On March 31, 1848, a remarkable event happened in the small cottage residence of John and Margaret Fox of Hydesville, New York. The family had been hearing strange knocking noises for about two weeks. Instead of being scared, 14-year-old Margaret snapped her fingers, and immediately, there were knocks mimicking Margaret’s snaps. Then Katie Fox, 11 years old, directly addressed the knock and asked them to mimic her snaps. The knocks complied.
It was then that Spirit communication in the Modern era was established. Eventually, a system was worked out where someone would say the alphabet and a knock would occur to spell out a message. It was learned that a peddler had been murdered in that house, and eventually, they found his physical remains buried in the walls of the basement.
Margaret and Katie Fox became the first mediums of Modern Spiritualism. They eventually toured and gave public demonstrations of Spirit communication and began holding séances for Charles F. Livermore, a wealthy 31-year-old banker whose wife had died. For 5 years, she gave 400 sittings, and detailed records of these séances were kept. Many types of phenomena occurred, from loud raps to the levitation of a heavy table. During the 43rd session, materialization occurred, and Livermore’s wife, Estelle, once again spoke to her husband.
Katie went on to live in England for several years and was studied by the Nobel-winning physicist and psychical researcher Sir William Crookes.
For those who use or are developing mediumistic abilities, we learn certain techniques and follow specific rules in presenting the information we receive from Spirit. Many of these techniques were discovered by trial and error or particular instruction from Spirit through early mediums such as the Fox Sisters and the Davenport Brothers.
Both Margaret and Katie lived unique lives for the time because it was highly unusual for single women to earn money independently from a husband. They became very much in demand and relatively wealthy. Their fame made them 21st-century celebrities in the late 1800s. However, fame came with a price, and both sisters became alcoholics.
Sadly, they died penniless and were buried in Cypress Hill Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY.
September 15, 2016
As you can see from the pictures above, the Fox tombstone was extremely difficult to read. Apparently, a group called The Fox Headstone Project worked to correct this situation. Their Facebook page indicates they raised funds and had the tombstone recarved, correcting the misspellings and the inaccurate dates. Congratulations to the people involved in this project. I am sure the Spirit World is very pleased!
After posting this webpage, I received information about Leah Fox Underwood's grave. She was the third Fox sister. She is buried in the large Underhill Family Plot in Greenwood Cemetery, which is not far from Cypress Hills Cemetery.
It is a massive four-sided tombstone with Daniel Fox’s name on the front. Daniel's wife, Anna Leah Underhill is recognized on the left side of the stone. Leah’s mother, Margaret Fox, is the wife of John Fox, and she is identified on the right side.