author
A. (Ada) Goodrich-Freer
1865–1931
A vivid and controversial figure from the world of psychical research, she wrote about second sight, hauntings, and spiritual experience with the flair of both an investigator and a storyteller. Her work captures the strange mix of curiosity, belief, and debate that surrounded the supernatural at the turn of the twentieth century.
1 Audiobook
In a Syrian Saddle
by A. (Ada) Goodrich-Freer
About the author
Writing as both Ada Goodrich-Freer and the pseudonym Miss X, she became known as a British author, clairvoyant, and psychical researcher. She was connected with the Society for Psychical Research and took part in investigations into crystal-gazing, second sight, and alleged hauntings, subjects that gave her books and articles their distinctive air of mystery.
Her career was not limited to psychical topics. She also wrote travel and reflective works, including books on places such as Jerusalem and the Hebrides, showing a wider interest in religion, landscape, and folklore. That mix of spiritual curiosity and descriptive writing helped make her work appealing beyond strictly occult circles.
Her reputation has remained complicated. Admirers remembered her as an energetic explorer of unusual experiences, while critics questioned some of her claims and methods. That tension is part of what makes her interesting today: she stands at the crossroads of late Victorian supernatural belief, popular writing, and early attempts to investigate the paranormal.