Important Dates

 

• 1848 
  Hydesville Knockings in the USA lead to the investigation of the mediumship of the Fox sisters and the birth of the Movement of Modern Spiritualism.
  
  
• 1849 
  First public demonstration of mediumship by Margaret Fox in the Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York.
  
  
• 1852 
  Mrs. Maria Hayden from America becomes the first Spiritualist medium to work in Britain.
  
  
• 1853 
  David Richmond propergated Spiritualism in Britain at Keighley in Yorkshire.
  
  
• 1854 
  Robert Owen, Socialist reformer and co-founder of the Co-operative Society, embraced Spiritualism after sittings with Mrs. Hayden. (After passing to the Spirit World he became the author of the Seven Principles of Spiritualism through the mediumship of Emma Hardinge Britten. They were then adopted by the Spiritualist’s National Union).
  
  
• 1855
  First Spiritualist newspaper in Britain, “The Yorkshire Spiritualist Telegraph” published at Keighley.
  
  
• 1863
  Andrew Jackson Davis established the first Sunday Lyceum for children in New York
  
  
• 1865
  An attempt was made to form the first National Organisation of Spiritualists in Darlington.
  
  
• 1866
  First Lyceum opened in Britain at Nottingham by J. Hitchcock. Emma Hardinge Britten returned to England from America where she was quickly recognised as a very powerful medium.
  
  
• 1869
  Committee appointed by the Dialectical Society investigated Spiritualism. They published the most favourable report on Spiritualism up to that time by an investigating body.
  
  
• 1871
  Robert Owen communicated the ‘Seven Principles of Spiritualism through the mediumship of Emma Hardinge Britten. Sir William Crookes reported on Spiritualism to the Royal Society and published his findings in the “Quarterly Journal of Science”.
  
  
• 1872
  A second attempt to form a national organisation was made at a National Conference in Darlington. Again it failed. However it stimulated interest and people wrote to the Spiritualist press. It soon became recognised that there was a need for such an organisation.
  
  
• 1873
  British National Association of Spiritualists founded. Renamed the London Spiritualist Alliance in 1884 and known today as the College for Psychic Science in London
  
  
• 1874
  Society for Psychical Research founded on January 29th. by Sir William F. Barrett.
  
  
• 1875
  Alfred Kitson chaired the first Lyceum Conference in Bradford.
  
  
• 1876
  ‘Two Worlds’ founded as a Spiritualist weekly newspaper by Mrs. Harding Britten. (Now a monthly magazine). British Lyceum Manual also published for the first time.
  
  
• 1890
  Formation of the National Spiritualists’ Federation. Spiritualists’ Lyceum Union established (Name changed to British Spiritualists’ Lyceum Union in 1894).
  
  
• 1893
  Foundation of National Spiritualists’ Association in America.
  
  
• 1901
  Foundation of Spiritualists’ National Union Ltd. as a company not for profit and limited by guarantee, taking over the assets and liabilities of the National Spiritualists’ Federation in July of that year.
  
  
• 1902
  Spiritualists’ National Union took over the rights, assets and obligations of the Federation and obtained legal status, whereby it could hold real property.
  
  
• 1913
  Sir Oliver Lodge, great physicist of the 20th. Century, after 25 years of scientific research, told the British Association that ‘the personality existed beyond bodily death’.
  
  
• 1916
  Parliamentary campaign for the legal recognition of Spiritualism instituted by the Union under Ernest Oaten.
  
  
• 1918
  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle proclaims his belief in Spiritualism.
  
  
• 1919
  Ernest Oaten became editor of ‘Two Worlds’
  
  
• 1923
  Formation of the International Spiritualists’ Federation.
  
  
• 1924
  Hannen Swaffer, journalist and socialist caused a sensation when he made public his conversion to Spiritualism in his book ‘Northcliffe’s Return’.
  
  
• 1930
  Gordon Higginson gave his first public demonstration of mediumship at the age of 12.
  
  
• 1931
  Publication of J. Arthur Findlay’s trilogy, “On the Edge of the Etheric”; “The Rock of Truth”; 1935 and “The Unfolding Universe”.
  
  
• 1932
  “Psychic News” founded under the editorship of Maurice Barbanell.
  
  
• 1934
  First broadcast on behalf of Spiritualism through the BBC by Ernest Oaten.
  
  
• 1937
  Spiritualism investigated by Church of England Committee set up by Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Gordon Cosmo Lang. (Its subsequent favourable report by the church was never published and its contents only became known when released by “Psychic News” who had been mysteriously sent a copy)
  
  
• 1939
  Ministers begin to be appointed by the Spiritualists’ National Union.
  
  
• 1940
  Spiritualists’ National Union Ltd. achieves full government recognition and is given certificate to act as a Trust Corporation.
  
  
• 1942
  Union of the Spiritualists’ National Union and the Spiritualists’ Lyceum Union.
  
  
• 1944
  Helen Duncan trial at the Old Bailey, London. Helen was deemed to be fraudulant and served nine months in Holloway prison.
  
  
• 1945-
  Lord Dowding came into prominence as a champion of Spiritualism after the war during which he was in command of the RAF during the Battle of Britain and, through a medium friend many of the airmen who had passed over were able to give their former chief convincing evidence of their survival.
  
  
• 1948
  Celebration of Centenary of Modern Spiritualism took place in the Royal Albert Hall, London.
  
  
• 1951
  Passing of the Fraudulent Mediums Act removing mediums from the twin threats of the Witchcraft Act 1735 and the Vagrancy Act 1824, and thereby enabling Spiritualists to openly and legally practice their religion. The Lyceum Department received a letter from the Spiritualists’ National Union stating that henceforth it would be known as the ‘Spiritualists Lyceum Union’.
  
  
• 1954
  National Federation of Spiritual Healers founded.
  
  
• 1955
  A motion showing that there was a need for a Guild of Spiritual Healers was put to the Spiritualists’ National Union Annual General Meeting at Worthing and was held to be proven although nothing could be done at that meeting, it was an ideal only.
  
  
• 1956
  Proposals were put to the Spiritualists’ National Union Annual General Meeting at Manchester for the formation of such a Guild.
  
  
• 1964
  Stansted Hall was bequeathed to the Spiritualists’ National Union by Arthur Findlay to be used as a College for the Advancement of Psychic Science.
  
  
• 1966
  Arthur Findlay College (Stansted Hall) opened in September.
  
  
• 1969
  The League of Friends of Stansted Hall was inaugerated.
  
  
• 1970
  The Northern, Sheffield, Southern, Yorkshire, East Midlands and London Guilds had been formed and the first meeting of the Guild of Spiritualists’ Healers was held at Stansted Hall. Gorden Higginson became President of the Spiritualists’ National Union.
  
  
• 1972
  First National Conference of the Guild was also held at Stansted Hall.
  
  
• 1975
  At the Spiritualists’ National Union Annual General members voted in favour of a new set of Articles of Association which were circulated prior to the meeting. This resulted in bringing into force the Three Tier System of administration which came into effect immediately after the SNU Annual General meeting in 1976 marking a new phase in the history of the SNU.
  
  
• 1990
  The SNU Centenary was celebrated by holding publicity meetings in every District Council area with a National Celebration taking place at Wembley, London on 31st. March, the date of the Hydesville Rappings in 1848.
  
  
• 1993
  Gordon M. Higginson MSNU, President of the SNU since 1970, passed to the Spirit World on 18th. January.
  
  
• 1994
  The Guild of Spiritualists’ Healers was amalgamated within the SNU. The Spiritualist Healing Committee became a Standing Committee with special responsibility for healing throughout the Union.
  
  
• 1998
  Leaders of major Spiritualist organisations met at Stansted Hall on March 31st. for the Sesquicentenary celebrations of the birth of Modern Spiritualism. Work began on the New Pioneers Centre adjacent to the Sanctuary at Stansted Hall.
  
  
• 1999
  The New Pioneers Centre at Stansted Hall was opened and dedicated by Mrs. Judith J. Seaman MSNU, President of the Spiritualists’ National Union.
  
  
• 2005
  11th. May the Government adopted the Unfair Practices Directive the purpose of which is to harmonise unfair trading laws in all EU member states and prohibit traders in all sectors from treating consumers unfairly. When this came into force in April 2008 it had the effect of repealing some 25 pieces of UK legislation, either in part or the Act as a whole. One of the acts that was repealed was the Fraudulent Mediums Act of 1951.
  
  
• 2008
  In May the provisions of the Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 were removed and mediumship came under the Consumer Protection Law.
  
  
• 2010
  The unveiling of the SNU Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire
  
  
• 2013
  On January 18th. the SNU released access to ‘MySNU’ for all of its’ members who had registered. In July 2013 the Gordon Higginson Memorial Scholarship was introduced.
  
  
• 2014
  On 18th. July a dedication service was held to unveil the J. Arthur Findlay Memorial at Stansted Hall. Arthur had left detailed instructions and drawings of exactly what he wanted for a memorial to mark his life’s work.
  
  Inter Faith Network (IFN) – The Spiritualists’ National Union announced that it was now a member of the IFN, thus allowing it to develop a dialogue with other religions and religious organisations on a national level to support and develop the excellent work done by many of its churches at local level.
  
  June 26th.-28th. June – First World Congress of Spiritualists’ hosted by Lily Dale Assembly Spiritualist Camp, New York State.