to be trespassers and attempted to make them leave using any method at their disposal.
The medium tried to get the spectral couple to leave, but they flatly refused. This was their house and no one was going to make them leave. Even if they were dead.
After about 4 years of living in hell, the Chattertons won. The family packed and left.
Was It A Poltergeist? Was It A Ghost?
What do you think Bizarros? Were these families accosted by a poltergeist?
Or was it a powerful ghost?
Are ghosts capable of this powerful manifestation? What would you do in this situation, stay or leave?