ABSTRACT
Spiritualism, as a belief, centres on purported conversations with the 'spirits' of physically dead people. Such beliefs have occurred in many or most periods and cultures. But the start of spiritualism as an 'ism' is always dated to precise incidents, at Hydesville near Rochester in upstate New York during 1848. From these 'Rochester rappings', support spread quickly for the spiritualist version of these events throughout the USA. In America, the spiritualist movement 'seems to have reached a highwater mark around 1854-1855'. In the mid 1850s it suffered a widespread 'recantation movement'; but it survived, and remained a strong current there. A busy link between American and British spiritualists, Peebles had earlier left the Universalist ministry when his congregation objected to his spiritualism. Sometime professor at the Eclectic Medical College in Cincinnati, he edited a succession of spiritualist periodicals and authored numerous pamphlets, including one against vaccination. He visited Britain not only as spiritualist but also as sympathiser with the Shakers.
