Assume Nothing - 4. A Question of Propriety
Download 4. A Question of Propriety
The story of Dr William Jackson Crawford, an engineer and teacher, who carried out a series of strange experiments with a teenage medium and her family before his untimely death on the shores of Belfast lough in 1920.
Dr Crawford’s findings were extraordinary and widely published – but was it all a hoax?
Episode 4 – A Question of Propriety
Dr Crawford records his experiments with Kathleen and her family in painstaking detail – but some feel his methods, which frequently involve underwear, are not appropriate.
Reggie visits the archives of the Society for Psychical Research in Cambridge to see photographs taken by Crawford during his experiments, along with dozens of handwritten letters and notes. Reggie also gets a chance to see and hold a sample of historical ectoplasm, though it isn’t quite what he is expecting.
Written and presented by Reggie Chamberlain King
Readings by
Dave Fleming
Lucy McConnell
Mark Claney
Stephen Beggs
Produced by Conor McKay
Editor Andy Martin
A BBC Northern Ireland Production
Published on Saturday, 23rd May 2026.
Available Podcasts from Assume Nothing
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