What follows is the story, in his own words, of the investigation that led to my paternal grandfather becoming a Spiritualist and a very early member of Liverpool (Daulby) Spiritualist Church. One or more members of my family were actively involved in the church from the 1880's to 1994 when my Aunt Gladys passed to Spirit.
“Mrs. Britten introduced in The Two Worlds* (a work colleague gave him copies) a set of rules regarding the formation and conduct of circles. These I read very carefully and decided, there and then, to investigate for myself. Thinking thus to secure my Heaven hereafter, it was my custom to attend Chapel every Sunday without fail. One Sunday morning I was absent; my actual investigation had commenced. I arranged with Mrs. Owen for the use of the round kitchen-table for our first sitting. I remember well how my good wife eyed me with suspicion, and wondered what uncanny thing I was about to approach.
My eldest son, Robert A. Owen, and I sat together, having first provided pencil and paper and observed fully the rules laid down. I may say that Robert was then about seven years of age. We sat for about half-an-hour expecting the table to move, but this did not occur. While humming a tune familiar to me my son appeared to go to sleep. I tried to arouse him but did not succeed. After waiting some time, I put the pencil in his hand and placed the writing paper before him. In a few minutes his hand began to move, and an effort to write was made. He wrote, while in this condition four pages, and signed a name. Judge of my astonishment and satisfaction, when I found it was the signature of a relative who had passed on three years previously!”
“The matter which was written on that paper was quite beyond the intelligence of a lad of seven, and moreover it was written in Welsh! - A language of which Robert had just an A.B.C. acquaintance. This seemed to indicate that a power outside him and greater than he, had taken possession of him. Knowing that my communicating friend was a Welshman, I addressed questions to him in his native tongue, and he promptly replied by writing in Welsh through my juvenile medium.”
Grandfather continues in the same article that appeared in a journal called “The Lyceum Banner” – “In course of time I gathered around me a number of earnest investigators who agreed to come to my home for regular séances. What an education and inspiration we gained from those happy circles! … The phenomena which occurred at these homely gatherings were many and varied, and included the rather rare fire test. Of this I heard from other sitters, for I was of course under control when I was used in this way. It might startle people to see this for the first time, but I can assure you my tender hands were quite unharmed, after I had taken the red-hot cinder from the fire and walked around the circle with it in full view. My wife developed automatic writing in circle; writings of an instructive and elevating character. My daughter, Agnes Sinah, also became a very good clairvoyant.”
What an example this is to those who are sceptical of the existence of Spirit. My grandfather thought his friend was crazy to believe what he did about Spiritualism but nevertheless he conducted his experiment, kept an open mind and then accepted as truth that which could not be explained in any other way than the power of the Spirit.
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