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Emma Hardinge Britten

March 03, 2023

Emma Hardinge Britten (2 May 1823 – 2 October 1899) was an English advocate for the early Modern Spiritualist Movement. Much of her life and work was recorded and published in her speeches and writing and an incomplete autobiography edited by her sister. She is remembered as a writer, orator, trance clairvoyant, and spirit medium. Her books, Modern American Spiritualism (1870) and Nineteenth Century Miracles (1884), are detailed accounts of spiritualism in America.

Emma Hardinge Britten
Emma Hardinge Britten taken by William H. Mumler.

Early years

Emma Floyd was born in London, England in 1823. Her father Ebenezer, who was a schoolteacher, died in 1834 when Emma was eleven years old. She grew up supporting herself and her family as a musician, trained as an opera singer and began a stage career.[1]

Career

She developed a reputation for apparent abilities as a spiritual medium during her early years. As a child, Emma had a habit of predicting the futures of people she encountered, relating to them what she had seen in visions, along with information about their deceased relatives of whom she had no prior knowledge. She also developed the amusing talent of preemptively playing songs on the piano, which her audience was thinking (to themselves!) of requesting.

According to her autobiography, Emma's clairvoyant tendencies drew her into participation with a secret London occult society which used magnetics and clairvoyant techniques for experimental purposes. During this period, she was also exposed to sexism and economic discrimination through her involvement with a manipulative member of the society whom she later termed "a baffled sensualist." Although there is little reliable information on this London occult group, it is suspected that Emma received the name Hardinge from this society, the surname she kept throughout her adult life.

She came to America and while in New York City, she attended Spiritualist séances in the hopes of writing about the gullibility of Americans. During these séances, she begin to experience events from her dramatic childhood. Under the guidance of medium Ada Hoyt,[2] these mystical experiences at séances led her to becoming a part of the Spiritualist movement. Emma was invited by the famous Spiritualist, Horace Day, to host spiritualist séances in the Society for the Diffusion of Spiritual Knowledge. She deepened her involvement in the Spiritualist movement as a "trance lecturer" and delivered speeches across the country. Lecture topics included "The Discovering of Spirits," “The Philosophy of the Spirit Circle," “Hades," and "What Is the Basis of the Connection of the Natural and Spiritual Worlds?”

Hardinge also became involved in the campaign efforts of 1864 in support of Abraham Lincoln's re-election. After delivering a highly successful lecture titled, "The Coming Man; or the Next President of the United States," Emma was invited to continue her political work on a thirty-two lecture tour.

Perhaps the culmination of her oratorical career was a speech delivered on 14 April 1865, as a response to President Lincoln's assassination only thirty-six hours prior. Her speech was widely acclaimed by the journalists of the age as her greatest achievement. Still, not all of her spiritual lectures were so well received. In 1866, The Saturday Review wrote a satirical critique of Hardinge's speeches, describing her style as "bloated eloquence" and her content as "bunkum.”

As a chronicle of her active religious participation, Hardinge published the book Modern American Spiritualism (1870), a huge "encyclopedia" of the people and events associated with the early days of the movement. That same year, Emma married an ardent spiritualist, William Britten, from Boston. Emma continued to publish under the surname Hardinge, however, since her professional career was well-developed before this late-life marriage.

In 1872, Emma attempted to start a magazine, The Western Star, however, after a series of devastating fires in Boston, her impoverished clients dropped their subscriptions. The magazine failed after only six issues. Emma then moved back to New York, where she became involved in theosophy. She was also one of six founding members of the Theosophical Society with Helena Blavatsky until they had a falling-out.

She also edited a book called Art Magic or Mundane, Sub-Mundane and Super-Mundane Spiritism: A Treatise in Three parts and Twenty Three Sections on the subject of Theosophy. It was written anonymously and published in 1876 by 'the author' with the help of 'his [sic] highly esteemed English friend, Mrs. Emma Hardinge Britten'. There remains a strange mystery regarding its authorship. In addition, in 1887 she founded The Two Worlds, a weekly Spiritualist newspaper.

From 1878 to 1879, Emma and her husband worked as Spiritualist missionaries in Australia and New Zealand. Isaac Selby, who heard her speak in Melbourne, said, “she impressed me as the greatest woman orator that ever visited Australia.”[3] After returning to New York, she wrote her greatest chronicle of the spiritualist age—Nineteenth Century Miracles (1884). Emma Hardinge died in Manchester, England in 1899.

She is credited with defining the seven principles of Spiritualism which, with minor changes, are still in use today by the National Spiritualist Association of Churches in the United States and the Spiritualists' National Union in the United Kingdom.

Publications

  • Modern American Spiritualism (1870)
  • Nineteenth Century Miracles (1884)
  • The Place and Mission of Women: An Inspirational Discourse (1859)
  • Outline Of A Plan For A Self-Sustaining Institution For Homeless And Outcast Females (1858)
  • American and Her Destiny (1861)
  • The Wildfire Club (1861)
  • A Funeral Oration on Rev. Thos. Starr King (1864)
  • The Great Funeral Oration on Abraham Lincoln"(1865)
  • Address Delivered at the Winter Soirees (1865)
  • Miss Emma Hardinge's Political Campaign, in Favour of the Union Party of America (1865)
  • What is Spiritualism? (1868)
  • Mrs. Emma Hardinge on Spirit Mediums (1868)
  • Rules to be Observed When Forming Spiritual Circles (1868)
  • Modern American Spiritualism (1870)
  • On The Spirit Circle and the Laws of Mediumship (1871)
  • The Electric Physician (1875)
  • Ghost Land (1876)
  • On the Road (1878)
  • Spiritualism: Is It A Savage Superstition? (1878)
  • The Chinese Labour Question; or the Problem of Capital versus Labor (1878)
  • The Faith Facts and Frauds or Religious History (1879)
  • Spiritualism Vindicated and Clerical Slanders Refuted (1879)
  • Nineteenth Century Miracles or Spirits and Their Work in Every Country on Earth (1883)

Further reading

  • Britten, William. Art Magic Spiritism, the Progressive Thinker's Premium reprint in 1909 Chicago Emma Hardinge Britten wrote introduction.
  • Pendleton, Linda. "Emma Hardinge Britten: Famous Spiritual Medium, 19th Century". Electronic book – Barnes and Noble
  • Emma Hardinge Britten Archive and Chasing Down Emma Historian Mark Demarest collects and shares historical information about Ms. Britten in social and historical context.

References

  1. ^ Byrne, Georgina. "Britten, Emma Hardinge". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/70567. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology.
  3. ^ Selby, Isaac (1924). The Old Pioneers' Memorial History of Melbourne (First ed.). The Old Pioneers’ Memorial Fund. p. 182.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Emma Hardinge Britten.

March 03, 2023
emma, hardinge, britten, 1823, october, 1899, english, advocate, early, modern, spiritualist, movement, much, life, work, recorded, published, speeches, writing, incomplete, autobiography, edited, sister, remembered, writer, orator, trance, clairvoyant, spirit. Emma Hardinge Britten 2 May 1823 2 October 1899 was an English advocate for the early Modern Spiritualist Movement Much of her life and work was recorded and published in her speeches and writing and an incomplete autobiography edited by her sister She is remembered as a writer orator trance clairvoyant and spirit medium Her books Modern American Spiritualism 1870 and Nineteenth Century Miracles 1884 are detailed accounts of spiritualism in America Emma Hardinge Britten Emma Hardinge Britten taken by William H Mumler Contents 1 Early years 2 Career 3 Publications 4 Further reading 5 References 6 External linksEarly years EditEmma Floyd was born in London England in 1823 Her father Ebenezer who was a schoolteacher died in 1834 when Emma was eleven years old She grew up supporting herself and her family as a musician trained as an opera singer and began a stage career 1 Career EditShe developed a reputation for apparent abilities as a spiritual medium during her early years As a child Emma had a habit of predicting the futures of people she encountered relating to them what she had seen in visions along with information about their deceased relatives of whom she had no prior knowledge She also developed the amusing talent of preemptively playing songs on the piano which her audience was thinking to themselves of requesting According to her autobiography Emma s clairvoyant tendencies drew her into participation with a secret London occult society which used magnetics and clairvoyant techniques for experimental purposes During this period she was also exposed to sexism and economic discrimination through her involvement with a manipulative member of the society whom she later termed a baffled sensualist Although there is little reliable information on this London occult group it is suspected that Emma received the name Hardinge from this society the surname she kept throughout her adult life She came to America and while in New York City she attended Spiritualist seances in the hopes of writing about the gullibility of Americans During these seances she begin to experience events from her dramatic childhood Under the guidance of medium Ada Hoyt 2 these mystical experiences at seances led her to becoming a part of the Spiritualist movement Emma was invited by the famous Spiritualist Horace Day to host spiritualist seances in the Society for the Diffusion of Spiritual Knowledge She deepened her involvement in the Spiritualist movement as a trance lecturer and delivered speeches across the country Lecture topics included The Discovering of Spirits The Philosophy of the Spirit Circle Hades and What Is the Basis of the Connection of the Natural and Spiritual Worlds Hardinge also became involved in the campaign efforts of 1864 in support of Abraham Lincoln s re election After delivering a highly successful lecture titled The Coming Man or the Next President of the United States Emma was invited to continue her political work on a thirty two lecture tour Perhaps the culmination of her oratorical career was a speech delivered on 14 April 1865 as a response to President Lincoln s assassination only thirty six hours prior Her speech was widely acclaimed by the journalists of the age as her greatest achievement Still not all of her spiritual lectures were so well received In 1866 The Saturday Review wrote a satirical critique of Hardinge s speeches describing her style as bloated eloquence and her content as bunkum As a chronicle of her active religious participation Hardinge published the book Modern American Spiritualism 1870 a huge encyclopedia of the people and events associated with the early days of the movement That same year Emma married an ardent spiritualist William Britten from Boston Emma continued to publish under the surname Hardinge however since her professional career was well developed before this late life marriage In 1872 Emma attempted to start a magazine The Western Star however after a series of devastating fires in Boston her impoverished clients dropped their subscriptions The magazine failed after only six issues Emma then moved back to New York where she became involved in theosophy She was also one of six founding members of the Theosophical Society with Helena Blavatsky until they had a falling out She also edited a book called Art Magic or Mundane Sub Mundane and Super Mundane Spiritism A Treatise in Three parts and Twenty Three Sections on the subject of Theosophy It was written anonymously and published in 1876 by the author with the help of his sic highly esteemed English friend Mrs Emma Hardinge Britten There remains a strange mystery regarding its authorship In addition in 1887 she founded The Two Worlds a weekly Spiritualist newspaper From 1878 to 1879 Emma and her husband worked as Spiritualist missionaries in Australia and New Zealand Isaac Selby who heard her speak in Melbourne said she impressed me as the greatest woman orator that ever visited Australia 3 After returning to New York she wrote her greatest chronicle of the spiritualist age Nineteenth Century Miracles 1884 Emma Hardinge died in Manchester England in 1899 She is credited with defining the seven principles of Spiritualism which with minor changes are still in use today by the National Spiritualist Association of Churches in the United States and the Spiritualists National Union in the United Kingdom Publications EditModern American Spiritualism 1870 Nineteenth Century Miracles 1884 The Place and Mission of Women An Inspirational Discourse 1859 Outline Of A Plan For A Self Sustaining Institution For Homeless And Outcast Females 1858 American and Her Destiny 1861 The Wildfire Club 1861 A Funeral Oration on Rev Thos Starr King 1864 The Great Funeral Oration on Abraham Lincoln 1865 Address Delivered at the Winter Soirees 1865 Miss Emma Hardinge s Political Campaign in Favour of the Union Party of America 1865 What is Spiritualism 1868 Mrs Emma Hardinge on Spirit Mediums 1868 Rules to be Observed When Forming Spiritual Circles 1868 Modern American Spiritualism 1870 On The Spirit Circle and the Laws of Mediumship 1871 The Electric Physician 1875 Ghost Land 1876 On the Road 1878 Spiritualism Is It A Savage Superstition 1878 The Chinese Labour Question or the Problem of Capital versus Labor 1878 The Faith Facts and Frauds or Religious History 1879 Spiritualism Vindicated and Clerical Slanders Refuted 1879 Nineteenth Century Miracles or Spirits and Their Work in Every Country on Earth 1883 Further reading EditBritten William Art Magic Spiritism the Progressive Thinker s Premium reprint in 1909 Chicago Emma Hardinge Britten wrote introduction Pendleton Linda Emma Hardinge Britten Famous Spiritual Medium 19th Century Electronic book Barnes and Noble Emma Hardinge Britten Archive and Chasing Down Emma Historian Mark Demarest collects and shares historical information about Ms Britten in social and historical context References Edit Byrne Georgina Britten Emma Hardinge Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 70567 Subscription or UK public library membership required Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology Selby Isaac 1924 The Old Pioneers Memorial History of Melbourne First ed The Old Pioneers Memorial Fund p 182 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Emma Hardinge Britten Works by or about Emma Hardinge Britten at Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Emma Hardinge Britten amp oldid 1138181466, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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