Daniel Dunglas Home facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daniel Dunglas Home
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Daniel Dunglas Home by Nadar
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| Born | 20 March 1833 |
| Died | 21 June 1886 (aged 53) |
| Occupation | clairvoyant, medium, psychic |
| Spouse(s) |
Alexandria de Kroll
(m. 1858–1862)Julie de Gloumeline
(m. 1871) |
| Children | Gregoire |
| Parent(s) | William and Elizabeth Home (née McNeill) |
Daniel Dunglas Home (pronounced Hume; 20 March 1833 – 21 June 1886) was a Scottish man known for his amazing abilities. People said he could float in the air, talk to people who had passed away, and make knocking sounds happen on purpose. He was one of the most famous people of his time.
Some people, like the famous magician Harry Houdini, thought he was tricking people. But many important people from the Victorian era attended his shows, called séances. They often described seeing incredible things.
Contents
Home's Family and Early Life
Daniel Home's mother, Elizabeth Home, was known for having a special ability called "second sight" in Scotland. This meant she could sometimes see things before they happened. Many people in her family had this gift.
Daniel was born on 20 March 1833. When he was a baby, he was described as a delicate child. His aunt, Mary Cook, and her husband adopted him. They lived in Portobello, a town near Edinburgh.
Moving to the United States
When Daniel was a young boy, his aunt and uncle moved to the United States. They sailed across the ocean in the cheapest part of the ship. They settled in Greeneville, near Norwich, Connecticut.
Daniel went to school in Greeneville. He was known as "Scotchy" by his classmates because he was from Scotland. He preferred quiet walks with a friend named Edwin. They promised each other they would try to connect if one of them died.
Later, Daniel and his aunt moved to Troy, New York. One night, Daniel believed he saw a vision of Edwin, which made him feel his friend had died. A few days later, a letter arrived confirming Edwin's death.
Daniel's mother also moved to America. But their reunion was short, as she passed away in 1850. After this, Daniel became very interested in religion. Strange things started happening in his aunt's house, like rapping and knocking sounds. These were similar to events reported by the Fox sisters, who were also famous mediums.
Ministers came to the house, but they thought Daniel was possessed by the Devil. Daniel, however, believed his abilities were a gift from God. The noises and moving objects continued. Eventually, Daniel's aunt asked him to leave the house because of the strange events.
Becoming Famous
After leaving his aunt's house, 18-year-old Daniel Home stayed with friends. He held his first public séance in March 1851. A local newspaper reported that a table moved by itself, even when people tried to stop it.
After this newspaper story, Daniel became very well known in New England. He traveled around, helping people and communicating with the dead. He never directly asked for money. Instead, he lived well on gifts and donations from rich people who admired him. He felt his job was to show that life continues after death.
In 1852, Daniel was a guest at a house in Springfield, Massachusetts. He held many séances there every day. Important people, like a Harvard professor and the poet William Cullen Bryant, came to see him. They were convinced his abilities were real. They wrote to a newspaper saying the room was well lit, and they were not tricked. They reported seeing a table move even with five heavy men sitting on it!
Many people investigated Daniel Home, including scientists and judges. They were often doubtful at first, but later said they believed he was not cheating.
Daniel claimed that in August 1852, he floated twice and rose to the ceiling in a house in South Manchester. People present said the room was dimly lit to help see "spirit lights."
Daniel then moved to New York City. The famous author William Makepeace Thackeray was a big critic of Daniel. Thackeray called his abilities "humbug" and "foolish superstition," even though he had seen a table turn by itself. Daniel faced a lot of public doubt because of Thackeray's comments.
Daniel became ill with Tuberculosis in 1854. His doctors suggested he go to Europe to get better. He held his last séance in America in March 1855 before sailing to England.
Travels in Europe
When Daniel arrived in Europe, he started using the name Daniel Dunglas Home. He found a supporter in London, William Cox, who owned a large hotel. Cox was so impressed that he let Daniel stay for free.
Daniel was described as tall, thin, with blue eyes and reddish-brown hair. He was well-dressed but very sick. Even so, he held séances for important people during the day. Objects would move even when they were far away from him.
Some early guests included the scientist Sir David Brewster (who was not convinced) and famous writers. The poet Robert Browning was one of Daniel's biggest critics. After seeing a séance, Browning wrote that it was a "cheat and imposture." He even wrote a poem about Daniel called "Sludge the Medium." However, Browning's wife, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, believed Daniel's abilities were real.
Daniel's fame grew, especially because of his reported ability to float. A scientist named William Crookes claimed Daniel could float five to seven feet above the floor. Crookes wrote, "We all saw him rise from the ground slowly to a height of about six inches, remain there for about ten seconds, and then slowly descend."
Daniel traveled all over Europe, always as a guest of rich supporters. He performed for Napoleon III in Paris and for Queen Sophia of the Netherlands. Queen Sophia wrote about seeing a hand touch her finger and a heavy golden bell moving by itself.
In 1866, a rich widow named Mrs. Jane Lyon adopted Daniel as her son. She gave him a lot of money, hoping to become part of high society. When this didn't happen, she sued Daniel to get her money back. She claimed he had used "spiritual influence" to get it. Daniel lost the case, and his reputation was hurt by the newspapers. However, his important friends still thought he acted like a gentleman.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who believed in spiritualism, said Daniel had four different types of abilities:
- Direct voice: Spirits could speak out loud.
- Trance speaker: Spirits could speak through him.
- Clairvoyant: He could see things that were out of sight.
- Physical medium: He could move objects from a distance and float. People said he was the best at this.
Stories of Levitation
Many stories exist about Daniel Dunglas Home floating. One famous event was recorded by a historian of paranormal events, Frank Podmore. He wrote, "We all saw him rise from the ground slowly to a height of about six inches, remain there for about ten seconds, and then slowly descend."
In 1867, Daniel met Lord Adare, who became a close friend. Lord Adare was fascinated by Daniel and started writing down what happened at their séances. The next year, Daniel was said to have floated out of a third-story window and back in through a window of the next room. Three people saw this happen.
Lord Adare said Daniel "swung out and in" of the window while floating flat. However, some researchers have looked into this event. They found that the levitation happened at a height of 35 feet. They suggested that Daniel might have stepped across a gap of only four feet between two iron balconies. This would have made it possible to pass between them without truly floating.
A few days before this famous event, Daniel had opened the same window and stood on the outside ledge. Some people think he did this to show what he was planning to do later. Another idea is that he might have used a rope attached to the chimneys on the roof. He could have used a double rope trick to swing out and in of the room. Magicians have supported this idea.
Even though Arthur Conan Doyle said there were many cases of Daniel floating, people who doubt him say these events happened in dark rooms where it would be easy to use tricks.
A historian named Sherrie Lynne Lyons suggested that Daniel might have used a technique similar to one revealed by a magician named Clarence E. Willard in the 1900s. Willard showed how he could make himself appear two inches taller by stretching. It's possible Daniel used a similar method to seem like he was floating a little.
Some authors have said that the famous French stage magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin was not allowed to attend Daniel's séances. Others who believed in spiritualism said that Robert-Houdin could not explain what happened at Daniel's séances. Some historians believe Daniel's levitation tricks were influenced by Robert-Houdin's magic.
Personal Life
Daniel Home was married two times. In 1858, he married Alexandria de Kroll, who was 17 years old. She came from a noble Russian family. They had a son named Gregoire. Sadly, Alexandria became ill with tuberculosis and passed away in 1862.
In 1871, Daniel married for the second time to Julie de Gloumeline, a wealthy Russian woman. He met her in Saint Petersburg, Russia, just like his first wife. When he married Julie, he also changed his religion to the Greek Orthodox faith.
Death
Daniel Home stopped performing because of his poor health. The tuberculosis he had suffered from for most of his life was getting worse. He also said that his special abilities were fading. He passed away on 21 June 1886, at the age of 53. He was buried in a Russian cemetery in Paris, France.
Images for kids
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Robert Browning, who wrote a poem about Home.
See also
In Spanish: Daniel Dunglas Home para niños
