28 October 2016
Science, séances and spiritualism
Warning! Contains material of a spooky nature.
William Tolmie
As it is Halloween, I thought I would share with you the fascinating life of William Tolmie, surgeon, scientist and spiritualist.
William Fraser Tolmie was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1812. His mother died when he was young and he was raised by his aunt. Tolmie was a bright student and with the encouragement of his uncle, he went on to study medicine at the University of Glasgow.
After his studies he worked as a clerk in an emergency cholera hospital in Glasgow. Soon after this, in 1832, he was recommended by Sir William Jackson Hooker (Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow at this time) to join Dr Meredith Gairdner on board the ‘Ganymeade’, a Hudson Bay Company (HBC) supply ship heading to the Pacific Northwest. He signed a five year contract and would act as the on-board surgeon.
On his first voyage to Fort Vancouver, a fur trading post for the HBC, Tolmie read up on all manner of subjects. As well as keeping up with medicine and surgery he studied history, geography, mathematics, literature and French.
Tolmie also had a real interest in botany and the natural world. When he could, Tolmie collected specimens of birds, fish and plants and took detailed notes and descriptions.
He spent quite some time at Fort Vancouver, but he also performed duties as a surgeon at Fort Nisqually and visited other stations such as Fort McLoughlin and especially Fort Victoria, Canada where he met his wife, and in time would eventually settle down with their 14 children.
A brilliant man with many talents, Tolmie led an interesting life, but what makes him even more interesting was his fascination with the dead.
Tolmie and spiritualism
Like all things he was interested in, Tolmie read everything he could on the subject of spiritualism. He spoke to people about their experiences and even attended lectures on the topic.
“I have been on inquiry into the truth of modern spiritualism, have read a good deal on the subject, conversed and corresponded with a few genuine men and women…I am a believer in the cardinal fact of intercommunication between spirits in and out of the flesh.”
He wrote to Sir William Jackson Hooker on botanical matters but also brought up his interest and position on the afterlife many times. He often asked if Hooker knew of anyone else who was pursuing the subject.
“…chiefly on that great question ‘If a man die shall he live again?’ – my position in the inquiry has not changed…”
His interest grew and with it his belief in spiritualism to the point where he even started to attend séances in an attempt to communicate with the dead himself.
“…yet I have witnessed and read enough to feel satisfied that the phenomena of séances…”
Séances
Contacting the dead through séances became a popular pastime during the early 19th century and grew in popularity with the rise of the Spiritualism movement in the mid-19th century.
To conduct a séance you might need the help of a medium or psychic, however this is not always the case. There are however certain tools you might need to contact the dead. Tools like a ouija or spirit board.
Tolmie was very interested in a technique called ‘table tipping’ and it was this method he used to communicate with the dead. He along with his wife and their guests would put their hands flat on the table and would ask the spirits a question. To get a response the participants would slowly call out each letter of the alphabet and wait for the table to move or tip to spell out words.
He would also use a planchette, a small piece of wood with a pen or a pencil attached designed to spell out words from beyond the grave.
“…I am satisfied that an unseen intelligence under various names of strangers of school and college chums and departed relatives…tipping of a table and writing by means of a planchette has communicated with me in some cases…”
It’s important to note that despite his views Tolmie was a very respected man. He worked his way up the ranks and became Chief Trader at Fort Nisqually then Chief Factor. He became involved in politics when he moved to Victoria, Canada and stood for the House of Assembly of Vancouver Island.
Tolmie was also respected for his relationship and influence with the Native Americans and even took to studying the indigenous languages.
Later years
Even in his later years Tolmie was adamant that spirits were a real phenomenon and that the afterlife must also be real and should be investigated with a scientific approach. Unfortunately Tolmie could never prove his theory and his attempt to get the scientific community to take it seriously, failed.
Whether you agree with his views or not, William Tolmie was an extraordinary man who lived an extraordinary life and his belief never wavered until his death in 1886.
He perhaps said it best when he said:
“The question of truth or falsity of spiritualism is a very large one, and as far as maybe, each of us should work it out for himself.”
- Jon Nicholls -
Digitisation Officer
