This week's is short but intriguing. Ghost Story would normally be one that I would not think that I had a story for, but in researching my 3rd great grandfather Toms Nixon (1807 - 1876), I found a book that was compiled by his son Jabez Hunt Nixon or J.H. Nixon. The book's title is "Rending the Vail" published in 1899 and it details various seance sessions attended by Jabez Nixon around 1890. Quoted here are the transcriptions of the seance sessions involving the Nixon family. The Mr. Nixon referred to is Jabez Nixon, Toms Nixon's son. The medium's name was William W. Aber. Spiritualism became popular in the mid 1800's with many followers including Queen Victoria and Mary Todd Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln held several seance sessions in the White House after the deaths of their young sons.
You never know what will come up in your research!
" Séance No. 1 :
7. At evening-time, and at the residence of J. H. Pratt, Mr. Pratt and wife, Mrs. Phoebe Smith, and J. H. Nixon began a series of meetings with this medium, under promise of the spirits (for we had come to so regard them) that, if we would prove faithful to them, we would be amply rewarded in rare phenomena.
8. The medium being entranced and taken into the cabinet, bust forms appeared at the window, as usual, to eight in number, all
very brilliant and recognized.
Séance No. 2 :
June 5, 1890
19. Circle of the same persons as before. (#7 above)
20. Medium seated in a chair, outside the cabinet, near to the
cabinet doorway.
21. Automatic music organ wound and put to going.
22. Light down to dim twilight.
31. Then there came out a form speaking in a whisper to Mr.Nixon, saving: "Good-evening, brother." This was clearly recognized by Mr. Nixon as his sister Ann, who several years ago passed to spirit life. Mr. Nixon placed a small bouquet of flowers upon the stand table and said: "Sister Ann, please take that to
mother." The spirit said, "I will, brother," and returned into the cabinet, taking the flowers.
32. In a few moments an elderly-looking lady form, in appearance, clad after the manner of the women of the "Society of Friends," came out to the stand table, as bright-looking as if in the mortal form in good daylight, holding that little bouquet in her hand; and, addressing Mr. Nixon as "My dear son," threw the flowers into his lap; giving, in manners, gesticulations, and words, evidences of intense delight, and of identity, and was fully
recognized, at last, as at least a complete facsimile of Nixon's mother, though she long ago made the transition.
33. Next to emerge from the cabinet was a form claiming to be Priscilla Nixon, another sister to Mr. Nixon, and was by him identified as "sister Priscilla," who had passed to the morning land forty or more years ago.
34. These forms were, by all of us, all seen and heard to talk.
41. As this spirit returned into the cabinet there came out another spirit, which said to Nixon: "I am thy father.', All the others of the circle remarked: "He certainly looks like Nixon." Nixon then said: "Father, please be seated." The spirit said, "I will try," and then did sit down on a chair that was at the south end of the stand table, and sat there for two or three minutes, leisurely looking about the room, and, arising, returned into the cabinet.
Séance No. 3 :
July 17, 1890
51. Mr. Nixon took the pains to count his pulse during the writing, and since has counted the writing and timed his pulsebeats, and found thereby that Reed wrote about two lines per second, averaging six and a half words to the line, twenty lines to the page or nearly the astounding rate of six hundred common English words written in full in one minute.52. This writing alone ought to remove these manifestations above the region of fraud to any candid mind witnessing or receiving the facts. (See Faraday writing, par. 2594)
Séance No. 5 :
August 6, 1890
88. Another thrilling event of this séance was that, while the circle were singing the melody "We're Going Home," there stood a spirit in the cabinet door whom we call Zechey, brother to Mr. Nixon, and sang with us in tones clear and loud, away above our loudest and highest key—be that to our utmost.89. Brother on this side singing face to face with brother on the spirit side of life!90. J. H. Nixon from the beginning of these séances kept record of the proceedings of each séance and read the record so kept of each séance to the circle at the next subsequent séance, and so is henceforth known as secretary.
89. Brother on this side singing face to face with brother on the spirit side of life!90. J. H. Nixon from the beginning of these séances kept record of the proceedings of each séance and read the record so kept of each séance to the circle at the next subsequent séance, and so is henceforth known as secretary.
90. J. H. Nixon from the beginning of these séances kept record of the proceedings of each séance and read the record so kept of each séance to the circle at the next subsequent séance, and so is henceforth known as secretary.
Séance No. 6 :
August 20, 1890
93. Brother Zecchey (as we have learned to call him), standing in the cabinet doorway, having his arms folded, asked us to sing the melody "We're Going Home," and as we did so he joined with us, the spirit making such an harmoniously melodious bass as we had never heard before from human voice.
94. It may be of some interest to the reader if we here relate a sample of the psychic tests as given by our colloquial, who is known and designated by the name of Sam. The secretary's father and mother long ago passed to spirit life, and their given names had not been known to the medium nor to any person attending the séance except the secretary.
Sam said: "Mr. Nixon, there is an old gentleman here for you. His name is Zechariah; He is your grosserfader" (grandfather).
Sec: "Well, that is the name."
Sam: "He says your father's initial is T."
Sec.: "What does he say the full name is?"
Sam: "He says it is Toms Nixon. He says that was your father's middle name."
Sec.: "Father had no middle name."
Sam: "Oh vell, it ought to be de middle name ony how. Dond't you ondershtand dot?"
Sec.: "Father had no middle name."
Sam: "I say dot vash a middle name as a family relicum" (family relic).
95. Here was an intellectual test that could hardly be surpassed: The grandfather's name was Zechariah Nixon. The grandmother's maiden name was Martha Toms. To preserve the maiden name as a relic in the family, the youngest son was named Toms Nixon. In such ease it seems custom to make the relic name a middle name. Hence Sam said: "A middle name, or ought to be."
The book in digital form can be found at: http://iapsop.com/ssoc/1899__aber___rending_the_vail.pdf
Please give credit and post a link to my blog if you intend to use any of the information written here. My blog posts are © Ann M Sinton 2022. All rights reserved.
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