Listings of 19th Century Spiritualists
from Directories, Registers, Almanacs, Newspapers,
Society Membership Lists, and Convention Proceedings
 
 


A Note on These Listings


1851

Buchanan’s Journal of Man (Cincinnati), November

The Magnetic Society of New Orleans, 1846-1851.
The Spirit Messenger (Springfield, Massachusetts), May-June
The Harmonial Brotherhood.

1852

Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 16-19

Spiritual Convention and concurrent events in Cleveland.
New York Times, September 23 & Massachusetts Spy (Worcester), October 6
Convention of Believers in Spiritual Manifestations, at Worcester.
New York Times and Boston Journal
Spiritualist Convention in Boston, December 29-31.
The Mountain Cove Community
Various Accounts of an Early Spiritualist Utopian Community.



1853
 

Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican, April 7-9

Spiritualist Convention in Springfield, including notes of a trance anti-slavery skit.
Alton (Illinois) Daily Courier, September 2
Convention in Peoria of advocates of spiritualism and of women’s rights.

1854

Society for the Diffusion of Spiritual Knowledge

Charter, June 10; Address of the Society to the Citizens of the United States; List of Officers.
Massachusetts Spiritualists Convention
Meeting, June 2; officers, and plans for a national convention.
New-England Spiritualists’ Association
Constitution and By-Laws, List of Officers, and Address to the Public; Organized at Boston, November 1854.

1855

The Spiritual Telegraph (New York), July 14 and August 11

Paid notices of mediums, spirit circles, and healers; agents for the Spiritual Telegraph newspaper.
The New York Daily Times, September 11-14.
Spiritualist activities in New York City.

1856

The Spiritual Telegraph (New York), August 23 and September 6

Spirit and Clairvoyant Mediums; Spiritualists’ Directory—Public Lecturers; Journals, Magazines; Mediums’ Advertisement.

1857

The Spiritualist Register, with a Counting House & Speaker’s Almanac; Containing Facts and Statistics of Spiritualism, for 1857. By Mr. & Mrs. U[riah and Eliza] Clark, Auburn, N. Y., U. Clark, 1857

What Is Spiritualism? Ancient and Modern Spiritualism; Modern Spirit-Manifestations; Number of Spiritualists; General Register—Speakers in Public, Test Mediums & Others; Publications on Spiritualism; Spiritualist Journals; Public Spiritual Meetings; Spiritualists’ Homes.

1858

The Spiritualist Register, May 1858, May 1859; Facts, Philosophy, Statistics of Spiritualism. U[riah] Clark, Editor and Proprietor. Auburn, New York: U. Clark, Spiritual Clarion Office

General Register—Public Speakers; Mediums—Test, Healing, etc.; Public Meetings; Spiritualists’ Homes.
The New York Times, June 29
Reporting on the Free Convention in Rutland, Vermont, June 26-29; New York Free Love League.
The New York Tribune, June 29
Reporting on the Free Convention in Rutland, Vermont.
The New York Herald
Reporting on the Philanthropic Convention, Utica, New York, September.

1859

The Spiritualist Register for 1859; Facts, Philosophy, Statistics of Spiritualism. U[riah] Clark, Editor and Proprietor. Auburn, New York: U. Clark, Spiritual Clarion Office

Individuals Responsible; General Register—Public Speakers; Mediums—Test, Healing, etc.; Spiritualists’ Homes; Spiritual Schools; Journals, Wholly or in Part Spiritualist.
The National Spiritualist Convention
Plymouth, Massachusetts, May 5-8.

1860

Fourth Annual Spiritual Register, with a Calendar and Speakers’ Almanac, for 1860; Facts, Philosophy, Statistics of Spiritualism. U[riah] Clark, Editor and Proprietor. Auburn, N. Y.: U. Clark, Spiritual Clarion Office

The Spiritual Theory; What Spiritualism Has Done; The Soul’s Authority; Living Inspirations; Re-Union of Friends; True Reform; Individual Freedom; Spiritualism and the Bible; The Spiritual Dispensation; Mediums Defended; Agitation; Radicalisms, Reform; Spiritual Progress; True Marriage; Vision of Progress; The Spiritual Theory; Spiritual Intercourse; Trial and Triumph; Divine Love; General Register—Public Speakers; Regular Meetings; Mediums—Test, Healing, etc.; Journals, Wholly or in Part Spiritual; Schools; Spiritualists in America; Summary.
The Herald of Progress
Annual Meeting of the Infidel Association of America

1861

A Spiritualist Register; with a Calendar and Speakers’ Almanac, for 1861; Facts, Philosophy, Statistics of Spiritualism. U[riah] Clark, Editor and Proprietor. Auburn, N. Y.: U. Clark, Spiritual Clarion Office

General Register—Public Speakers; Mediums—Test, Healing, etc.; Journals, Wholly or in Part Devoted to Spiritualism; Schools; Healing Institutes; Home for the Friendless.

1862

The Progressive Annual for 1862; Comprising an Almanac, a Spiritualist Register, and a General Calendar of Reform; Published at the Office of “The Herald of Progress.” New York: A. J. Davis & Co.

Writers, Speakers, and Workers, in the Different Fields of Human Progress: Literature, Morals, and General Education; Spiritualism, Philosophy, and Reform—Traveling Lecturers; Local Speakers; Physiology, Psychology, and Spiritualism; Prominent Foreign Spiritualists; Universal Freedom, Political and Moral Progress; Social, Mental and Governmental Movements; Temperance, Health, and Dietetic Reform; Freedom and Equality of the Sexes; Practicing Women Physicians; Practical Dress Reformers; More Women Physicians.

1863

The Progressive Annual for 1863; Comprising an Almanac, a Spiritualist Register, and a General Calendar of Reform; Published at the Office of “The Herald of Progress.” New York: A. J. Davis & Co.

Writers, Speakers, and Workers, in the Different Fields of Human Progress—Progressive Writers and Speakers; Spiritualism, Philosophy, and Reform—Traveling Lecturers, Local and Occasional Speakers; Magnetic Operators, Clairvoyants, and Medical Mediums; Anti-Slavery Reformers; Temperance and Health Reformers; Social Agitators; Woman’s Rights Reformers; Practicing Women Physicians; Instructors in Light Gymnastics; Practical Dress Reformers; Trans-Atlantic Progressives; More Women Physicians.
The Friend of Progress (New York City), December 1864.
The Moral Police Fraternity, New York City, founding in 1863, incorporation in 1864.

1864

The Progressive Annual for 1864; Containing an Almanac, a Spiritualist Register, and a General Calendar of Reform; Published at the Office of “The Herald of Progress.” New York: A. J. Davis & Co.

Writers, Speakers, and Workers, in the Different Fields of Human Progress—Progressive Writers and Speakers: American and Trans-Atlantic; Spiritualism, Philosophy, and Reform—Traveling Lecturers, Local and Occasional Speakers; Magnetists, Clairvoyants, and Mediums; Anti-Slavery Reformers; Temperance and Health Reformers; Social Agitators; Woman’s Rights Reformers; Practicing Women Physicians; Dress Reformers; Medical Colleges for Women.
The Chicago Tribune, August 10-18.
The First National Spiritualists Convention, Chicago, Illinois.
The Religio-Philosophical Journal, November 11, 1865.
The Formation of the Religio-Philosophical Society, 1864.

1865

The Banner of Light (Boston), July 1

Notices of Meetings; Spiritualist Lecturers’ Appointments and Addresses; Prospectus of the Banner of Light, with Contributors, Terms of Subscription, and Wholesale and Retail Agents.
The Religio-Philosophical Journal (Chicago), November 11
Second National Convention of Spiritualists, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1866

The Banner of Light (Boston), February 10

Massachusetts Spiritualists Association: Membership List.
The Banner of Light (Boston), June 30
Spiritualist Lecturers’ Appointments and Addresses.
The Banner of Light (Boston), August-October
The First Spiritualist Mass Camp Meeting; announcement and proceedings.
The Banner of Light (Boston), August 25 and September 1
Michigan State Spiritual Association.
The Banner of Light (Boston), September 1
Third National Convention of Spiritualists, Providence, Rhode Island; delegates.
The Providence Journal and The New York Times, August 20-27, September 1
Reporting on the Third National Convention of Spiritualists, Providence, Rhode Island.

1867

The Banner of Light (Boston), February 9

Massachusetts Spiritualists Association: Membership List.
The Banner of Progress (San Francisco), June 1
Progressive Lyceum Register; Spiritualist Societies and Meetings; Spiritualist Lecturers’ Appointments and Addresses.
The Banner of Light (Boston), July 6
Spiritualist Lecturers’ Appointments and Addresses.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 3-7
Fourth Annual National Spiritualist Convention, September 3-6, Cleveland, Ohio.
Banner of Light (Boston), January 18, 1868
Officers and delegates of the First Convention of the Ohio State Association of Spiritualists, Clyde, Ohio, November 8-10, 1867.

1868

The Banner of Light (Boston), July 4

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
The American Association of Spiritualists
Constitution; resolutions on spiritualism.
The Rochester Daily Union and Advertiser
Fifth National Spiritualists Convention (American Association of Spiritualists) in Rochester, New York, August 21-25.

1869

The Buffalo Commercial Advertiser

Sixth National Spiritualists Convention (American Association of Spiritualists) in Buffalo, New York, August 31-September 2.
The New-York Herald, May 29
Reporting on the Annual Meeting of the Free Religious Association, Boston.
The New-York Herald, June 15-16
Reporting on the Annual Meeting of the Friends of Human Progress, Waterloo, New York.

1870

The Banner of Light (Boston), June 18

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
The Indiana Radical and the Richmond (Indiana) Telegram
Seventh annual convention of the National Convention of Spiritualists:  September 19-22, 1870.  Lyceum Hall, Richmond, Indiana.

1871

The Year-Book of Spiritualism for 1871; Presenting the Status of Spiritualism for the Current Year throughout the World; Philosophical, Scientific, and Religious Essays; Review of Its Literature; History of American Associations; State and Local Societies; Progressive Lyceums; Lecturers; Mediums; and Other Matters Relating to the Momentous Subject; by Hudson Tuttle and J[ames] M[artin] Peebles. Boston: William White and Company, 1871.

Spirit-Art; A Song and a Truth; How to Form Spirit-Circles; The Anniversary of the Advent of Modern Spiritualism: The Thirty-First of March; California—Its Ways and Wonders; Spiritualism in Washington, D. C.; Spiritualism in Philadelphia; Names of Prominent [Foreign] Spiritualists; History of the National Organization of Spiritualists; State Organizations of Spiritualists; List of Societies of Spiritualists in the United States; List of Lyceums; List of Lecturers on Spiritualism and Relating Subjects; List of Media in the United States, with Post-Office Address; Spirit-Artists; Journals Devoted to Spiritualism.
American Association of Spiritualists: Henry T. Child, American Association. Official Report of the Eighth National Convention of the American Association of Spiritualists; Held at Troy, N. Y., September 12th, 13th, and 14th, 1871,” Religio-Philosophical Journal (Chicago), September 30, 1871.
Minutes of the First Day, Including Delegates; Report of the Board; Address to the Association from the Utah Spiritual Movement.
Woodhull & Claflin’s Weekly, September
General notices, and reporting on Conventions, including one in Vineland, and some of the events at the annual convention of the American Association of Spiritualists in Troy, New York.
North Collins Friends of Human Progress
“Meeting at North Collins,” Religio-Philosophical Journal, September 30, 1871.  Minutes of the meeting.

1872

The Banner of Light (Boston), July 27

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
The Religio-Philosophical Journal (Chicago), March 30
List of Lecturers; Mediums’ Directory.
The Banner of Light (Boston), The Boston Investigator, The New-York Times, The Brooklyn Eagle
Reporting on the Ninth annual convention of the American Association of Spiritualists.

1873
 

Woodhull & Claflin’s Weekly (New York), April 5

Proceedings of the National Convention of Liberalists and Spiritualists, Cleveland, Ohio, Feb. 19-22.
Pennsylvania State Society of Spiritualists
Henry Teas Child, “Spiritualism in Pennsylvania. Official Report of the Seventh Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania State Society of Spiritualists, held at Institute Hall, Philadelphia, April 1st, 1873,” Religio-Philosophical Journal, May 10.
The Banner of Light (Boston), July 12
List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
“Reformatory Lecturers,” Woodhull & Claflin’s Weekly (New York), August 16; “Directory of Social Freedom,” August 30
List of Spiritualist Lecturers; List of Lecturers on Free Love.
Proceedings of the Tenth Annual Convention of the American Association of Spiritualists, Held at Grow’s Opera Hall, Chicago, on Tuesday, Sept. 16 [1873]. Chicago: 1873
List of delegates recognized by the Chair.

1874

The Banner of Light (Boston), July 18

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
The Religio-Philosophical Journal, October 10
The Universal Association of Spiritualists, convention delegates, resolutions.

1875

The Banner of Light (Boston), August 7

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
The Religio-Philosophical Journal, June 26
The Miracle Club and Protective Committee of New York: Letter and Card.

1876

The Banner of Light (Boston), July 15

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
The Religio-Philosophical Journal, July 3, 31
Spiritualist Campmeeting, Dubuque, Iowa.

1877

The Banner of Light (Boston), August 4

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
Brief History of Spiritualism in Chicago
History of Chicago.
Onset Bay Grove Association
History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

1878

The Banner of Light (Boston), August 17

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
Watkins Freethinkers Convention, August 23-25
Selections from the Proceedings of the Watkins Glen, New York, Freethinkers Convention.

1879

The Banner of Light (Boston), February 1

List of Spiritualist Lecturers; Spiritualist Meetings.
History of the New England Spiritual Campmeeting Association at Lake Pleasant, Mass.; by H. A. Budington. Springfield, Mass.: Star Publishing Co., 1907
List of Members, 1879; Lake Pleasant Newspapers; Presidents of the Campmeeting Association; Clerks, Treasurers, Vice Presidents; Speakers and Mediums Employed by the Association.
The Word (Princeton, Mass.), July
The New England Labor Reform League; The New England Free Love League.
Spiritual and Liberal Association of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Albert Baxter, History of the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Neshaminy Falls Grove Spiritualist Campmeeting
Bucks County Gazette (Bristol, Penn.), August 7, 1879.
New York Spiritualists Conference
The New-York Times, May 12, 1879.
Wisconsin Spiritualists
Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, February 25, 1879.

1880

The Banner of Light (Boston), July 31

Spiritualist Lecturers.
The Religio-Philosophical Journal (Chicago), May 15
Directory—Lecturers; Mediums, Clairvoyants, Trance; Healers; Mediums Located in Chicago—Lecturers; Mediums, Clairvoyants, Trance; Healers; Mediums—Physical Manifestations.
Professional Spiritualists
1880 Federal Census listings for those identifying themselves, either for the census, or in the national spiritualist newspapers, as having the occupation of medium, trance lecturer, spiritualist, psychometrist, etc.
The Word (Princeton, Mass.), August
The Union Reform League, Second Annual Convention.
The Word (Princeton, Mass.), December
The Anti-Death League, Third Annual Convention
Spiritualist Camp Meetings
Survey of the Spiritualist summer Camp Meetings operating in 1880-1882.

1881

The Banner of Light (Boston), July 3

Spiritualist Lecturers; Michigan Mediums Medical Association.
The Word (Princeton, Mass.), October
The Union Reform League, Third Annual Convention
Camp Etna, Maine
The Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, August 19, 1881.
Founding of Liberal, Missouri in 1881
Sikeston (Missouri) Herald,December 1, 1938.

1882

The Banner of Light (Boston), August 12

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.

1883

The Banner of Light (Boston), April 7

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.


Niantic Spiritualist Campmeeting

Denton (Maryland) Journal, August 25, 1883.

1884

The Religio-Philosophical Journal, August 2

The Southern Association of Spiritualists: Convention.


The Religio-Philosophical Journal, July 5

The New England Spiritualists Campmeeting Association: Announcement, Schedule for Lake Pleasant Spiritualist Campmeeting, and Officers of the Association.
The Religio-Philosophical Journal, September 27
The American Spiritualists Association: Convention at Lake Pleasant, August 21-23.
The Banner of Light (Boston), February 9
List of Spiritualist Lecturers; announcements for Lansing Union Convention and Michigan State Spiritualists Convention.
The Truth Seeker Annual and Freethinkers Almanac
Formation (1877) and Early History of the New York Freethinkers Association.
The National Liberal League Meeting of 1884
A rift develops among Liberalists between Spiritualists on one side and Atheists and Materialists on the other.
Neshaminy Falls Grove
Frederick (Maryland) Weekly News, August 21, 1884.

1885
 

The Proceedings of the American Society for Psychical Research, July

The American Society for Psychical Research (Boston): formation, officers, members, and associates.
The Religio-Philosophical Journal, July 4
The Western Society for Psychical Research (Chicago).
The Banner of Light (Boston), July 4
List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
Philadelphia Spiritualists Association, Seventh Annual Meeting Schedule & Reporting
Bucks County Gazette (Bristol, Pennsylvania), July 23, 1885; Trenton (New Jersey) Times, July 20, 1885.

1886

The Banner of Light (Boston), January 9

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
The Southern Spiritualist Association
The Atlanta Constitution.

1887

The Banner of Light (Boston), June 11

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.


The Peacemaker (Philadelphia), October

Officers of the Universal Peace Union, 1887-1888.

1888
 

The Banner of Light (Boston), May 26

List of Spiritualist Lecturers.
Oregon State Spiritualist Society
Morning (Portland) Oregonian, April 7, 1888.

1890

Maine Spiritualist Campmeeting

Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, September 6, 1890.

1891

The Veteran Spiritualists Union, Boston

Pamphlet Announcing Formation of the Veteran Spiritualists’ Union, and Membership Application.

1892

A Visit to Lily Dale

Olean (N. Y.) Democrat, August 9, 1892.

1893

Proceedings of the National Delegate Convention of Spiritualists of the United States of America; Held in Chicago, Illinois, September 27, 28, and 29, 1893 . . . Washington, D. C.: Stormont & Jackson, 1893

List of Delegates.
The Religio-Philosophical Journal (Chicago), February 11
Advisory Council of the 1893 World’s Congress Auxiliary on a Psychical Science Congress.

1894

Proceedings of the Second Annual Convention of the National Spiritualists’ Association of the United States of America, Held at Washington, D. C., Oct. 9, 10 & 11, 1894 . . . Cincinnati: Light of Truth Publishing Co., 1894

List of Officers, Trustees, and Delegates.


Camp Benson Spiritualist Campmeeting

Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, August 28, 1894.

1895

National Spiritualists Association

Third Annual Convention, Washington, D. C.


First Spiritual Temple, Boston

Fort Wayne Weekly Gazette, December 26, 1895.

1896

“A Review of the Progress of Spiritualism,” in Workers in the Vineyard [. . .] by Julia Schlesinger.  San Francisco, 1896.

Early History of Spiritualism in California and the Pacific Coast.


Meeting of the New York Chapter of the National Spiritualist Association

Lima (Ohio) Times Democrat, February 27, 1896.


Fourth Annual Convention of the National Spiritualist Association

Fort Wayne Gazette, October 10, 1896.


Tri-State Spiritualist Meeting (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois)

Fort Wayne News, August 17, 1896.

1897

National Spiritualists Association

Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Convention.


The Philosophical Journal (San Francisco), May 13 and May 20

State Spiritualists AssociationsAnnual MeetingsCalifornia, Ohio, Texas.


Camp Chesterfield & the National Antispiritualist Association

Newspapers from 1895—1897.

1898

The Philosophical Journal (San Francisco), September 23

California Mediums
The Philosophical Journal (San Francisco), June 23
The Golden Jubilee Celebration of Spiritualism, held in June in Rochester, New York, under the auspices of the National Spiritualists’ Association.

1899

Seventh Annual Convention of the National Spiritualists Association, Chicago

Daily Herald (Delphos, Ohio), October 21, 1899.


Proposal for a Spirit Trust

Fort Wayne News and Atchison Globe.

1900

International Congress of Spiritualists and Occultists

Atlanta Constitution, October 28, 1900.


Indiana Spiritualist Association

Fort Wayne Daily News, July 19, 1900.


History of Lily Dale

A History of Cassadaga Camp.  Compiled by W. H. Bach, Lily Dale, N. Y., and Presented as a Premium to the Patrons of The Sunflower.  Lily Dale, N. Y.: The Sunflower Print, July, 1899.


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