The Witches of Georgetown

    I have been in an inspiration slump lately so if I see any material that catches my eye, I immediately jump on it. This particular inspiration stems from my love and adoration for Georgetown in Washington, D.C. When I plugged in "witches in Georgetown," this website popped up. 

https://boundarystones.weta.org

    It details a story of levitation, magic, and mystery in the 19th century. The individuals conducting these magical acts were members of the Laurie family, most notably Margaret Ann Laurie and her daughter, Bella Laurie. They identified themselves as professional psychic mediums, part of a circle of "spiritualists" in Washington, D.C. They believed in an innate connection with the dead and their ability to communicate with the dead through seances. During their famed seances, members of the Laurie family transmitted messages through "magnetic" techniques (similar to a Ouji board?), produced "spirit drawings," and even levitated an entire piano. These mystical and magical acts remind me of several paragraphs within A History of Witchcraft, Magic, and the Occult, particularly those in which we discussed several historical stage artists that would blur the line between magic and performance for entertainment purposes.

The Fox Sisters, another familial group of famous psychic mediums in the 19th century 

    One of the most interesting details of the article claims that the former First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln, was a repeat client of the Laurie family. It also reported that the former president, Abraham Lincoln, accompanied Mary to several of these meetings, some of which may have occurred within the Red Room at the White House.

From Was Lincoln a Spiritualist?, written by Nellie Colburn Maynard in 1891 (available for free)

    I found this new information incredibly interesting and thus began the rabbit hole of spiritualism in the 19th century among the elite of Washington, most notably Abraham Lincoln. Upon researching the connection between Lincoln and the Laurie family, I found this resource.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-spiritualist-who-warned-lincoln-was-also-booths-drinking-buddy-180954317/

    An article in the Smithsonian magazine, this source reported that Mary Todd Lincoln became despondent after the death of her young son, Willie. Despondent and grieving, the former First Lady turned to spiritualism to communicate with her deceased loved one. Within the timeline of these events, the popularity of spiritualism was soaring. This surge in popularity is due in large part to the massive losses and suffering accrued over the Civil War. This reminded me of several class discussions in which we noted a historical trend that witchcraft accusations and need for a belief in something greater increase during periods of tension. 

Cover of sheet music composition written by J.H. Addison following an alleged seance circle at the White House on April 23, 1863.

    

    Another incredibly interesting fact that I learned from this source was that John Wilkes Booth, an American Stage Actor who would later assassinate Abraham Lincoln, was reportedly associates with a spiritualist known to the Lincoln family. Said spiritualist, Charles Colchester, attended to Mary on several occasions after Willie's death. Booth and Colchester were seen together on several occasions and their relationship was described as that of "associates," closer than mere friends. I also learned that after Lincoln's assassination, government officials were told of Booth and Colchester's close relationship and subsequently went to investigate. However, Colchester was nowhere to be found.

    This entire story was one I have never heard of and quite frankly, I remain dubious to the authenticity of these claims. Nevertheless, I learned a great deal about spiritualism in 19th century America and the powerful influence of psychic mediums on society.