Daniel Dunglas Home

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Daniel Home was born on 20 March 1833 in Currie, Scotland, the third child of Elizabeth and William Home. His mother was known as a seer in Scotland, and his father was the illegitimate son of Alexander, the 10th Earl of Home. As a delicate infant, Home was passed to his childless aunt Mary Cook, with whom he emigrated to the United States sometime between 1838 and 1841. In America, he attended school in Greeneville, Connecticut, where he was known as "Scotchy" by other students. At age 13, Home made a pact with a friend named Edwin that if one died, they would try to make contact after death. Home later reported a brightly lit vision of Edwin standing at the foot of his bed, and a few days later a letter arrived stating that Edwin had died of malignant dysentery three days before the vision. Home held his first séance in March 1851, which was reported in a Hartford newspaper. After that, he became well known in New England, traveling around healing the sick and communicating with the dead. He never directly asked for money, living on gifts, donations and lodging from wealthy admirers, feeling he was on a "mission to demonstrate immortality." In August 1852, at the house of Ward Cheney in South Manchester, Connecticut, Home was reportedly seen to levitate twice and rise up to the ceiling, though persons present said the room was badly lit.

Reader's Guide

Daniel Dunglas Home remains a significant figure in the history of spiritualism, representing both the height of Victorian fascination with the supernatural and the enduring controversy surrounding mediumship. His biographer Peter Lamont notes that Home was one of the most famous men of his era, while Harry Houdini characterized him as "one of the most conspicuous and lauded of his type and generation" and a forerunner of mediums who fleece the public. Eyewitness accounts exist describing possible conjuring methods and fraud that Home may have employed, yet many prominent contemporaries—including Professor Robert Hare and Judge John W. Edmonds, who were initially skeptical—later said they believed Home was not fraudulent. Home's legacy lies in the tension between reported phenomena and skeptical scrutiny, a dynamic that continues to shape discussions of paranormal claims. His life illustrates how spiritualism intersected with class, religion, and celebrity in the 19th century.

Did You Know?

• Home's mother Elizabeth was known as a seer in Scotland, as were many of her predecessors like her great-uncle Colin Urquhart and her uncle Mr. McKenzie.
• Home's father William was the illegitimate son of Alexander, the 10th Earl of Home, with evidence supported by various payments made by the Earl.
• At age 13, Home made a pact with a friend named Edwin that if one died, they would try to make contact after death; Home later reported a vision of Edwin's death, confirmed by letter.
• Home never directly asked for money, living on gifts, donations and lodging from wealthy admirers, viewing his work as a 'mission to demonstrate immortality.'
• Harry Houdini described Home as 'the forerunner of the mediums whose forte is fleecing by presuming on the credulity of the public.'