Wingfield, Kate (d. 1927)

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Wingfield, Kate (d. 1927)

British non-commercial medium, the "Miss A." of whom psychical researcher F. W. H. Myers wrote enthusiastically in Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research (vol. 8, 498-516; vol. 9, 73-92) and in his book Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death (1903). Wingfield was also the "Miss Rawson" of J. G. Piddington 's report in Proceedings of the SPR (vol. 18) on cross correspondence with Rosina Thompson.

Her identity was eventually revealed by Sir Lawrence J. Jones, president of the society in 1928, in his presidential address in Proceedings (vol. 38). He told the story of a series of sittings that he and his wife had with her in the years 1900 and 1901, when her clairvoyance and automatic writing developed into trance mediumship. He observed many physical phenomena: raps, table tilting, movement of objects (telekinesis ) and apports. In one instance, three tiny unset turquoises were brought as apports.

But it was the trance speaking phase of Wingfield's medium-ship that convinced Jones of survival. Deceased relatives proved their identity and on several occasions their living daughter came through as a communicator.

Among the medium's controls was an entity "Semirus," who claimed to have been a doctor in ancient Egypt. Once a sitter desired some information from him. "Semirus" did not come. Later in the day he came through in automatic writing and explained that he heard the call, but was unable to come as he was assisting in a new operation. The operation was successful. On inquiry the story of the operation was found to be true. "Semirus" could report on patients at a great distance with incredible rapidity. Someone asked for information about the health of his aunt. "Semirus" went away and came back to say that the aunt was dead. The sitter hurried away and to his relief found his aunt alive. But he suddenly realized that he had given, by mistake, the address of a neighbor's house to the spirit control. A day or two later, a funeral took place there.

Wingfield's sittings were primarily rescue circles. The controls aided many spirits by pointing out the errors of their ways. She ceased holding sittings in 1901, as her family objected that she become known as a trance medium. The automatic writings that came through her hand were published in two books.