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EXPERIENCES IN SPIRITUALISM WITH MR. D. D. HOME. BY VISCOUNT ADARE, [Windham Thomas Wyndham-Quin 1841-1926] WITH INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE EARL OF DUNRAVEN. [Viscount Adare's father]  [1869]

Account of Manifestations at Stockton.

Little Dannie Cox died in London last Sunday the 11th October, 1868. Home, who was his godfather, and very much attached to him, was extremely cut up-about it at first. On the Monday morning, Home breakfasted with me at No. 5. I was reading the Daily Telegraph over the fire, waiting for breakfast, and he was sitting at the-writing table, we heard loud raps on the floor between-us; and the following message was given:-

"We wish you to take the body to Stockton  (Mr Cox’s place in the country) to-morrow; you-will place the coffin in the drawing-room; and at half-past eight we will show you a spiritual funeral.
You will take care that all the family are there, and no one else, if I want Mr. Bat (family lawyer) I will send for him. I invite your friend to be present.”

After this, we went to breakfast, and the, same spirit rapped repeatedly on the table during breakfast, and answered some questions………………….

The next morning the body was sent down; I accompanied Home and Mrs. Cox. The drawing-room was most prettily arranged, everything being covered with white drapery, and quantities of flowers and ferns tastefully placed. The coffin was open, and the little body entirely covered with flowers, all but the face; which looked very calm and peaceful.

At half-past eight o'clock we all entered the room, and sat down, forming a sort of circle, but having no table. Home went into a trance, got up and fetching a chair sat down close to the coffin; he then took Mrs. Cox's hands in his and delivered a most wonderful discourse, taking as it were for his text, the words, “The Lord gave and the Lord hath not taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." He went through the greater part of the burial service, explaining and expounding; he then spoke in the most consoling manner to Mrs. Cox, bidding her have confidence in God and in His goodness, and not to look upon that as a separation which was not so in reality ; told her the little boy would be continually with her, was there even now; spoke of his purity and happiness, told her to be strong and not to give way to sorrow; but now that her husband and other relatives, had undertaken the development of little Dannie, she was to devote herself all the more to the education of the two remaining children.

He then took Gerrie, the other son, by the hand, and spoke to him for some time in the most impressive manner about his future conduct through life, bidding him be an honest God-fearing man, and to remember that his brother would be cognizant of all his actions and therefore not to do that which he knew would offend or grieve him.

He then took the little girl's hand, petting and comforting her, and giving her messages from Dannie about his pet rabbits and things of that sort, and telling her that Dannie would often be in communion with her in her sleep, and that she would dream of going about with him.

He then walked round the circle, taking each one's hand and saying a kind word or two, and standing up in the centre, and pointing to each of us, enumerated, the spirits present, saying, “Your mother, your brother, and so on." He then made a sign to signify that they were all standing round him, and raising his hands, prayed in the most beautiful and earnest way for some little time, and then sat down again in his place; he said that little Dannie would make raps, and we heard three distinct little ticks, like electric sparks going off; he said we should recognize Dannie by the peculiarity of his raps.

He then said, "We wished to have made physical manifestations, but Dan is spiritually weak and we cannot, but something will occur to-night."

After Home awoke, we went into the conservatory, and again heard little Dannie rapping on the floor and on the glass.

At supper at about ten o’clock, there came suddenly very loud raps all around on the table, walls, floor, &c., -&c. -I never heard them so loud before. Home was entranced, and taking Mrs. Cox by the hand led her into the drawing-room. When there, she heard something rustling near the coffin, and immediately felt a little hand, touch her, and place between her fingers a sprig of lauristinus. Home then brought her back into the supper room; and, somebody remarked that lauristinus meant in the language of flowers- “ If neglected, I die."

Home awoke immediately.

He and I slept in the same room. Soon after he had gone to bed, he went into a trance; and began discoursing about moral principles, &c. He then said, “You tell his mother in the morning that Dannie gave her that sprig of lauristinus, which means, ‘If neglected, I die; 'because he wanted to show her that if she did anything unworthy of him it would give him pain. Your greatest idea of pain is death; you are quite wrong there; but that is your idea, and therefore he put it in that way."

 I made some remarkabout its being a very wonderful thing his giving her the flower.

He said, “We are going to do something still more wonderful for you.' A little later, when the house is quite still, you and Dan are to get up; you will take the slippers; we will take care Dan does not-catch cold. You are to go down stairs, and into the drawing-room; Dan will stand at the door; and you are to go alone up to that little box you call a coffin, and lift the lid a little; and then return to Dan-that is all. Little Dannie's colours are purple and white-signs of the greatest purity; purple and white are the most perfect colours ; remember that ; and after them blue, and so on down to black, which is the lowest."

Home then awoke, and presently said, “I feel impressed to open the door."

 “Well” I said, ”do so if you like ; it can do no harm."

 He got up and did so ; and, on his way back to bed, I heard some-spirit tap him on-the shoulder.

He said something in answer, and went into a trance; he picked up the slippers, put them on my feet, and, told me to get up.

“Do not be afraid," he said, “I require no light to guide my footsteps." He took both my hands in his, and then led me rapidly, without hesitation, out of the room, down the stairs, and, across the hall, the place being perfectly dark. He conducted me into the drawing-room, and then stood still, saying,

“Now walk straight before you to the coffin and, do as you have been told." I did so, raising the drapery, and lifting the lid at the head about an inch. Home said “Raise it a little higher, about as high as would permit of a hand entering” I did so and heard something rustle inside.

Home said “That is sufficient."

I replaced the lid, and returned to where Home was standing. He, as before, took both my hands in his, led me upstairs, and into the bedroom, closed the door, and put me down in a chair by the window, still retaining my hands in the same position.

He said, “Little Dannie is there between you and the light ; can you not see him ?”

 “No”, I said, “I cannot.”

He laughed and said, "Dannie would make himself appear as white; but he cannot just yet; he has so recently come to us. He will try and make himself visible as a dark shadow to you.”

I still said that I could see nothing. “Ah never mind!” Home said; and holding one of my hands in his he stretched it out in the dark, and said, “Dannie will let you play with it first”.

I perceived a strong scent, as it were, blown over me, and felt a flower touch my fingers and then withdraw itself. Presently, I felt a little soft hand touch mine, and a flower was given me.

I then felt a strong tremor run through Home’s hands, and he spoke as little Dannie, and said, “You must get into bed quickly: Dan is going to awake; if you would like very much to see what you have got you can make an excuse to light a candle presently”

Accordingly, after Home had awoke, I lit a candle, and found I had been given a purple and white petunia that had been placed in one of the little hands in the coffin.

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The next evening we had another seance, this time sitting round a table placed against the head of the coffin. The coffin had been fastened down and, covered with white drapery, most prettily arranged with flowers and ferns. We had physical manifestations- and some messages from little Dannie, the table on which the coffin was placed was moved about, the drapery agitated, &c.

We then heard pieces of fern being plucked, we could distinctly hear the branches broken; a piece of fern was given to each person present, their attention being called to it by being touched on the knee, and the hand being then placed beneath the table the fern was put into it. With the fern presented to me, the following message was given:-

“ Birth has given you distinction, let your life be the more distinguished for a prayerful and earnest search after truth ; it is kind of you to have come to the house of joy ; truth seekers are brothers and sisters and, should share each other's sorrows and, joys,"

Home then went into a trance, and took the lamp out of the room, saying we were to see a manifestation that could only take place in the dark.

We presently saw a brilliant little star, it flitted about with an uncertain-like motion-sometimes approaching, sometimes receding from us. We heard raps come from the star which flashed-like an electric spark at-each detonation. Mrs Cox suddenly said that a quantity of Eau de Cologne had been thrown over her from the ceiling. Home carried a small flask containing some which the spirits probably made use of. Home, who was standing at some distance from us, said, we should have the odour changed four times, and in effect a totally different scent was blown over us four times on a palpable strong current of air.

Home then fetched the lamp back. We heard a knocking at the door, he opened it and appeared to invite someone to come in, but did not succeed ; he shut the door, when the knocking recommenced he opened it again, but was unsuccessful; this was repeated three or four times, at last he went and gathering some ferns and flowers from off the coffin opened the door and held them out; still it was in vain, the knocking again occurred at the door, and this time he took little Ada and led her to the door, when he appeared to succeed in inducing the person to come in.

He said, “’lt is - (a little servant girl who had died two days previously). “How very curious, she seems scarcely to know that she has passed away, and says, she does not like to come into the room where there is anybody dead. Every time I opened the door she said, ‘No thank you, I would sooner not!’

But little Dannie wanted her to come in and rapped, or rather got another spirit to rap for him  at the door, every time I shut it. I took the flowers and ferns to shew her there was nothing disagreeable about the room, and, then I took little Ada with me, and she has come in now and is standing there in the corner.  She will move this fern that I have placed here on the table near her."

Home placed a fern on the table, and, presently we saw it taken up and put down again. He then awoke.

The next afternoon the little body was placed in the ground.

During the service a slight shower came on; but just at the conclusion, when we had lowered the coffin to its place, a bright beam of sunshine broke out, flooding us with light; and a beautiful rainbow appeared in the heavens. On our way home every one remarked that the burial service, which is in general so impressive, had that day while in church sounded strangely flat and unprofitable. Mrs. Cox asked how it was that the clergyman had not used the words dust to dust, ashes to ashes earth to earth. We assured her he had ; but she declared she hadnot heard them, although standing as near to him as any of us.