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Ghost Club (paranormal investigators)
Encyclopedia
The Ghost Club is a paranormal investigation and research organisation that was founded in London
in 1862. It is widely believed to be the oldest such organization in the world.
Its prime interest focuses on paranormal phenomena such as ghosts and hauntings. The club has been mentioned in numerous books, the most notable being No Common Task (1983), "This Haunted Isle" (1984), "The Ghosthunters Almanac" (1993) and "Nights in Haunted Houses" (1994), all by Peter Underwood
, Some Unseen Power (1985) by Philip Paul, The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits (1992) by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Will Storr Versus the Supernatural (2006) by Will Storr, The Guide to Mysterious Glasgow (2009) by Geoff Holder
and Ghost Hunting: a Survivor's Guide (2010) by John Fraser.
when in 1855 fellows at Trinity College
began to discuss ghost
s and psychic phenomena
. Formally launched in London in 1862 (attracting some lighthearted ridicule in "The Times
"), it counted amongst its early members Charles Dickens
and Cambridge
academics
and clergymen. One of the club's earliest investigations
, in 1862, was of the Davenport Brothers
' "spirit cabinet". The Ghost Club was challenging the brothers' claim to be contacting the dead - a claim that was later proved to be a hoax
. The results of that investigation, though, were never made public.
This group undertook practical investigations of spiritualist
phenomena, which was then much in vogue and would meet and discuss ghostly subjects. The Ghost Club seems to have dissolved in the 1870s following the death of Dickens.
, and a famous contemporary medium
, the Reverend Stainton Moses. At one point they claimed to be the original founders of the club, without acknowledging its 1862 origins. Simultaneously, the Society for Psychical Research
(SPR) - with whom there was an initial overlap of members - was founded.
Whilst the SPR was a body devoted to scientific study, the Ghost Club remained a selective and secretive organization of convinced believers
for whom psychic phenomena were an established fact. Stainton Moses resigned from the vice presidency of the SPR in 1886 and thereafter devoted himself to the Ghost Club which met monthly, with attendance being considered obligatory except for the most pressing reasons. Membership was small - 82 members over 54 years - and women were not allowed in the club, but during this period it attracted some of the most original and controversial minds in psychical research, serving almost as a place of refuge for those who were unable to pursue activities elsewhere. These included Sir William Crookes
who attracted scandal after investigation into Florence Cook, a medium; Sir Oliver Lodge, the physicist; Nandor Fodor
, psychologist
and a former associate of Sigmund Freud
; and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
, the creator of Sherlock Holmes
.
The archives of the Club reveal that the names of members - both living and dead - were solemnly recited each November 2. Each individual, living or dead, was recognized as still being a member of the Club. On more than one occasion deceased members were believed to have made their presence felt.
On the earthly plane, meetings discussed topics as diverse as Egyptian magic and second sight
.
Involved were also the poet W. B. Yeats (joined 1911) and later Frederick Bligh Bond
(joined 1925), who became infamous with his obsessive investigations into spiritualism at Glastonbury
. Bligh Bond later left the country and later became active in the American Society for Psychical Research. He was ordained into the Old Catholic Church
and rejoined the Ghost Club on his return to Britain in 1935.
occult or spiritualist society celebrating November 2, the Feast of All Souls.
The Principal of Jesus College, Cambridge
, Arthur Grey was later to fictionalize the Ghost Club in 1919 as "The Everlasting Club" - a famous Cambridge ghost story that many still believe to be true.
room investigation to laboratory based research meant that the Ghost Club was becoming out of touch with contemporary psychic research or parapsychology as it became known in the 1930s. Harry Price
, world famous in the 1930s as a psychic researcher and for his investigation into Borley Rectory
joined as a member in 1927 as did psychologist Dr.Nandor Fodor
who represented the changing approach to psychical research taking place. With attendance falling, Price, Bligh Bond and a handful of surviving members agreed to wind up the Club in 1936 after 485 meetings, and this took place on November 2, 1936. The Ghost Club records narrowly escaped being destroyed because of their confidential nature but were deposited in the British Museum
under the proviso that they would be closed until 1962.
that gathered to discuss paranormal topics. Among members in this period were Dr. C.E.M.Joad
, Sir Julian Huxley
, Algernon Blackwood
, Sir Osbert Sitwell
and Lord Amwell
.
. From 1962 author Peter Underwood served as President and many account of Club activities are found in his books.
Tom Perrott joined the club in 1967 and served as Chairman from 1971 to 1993.
With this turmoil behind the club, it was decided to implement a more democratic feel to proceedings, to abolish the "invite only" clause in its membership policy, to absorb the role of Chairman and President into one post, and to allow all members to have their say in council meetings, also encouraging them to become more involved in club affairs.
During this period the Ghost Club also expanded its remit to take in the study of UFOs, dowsing
, cryptozoology
and similar topics.
Alan Murdie was elected as his successor. Alan Murdie has written a number of ghost books including "Haunted Brighton
" and regularly writes for the Fortean Times
magazine. In 2005 he was succeeded by Kathy Gearing. Ms. Gearing - the first female chairperson of the Ghost Club - announced in the Summer 2009 newsletter of the club her resignation from her position. In the first days of October 2009 it was announced that Alan Murdie had been re-appointed the Ghost Club's chairman four years after having left the same position.
The club continues to meet monthly on a Saturday afternoon at the Victory Services Club, near Marble Arch
, in London. Several investigations are performed in England
every year; in recent times, many have also been organised in Scotland
by the Scottish Area Investigation Coordinator Mr. Derek Green (recently appointed to the position of Investigations Organiser for the whole Ghost Club).
, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
, Sir William Crookes, Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding
, Arthur Koestler
, Dr. C.E.M.Joad
, Donald Campbell
, Sir Julian Huxley, Sir Osbert Sitwell
, W. B. Yeats, Siegfried Sassoon
, Dennis Wheatley
, Peter Cushing
, Peter Underwood and noted paranormal investigator Maurice Grosse
, famous for his investigation of the Enfield Poltergeist
. Present members include the explorer and founder of Operation Drake (which later became Operation Raleigh and then Raleigh International
) Colonel John Blashford-Snell
, OBE, paranormal investigator Reverend Lionel Fanthorpe
, author Lynn Picknett
, writers Colin Wilson
and Geoff Holder
, and parapsychologist and TV personality Dr. Ciaran O'Keeffe
, who is an advisor of the club. W.T.G. (Tom) Perrott, a former chairman and a life member of the club, is an eminent figure in the field of psychical research.
Church, Chingle Hall
, The Queen's House
, RAF Cosford Aerospace Museum, Glamis Castle
, Winchester
Theatre, The Ancient Ram Inn
in Wotton-under-Edge
, Woodchester Mansion
, Balgonie Castle
, Ham House, the village of New Lanark
, Coalhouse Fort
, the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
, Alloa Tower
, Scotland Street School Museum
, Michelham Priory
, Culross Palace
and the Clerkenwell House of Detention
. Reports about most of the investigations performed in the recent years can be found at the Ghost Club website at the tab "Investigations".
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1862. It is widely believed to be the oldest such organization in the world.
Its prime interest focuses on paranormal phenomena such as ghosts and hauntings. The club has been mentioned in numerous books, the most notable being No Common Task (1983), "This Haunted Isle" (1984), "The Ghosthunters Almanac" (1993) and "Nights in Haunted Houses" (1994), all by Peter Underwood
Peter Underwood (parapsychologist)
This article is about the English paranormalist. For the Chief Justice of Tasmania, see Peter Underwood .Peter Underwood FRSA is an English author, broadcaster and paranormalist. Underwood was born in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire on May 16 1923. He is a prolific author on books covering...
, Some Unseen Power (1985) by Philip Paul, The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits (1992) by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Will Storr Versus the Supernatural (2006) by Will Storr, The Guide to Mysterious Glasgow (2009) by Geoff Holder
Geoff Holder
Geoff Holder is a British author. He has written twenty non-fiction books on the paranormal, as well as on unusual and unexplained events and objects...
and Ghost Hunting: a Survivor's Guide (2010) by John Fraser.
Origins
The club has its roots in CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
when in 1855 fellows at Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
began to discuss ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
s and psychic phenomena
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
. Formally launched in London in 1862 (attracting some lighthearted ridicule in "The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
"), it counted amongst its early members Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
and Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
academics
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
and clergymen. One of the club's earliest investigations
Ghost hunting
Ghost Hunting is the process of investigating locations that are reported to be haunted by ghosts.Typically, a ghost hunting team will attempt to collect evidence claimed to be supportive of paranormal activity...
, in 1862, was of the Davenport Brothers
Davenport Brothers
Ira Erastus Davenport and William Henry Davenport , known as the Davenport Brothers, were American magicians in the late 19th century, sons of a Buffalo, New York policeman...
' "spirit cabinet". The Ghost Club was challenging the brothers' claim to be contacting the dead - a claim that was later proved to be a hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
. The results of that investigation, though, were never made public.
This group undertook practical investigations of spiritualist
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
phenomena, which was then much in vogue and would meet and discuss ghostly subjects. The Ghost Club seems to have dissolved in the 1870s following the death of Dickens.
1882 revitalization
The Ghost Club was revived on All Saints Day 1882 by Alfred Alaric Watts, the son of journalist and poet Alaric Alexander WattsAlaric Alexander Watts
Alaric Alexander Watts , British poet and journalist, born in London. His life was dedicated to newspaper creation and edition and was seen as a conservative writer...
, and a famous contemporary medium
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
, the Reverend Stainton Moses. At one point they claimed to be the original founders of the club, without acknowledging its 1862 origins. Simultaneously, the Society for Psychical Research
Society for Psychical Research
The Society for Psychical Research is a non-profit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand "events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal by promoting and supporting important research in this area" and to "examine allegedly paranormal phenomena...
(SPR) - with whom there was an initial overlap of members - was founded.
Whilst the SPR was a body devoted to scientific study, the Ghost Club remained a selective and secretive organization of convinced believers
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
for whom psychic phenomena were an established fact. Stainton Moses resigned from the vice presidency of the SPR in 1886 and thereafter devoted himself to the Ghost Club which met monthly, with attendance being considered obligatory except for the most pressing reasons. Membership was small - 82 members over 54 years - and women were not allowed in the club, but during this period it attracted some of the most original and controversial minds in psychical research, serving almost as a place of refuge for those who were unable to pursue activities elsewhere. These included Sir William Crookes
William Crookes
Sir William Crookes, OM, FRS was a British chemist and physicist who attended the Royal College of Chemistry, London, and worked on spectroscopy...
who attracted scandal after investigation into Florence Cook, a medium; Sir Oliver Lodge, the physicist; Nandor Fodor
Nandor Fodor
Nandor Fodor was a British and American parapsychologist, psychologist, author and journalist of Hungarian birth, one of the leading authorities on poltergeists, haunting and all kinds of paranormal phenomena usually associated with mediumship...
, psychologist
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and a former associate of Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
; and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
, the creator of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
.
The archives of the Club reveal that the names of members - both living and dead - were solemnly recited each November 2. Each individual, living or dead, was recognized as still being a member of the Club. On more than one occasion deceased members were believed to have made their presence felt.
On the earthly plane, meetings discussed topics as diverse as Egyptian magic and second sight
Second sight
Second sight is a form of extrasensory perception, the supposed power to perceive things that are not present to the senses, whereby a person perceives information, in the form of a vision, about future events before they happen , or about things or events at remote locations...
.
Involved were also the poet W. B. Yeats (joined 1911) and later Frederick Bligh Bond
Frederick Bligh Bond
Frederick Bligh Bond was an English architect, illustrator, archaeologist, and psychical researcher.-Early life:...
(joined 1925), who became infamous with his obsessive investigations into spiritualism at Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
. Bligh Bond later left the country and later became active in the American Society for Psychical Research. He was ordained into the Old Catholic Church
Old Catholic Church
The term Old Catholic Church is commonly used to describe a number of Ultrajectine Christian churches that originated with groups that split from the Roman Catholic Church over certain doctrines, most importantly that of Papal Infallibility...
and rejoined the Ghost Club on his return to Britain in 1935.
Reactions
At this stage of its existence, the Ghost Club might possibly be viewed as a VictorianVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
occult or spiritualist society celebrating November 2, the Feast of All Souls.
The Principal of Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
, Arthur Grey was later to fictionalize the Ghost Club in 1919 as "The Everlasting Club" - a famous Cambridge ghost story that many still believe to be true.
Early 20th Century
However, attendance dwindled and the change in the 20th century from séanceSéance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
room investigation to laboratory based research meant that the Ghost Club was becoming out of touch with contemporary psychic research or parapsychology as it became known in the 1930s. Harry Price
Harry Price
Harry Price was a British psychic researcher and author.-Early life:Although Price claimed his birth was in Shropshire, he was actually born in London in Red Lion Square on the site of the South Place Ethical Society's Conway Hall. He was educated in New Cross, first at Waller Road Infants School...
, world famous in the 1930s as a psychic researcher and for his investigation into Borley Rectory
Borley Rectory
Borley Rectory was a Victorian era mansion located in the village of Borley, Essex, England. It was constructed in 1863, on the site of a previous rectory, and destroyed by fire in 1939....
joined as a member in 1927 as did psychologist Dr.Nandor Fodor
Nandor Fodor
Nandor Fodor was a British and American parapsychologist, psychologist, author and journalist of Hungarian birth, one of the leading authorities on poltergeists, haunting and all kinds of paranormal phenomena usually associated with mediumship...
who represented the changing approach to psychical research taking place. With attendance falling, Price, Bligh Bond and a handful of surviving members agreed to wind up the Club in 1936 after 485 meetings, and this took place on November 2, 1936. The Ghost Club records narrowly escaped being destroyed because of their confidential nature but were deposited in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
under the proviso that they would be closed until 1962.
Harry Price's restructuring
However these events proved only a temporary suspension for within 18 months Price had relaunched the Ghost Club as a society dining event where psychic researchers and mediums delivered after dinner talks. Price decided to admit women to the club, also specifying that it was not a spiritualist church or association but a group of skepticsSkepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
that gathered to discuss paranormal topics. Among members in this period were Dr. C.E.M.Joad
C. E. M. Joad
Cyril Edwin Mitchinson Joad was an English philosopher and broadcasting personality. He is most famous for his appearance on The Brains Trust, an extremely popular BBC Radio wartime discussion programme...
, Sir Julian Huxley
Julian Huxley
Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS was an English evolutionary biologist, humanist and internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentieth century evolutionary synthesis...
, Algernon Blackwood
Algernon Blackwood
Algernon Henry Blackwood, CBE was an English short story writer and novelist, one of the most prolific writers of ghost stories in the history of the genre. He was also a journalist and a broadcasting narrator. S. T...
, Sir Osbert Sitwell
Osbert Sitwell
Sir Francis Osbert Sacheverell Sitwell, 5th Baronet, was an English writer. His elder sister was Dame Edith Louisa Sitwell and his younger brother was Sir Sacheverell Sitwell; like them he devoted his life to art and literature....
and Lord Amwell
Frederick Montague, 1st Baron Amwell
Frederick Montague, 1st Baron Amwell CBE was a British Labour Party politician.Amwell was the son of John Montague and Mary Ann Manderson. He worked as a newsboy and as a shop assistant and later became a copywriter and political agent...
.
Mid- to late-20th Century (Peter Underwood, Tom Perrott)
Following Price's death in 1948 activities lapsed but the Club was again relaunched by members of the committee, Philip Paul and Peter UnderwoodPeter Underwood (parapsychologist)
This article is about the English paranormalist. For the Chief Justice of Tasmania, see Peter Underwood .Peter Underwood FRSA is an English author, broadcaster and paranormalist. Underwood was born in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire on May 16 1923. He is a prolific author on books covering...
. From 1962 author Peter Underwood served as President and many account of Club activities are found in his books.
Tom Perrott joined the club in 1967 and served as Chairman from 1971 to 1993.
Late 20th Century turmoils
In 1993, however, the club underwent a period of internal disruption, during which Peter Underwood left to become Life President of another society he called "The Ghost Club Society", that he claims having been founded in 1851, taking some of the club members with him. During this period, Tom Perrott resigned due to the turmoil, but was invited to return to the Ghost Club as chairman, which he accepted.With this turmoil behind the club, it was decided to implement a more democratic feel to proceedings, to abolish the "invite only" clause in its membership policy, to absorb the role of Chairman and President into one post, and to allow all members to have their say in council meetings, also encouraging them to become more involved in club affairs.
During this period the Ghost Club also expanded its remit to take in the study of UFOs, dowsing
Dowsing
Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, gravesites, and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called currents of earth radiation , without the use of scientific apparatus...
, cryptozoology
Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven...
and similar topics.
Into the 21st Century
In 1998, Perrott resigned as Chairman (although he remained active in club affairs), and barristerBarrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
Alan Murdie was elected as his successor. Alan Murdie has written a number of ghost books including "Haunted Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
" and regularly writes for the Fortean Times
Fortean Times
Fortean Times is a British monthly magazine devoted to the anomalous phenomena popularised by Charles Fort. Previously published by John Brown Publishing and then I Feel Good Publishing , it is now published by Dennis Publishing Ltd. As of December 2010, its circulation was approximately 18,000...
magazine. In 2005 he was succeeded by Kathy Gearing. Ms. Gearing - the first female chairperson of the Ghost Club - announced in the Summer 2009 newsletter of the club her resignation from her position. In the first days of October 2009 it was announced that Alan Murdie had been re-appointed the Ghost Club's chairman four years after having left the same position.
The club continues to meet monthly on a Saturday afternoon at the Victory Services Club, near Marble Arch
Marble Arch
Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
, in London. Several investigations are performed in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
every year; in recent times, many have also been organised in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
by the Scottish Area Investigation Coordinator Mr. Derek Green (recently appointed to the position of Investigations Organiser for the whole Ghost Club).
Notable members
Since its founding in 1862, the Ghost Club has welcomed many luminaries to its membership. The list includes Charles DickensCharles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
, Sir William Crookes, Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding
Hugh Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding
Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding GCB, GCVO, CMG was a British officer in the Royal Air Force...
, Arthur Koestler
Arthur Koestler
Arthur Koestler CBE was a Hungarian author and journalist. Koestler was born in Budapest and, apart from his early school years, was educated in Austria...
, Dr. C.E.M.Joad
C. E. M. Joad
Cyril Edwin Mitchinson Joad was an English philosopher and broadcasting personality. He is most famous for his appearance on The Brains Trust, an extremely popular BBC Radio wartime discussion programme...
, Donald Campbell
Donald Campbell
Donald Malcolm Campbell, CBE was a British speed record breaker who broke eight world speed records in the 1950s and 1960s...
, Sir Julian Huxley, Sir Osbert Sitwell
Osbert Sitwell
Sir Francis Osbert Sacheverell Sitwell, 5th Baronet, was an English writer. His elder sister was Dame Edith Louisa Sitwell and his younger brother was Sir Sacheverell Sitwell; like them he devoted his life to art and literature....
, W. B. Yeats, Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Loraine Sassoon CBE MC was an English poet, author and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches, and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's...
, Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
, Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
, Peter Underwood and noted paranormal investigator Maurice Grosse
Maurice Grosse
Maurice Grosse was a British paranormal investigator famous for his involvement in the Enfield Poltergeist case.-Early life:Grosse was educated at the Regent Street Polytechnic in London...
, famous for his investigation of the Enfield Poltergeist
Enfield Poltergeist
The Enfield Poltergeist was a period of apparent poltergeist activity in London, England between August 1977 and September 1978, with an added outburst in August 1980.-Activity :...
. Present members include the explorer and founder of Operation Drake (which later became Operation Raleigh and then Raleigh International
Raleigh International
Raleigh International is a UK-based youth and sustainable development charity that aims to help people of all backgrounds and nationalities to discover their full potential through their work to improve communities and protect the environment....
) Colonel John Blashford-Snell
John Blashford-Snell
Colonel John Nicholas Blashford-Snell OBE is a former British Army officer, explorer and author.John Blashford-Snell was educated at Victoria College, Jersey and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, then commissioned into the Royal Engineers.Amongst his expeditions have been the first descent...
, OBE, paranormal investigator Reverend Lionel Fanthorpe
Lionel Fanthorpe
The Reverend Robert Lionel Fanthorpe is a British priest and entertainer, and has at various times worked as a journalist, teacher, television presenter, author and lecturer...
, author Lynn Picknett
Lynn Picknett
Lynn Picknett is a writer, researcher, and lecturer on the paranormal, the occult, and historical and religious mysteries.-Life:Born in Folkestone, Kent, England in April 1947, Picknett grew up in a haunted house in York, attending Park Grove Junior School and Queen Anne Grammar School...
, writers Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...
and Geoff Holder
Geoff Holder
Geoff Holder is a British author. He has written twenty non-fiction books on the paranormal, as well as on unusual and unexplained events and objects...
, and parapsychologist and TV personality Dr. Ciaran O'Keeffe
Ciarán O'Keeffe
Dr. Ciarán O'Keeffe is a British parapsychologist. He has held a Research associate position at Université de Toulouse, Le Mirail and also an online tutor position at Derby University. Previously employed at Liverpool Hope University, lecturing in Psychology with a parapsychology component, Dr...
, who is an advisor of the club. W.T.G. (Tom) Perrott, a former chairman and a life member of the club, is an eminent figure in the field of psychical research.
Investigations
The club has investigated many famous locations during its lifetime, such as BorleyBorley
Borley is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located on the River Stour, approximately northwest of Sudbury, Suffolk and is 39km north-northeast from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the district of Braintree and in the parliamentary constituency of Saffron...
Church, Chingle Hall
Chingle hall
Chingle Hall dates from around 1300. It is located in the township of Whittingham near Preston, England. It was originally built by the Singleton family and owned by them until Eleanor Singleton, the last of the line died in 1585. The house then passed to the Wall family through the marriage of...
, The Queen's House
Queen's House
The Queen's House, Greenwich, is a former royal residence built between 1614-1617 in Greenwich, then a few miles downriver from London, and now a district of the city. Its architect was Inigo Jones, for whom it was a crucial early commission, for Anne of Denmark, the queen of King James I of England...
, RAF Cosford Aerospace Museum, Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public....
, Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
Theatre, The Ancient Ram Inn
The Ancient Ram Inn
The Ancient Ram Inn is a Grade II* listed building and a former pub located in Wotton-under-Edge, a market town within the Stroud district of Gloucestershire, England. It is believed to be one of the most haunted hotels in the country. This famous inn is owned by and the home to John Humphries. It...
in Wotton-under-Edge
Wotton-under-Edge
Wotton-under-Edge is a market town within the Stroud district of Gloucestershire, England. Located near the southern end of the Cotswolds, the Cotswold Way long-distance footpath passes through the town. Standing on the B4058 Wotton is about from the M5 motorway. The nearest railway station is...
, Woodchester Mansion
Woodchester Mansion
Woodchester Mansion is an unfinished, Gothic revival mansion house located in Woodchester Park near Nympsfield in Woodchester, Gloucestershire, England...
, Balgonie Castle
Balgonie Castle
Balgonie Castle is located on the south bank of the River Leven near Milton of Balgonie, east of Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland. The keep dates from the 14th century, and the remaining structures were added piecemeal until the 18th century...
, Ham House, the village of New Lanark
New Lanark
New Lanark is a village on the River Clyde, approximately 1.4 miles from Lanark, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was founded in 1786 by David Dale, who built cotton mills and housing for the mill workers. Dale built the mills there to take advantage of the water power provided by the river...
, Coalhouse Fort
Coalhouse Fort
Coalhouse Fort is a large casemated fort in East Tilbury, near the modern town of Tilbury, in Thurrock, Essex, downstream from Tilbury Fort. It contains a museum of memorabilia from World War I and II.-History of the fort:...
, the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is an arts venue, in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is operated by Glasgow Life, an agency of Glasgow City Council, which also runs Glasgow’s City Halls and Old Fruitmarket venue...
, Alloa Tower
Alloa Tower
Alloa Tower in Alloa in central Scotland is the surviving part of the medieval residence of the Clan Erskine family, the Earls of Mar.An architect which was involved in the Alloa Tower was John Melvin....
, Scotland Street School Museum
Scotland Street School Museum
Scotland Street School Museum is a museum of school education in Glasgow, Scotland, in the district of Tradeston. It is located in a former school built by Charles Rennie Mackintosh between 1903 and 1906. The building is one of Glasgow's foremost architectural attractions...
, Michelham Priory
Michelham Priory
Michelham Priory is the site of a former Augustine Priory near Upper Dicker, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom. It is owned and administered by the Sussex Archaeological Society.-History:...
, Culross Palace
Culross Palace
Culross Palace is a late 16th - early 17th century merchant's house in Culross, Fife, Scotland.The palace, or "Great Lodging", was constructed between 1597 and 1611 by Sir George Bruce, the Laird of Carnock. Bruce was a successful merchant who had a flourishing trade with other Forth ports, the Low...
and the Clerkenwell House of Detention
New Prison
The New Prison was a prison located in the Clerkenwell area of central London between c.1617 and 1877 ....
. Reports about most of the investigations performed in the recent years can be found at the Ghost Club website at the tab "Investigations".