Hereward Carrington

Born in St. Helier, Jersey, in 1880, Hereward Carrington became one of the best-known popular writers on psychical research in the English-speaking world. He later worked in the United States and built a reputation as an energetic investigator of séances, mediums, spiritualist claims, and other reported paranormal events.

Carrington wrote prolifically for a general audience. Alongside books on telepathy, spiritualism, and psychic investigation, he also published works on magic tricks, physical culture, diet, and health. That unusual range helped make him a recognizable public figure: part researcher, part explainer, and part showman.

What makes Carrington interesting today is the way he moved between skepticism and fascination. He often tried to test extraordinary claims directly, using demonstrations, devices, and close observation, while still remaining open to the possibility that some unexplained phenomena might be genuine. He died in 1959, leaving behind a large and eclectic body of work that still attracts readers interested in occult history, early paranormal investigation, and the culture of popular science.