Peter Underwood (parapsychologist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Underwood
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Underwood in 2014
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| Born | 16 May 1923 Letchworth Garden City, England |
| Died | 26 November 2014 (aged 91) Haslemere, Surrey, England |
| Occupation | Ghost-hunter, and author |
| Genre | Paranormal |
| Subject | Ghosts, Folklore, History |
| Notable works |
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| Children | 2 |
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Peter Underwood (born May 16, 1923 – died November 26, 2014) was a famous English writer and TV person. He was known as a parapsychologist, which means he studied things like ghosts and psychic events. People called him a "ghost hunter" because he spent his life looking into hauntings. He wrote many books about places in the United Kingdom that were said to be haunted. One of his most famous investigations was about Borley Rectory.
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Peter Underwood's Early Life
Peter Underwood was born on May 16, 1923, in Letchworth Garden City, England. He had his first strange experience when he was nine years old. He said he saw his father's ghost at the end of his bed. His father had died earlier that same day.
When Peter was a child, his grandparents lived in an old house called Rosehall. This house was built in the 1600s and was said to be haunted. Guests claimed they saw a headless man in one of the bedrooms. These experiences made Peter very interested in ghosts and psychic matters.
During World War II, Peter started working for a publishing company. In 1942, he joined the army. However, he became ill and was sent home. He then went back to working at the publishing company. In 1944, he got married to Joyce.
Peter was greatly influenced by Harry Price, who was a very famous ghost hunter. Peter read Price's book about Borley Rectory and started investigating it himself. He even wrote letters to Harry Price about his findings. Price then invited Peter to join a group called the Ghost Club. Peter later became the president of this club.
Investigating Haunted Places
Peter Underwood spent many years looking into the Borley Rectory case. This house was called the "most haunted house in England." He found and talked to almost everyone who had been involved with the rectory. He also worked with Paul Tabori to publish all his research about Borley.
Peter's books changed how people wrote about paranormal topics. For example, his book Gazetteer of British Ghosts (1971) was a very detailed guide to haunted places in Britain. His book Haunted London (1973) was also very thorough. These books made Peter a respected expert on ghost hunting. They also encouraged others to visit the haunted sites he wrote about.
People called Peter Underwood the "Sherlock Holmes of psychical research." This means he was like a detective for ghost stories. He was known for being careful and looking at things from both sides.
In their book Ghosts of Borley (1973), Peter and Paul Tabori thought that some of the strange events at Borley Rectory were real. However, some researchers, like Trevor H. Hall, disagreed. Hall believed that the strange things at the rectory could be explained by normal causes. For example, noises from rats or bats, pranks by local boys, or homeless people lighting small fires.
In his own book, No Common Task: The Autobiography of a Ghost-Hunter (1983), Peter shared his conclusions. After many years of investigations, he believed that 98% of ghost stories had normal explanations. These could be things like mistaken identity, seeing things that aren't there, or jokes. He was most interested in the remaining 2% that he thought might be real.
Peter was a long-time member of the Society for Psychical Research. He also held positions at other clubs, like the Constitutional Club.
The Ghost Club Society
Peter Underwood was invited to join the Ghost Club by Harry Price. He was the president of this club from 1960 to 1993. In 1994, Peter started his own group called the Ghost Club Society. You could only join this group if you were invited.
The Ghost Club Society had hundreds of members. They published newsletters every three months. They also held regular meetings in different parts of the United Kingdom.
Recognizing Peter Underwood's Work
Peter Underwood spent over seventy years investigating paranormal events. Because of his work, Jean Conan Doyle (whose father created Sherlock Holmes) called him "The Sherlock Holmes of Psychical Research."
Peter became a patron of The Ghost Research Foundation in 1992. They called him the "King of Ghost Hunters." In 2000, he also became a lifelong member of the Universal Parapsychological and Metaphysical Association. Shortly before he passed away, he became a patron of Paranormal Site Investigators (UK).
In 2018, Peter's grandson created a website. This website shares information about Peter's life and all his work.
Images for kids
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Underwood in 2014
