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In 1944, Britain was fighting the Second World War.
Radar was helping defend the country, aircraft filled the skies and preparations were underway for the Allied invasion of Europe.
And at the Old Bailey in London, a Scottish spiritualist medium was being prosecuted under a law passed in 1735.
Her name was Helen Duncan.
Who was Helen Duncan?
Born in Scotland in 1897, Duncan became one of Britain's best-known spiritualist mediums.
During her séances she claimed to communicate with the dead and became particularly famous for producing “ectoplasm”, a white substance which she said accompanied the materialisation of spirits.
Investigators were sceptical.
Examinations of material associated with Duncan's séances concluded that at least some supposed ectoplasm consisted of ordinary substances including cloth and paper.
Nevertheless, Duncan attracted many devoted followers who remained convinced that her abilities were genuine.
The Portsmouth séance
During the Second World War, Duncan held séances in Portsmouth, a city of enormous importance to the Royal Navy.
In January 1944, police attended one of her séances and Duncan was subsequently arrested.
Her prosecution took an extraordinary turn.
She was charged under the Witchcraft Act of 1735.
Despite its name, the Act was not being used because the authorities believed Helen Duncan possessed magical powers. The legislation was designed to punish people who claimed to conjure spirits or exercise supernatural powers.
Duncan's trial took place at the Old Bailey in March 1944.
She was convicted and sentenced to nine months in prison.
What did Winston Churchill think?
The prosecution attracted considerable attention.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill reportedly complained about the use of the antiquated legislation, describing the affair as “obsolete tomfoolery”.
Seven years later, the Witchcraft Act was repealed and replaced by new legislation dealing with fraudulent mediums.
Helen Duncan continued to have passionate supporters and remains a controversial figure. Some regarded her as a genuine medium who had been unfairly prosecuted, while sceptical investigators regarded her supposed supernatural manifestations as fraudulent.
Whatever you believe about Helen Duncan's séances, one fact remains extraordinary.
While Britain was fighting a modern mechanised war in 1944, a woman who held séances in Portsmouth found herself prosecuted at the Old Bailey... under the Witchcraft Act of 1735.
Was Helen Duncan prosecuted for being a witch?
No. Although she was prosecuted under the Witchcraft Act 1735, the legislation targeted people claiming to exercise supernatural powers rather than treating witchcraft itself as real.
Why was Helen Duncan arrested in Portsmouth?
Her arrest followed a police operation at a Portsmouth séance in January 1944. She was subsequently prosecuted at the Old Bailey.
How long was Helen Duncan imprisoned?
Duncan was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment after her conviction in 1944.
When was the Witchcraft Act repealed?
The 1735 Act was repealed in 1951.
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