DSUSANNA MOODIE HOUSE - If your ever in Belleville, On , take a walk to the corner of Bridge
and Sinclair Street . There stands the stone cottage of Susanna
Moodie ( 1803 - 1885 ). She is considered to be one of Canada's most
famous authors.
From the time Susanna was a little girl she loved to write stories.
She wrote her first children's book in 1822. In 1831 she joined the
anti - slavery movement and was married in April to Lt. John
Dunbar Moodie. John was a retired officer. While in the bush, John
and Susanna had four children ( Agnes , Dunbar , Donald and John).
In the early spring of 1839 the Moodie family moved to Belleville
and into a very fine house. John was appointed first sheriff of
Hastings County in 1840. Over the next several years John was
attacked for his political views in the local newspaper and life
in Belleville was tough for a while. Tragedy struck the Moodie
family in 1844 when their son John drowned in the Moira River.
Susannas strong views and loose lips always caused trouble for
her husband. It also made them the talk of the town. The strong
English woman wouldn't back down from anybody, including William
Lyon MacKenzie . From 1847 - 1848 Susanna and John were both busy
writing and publishing Victoria Magazine. In the mid 1850's the
family moved to a cottage on Bridge Street due to dwindling
finances. Susanna in later years would call the house her " Haven
for Rest".
It was around this time that the Moodies began to explore the new
Phenomena of Spiritualism. Both John and Susanna had read a lot
about the subject. They learned that conducting a seance with a
medium can bring back messages from loved ones who have passed.
Starting in 1857 the Moodies held seances in the front parlour of
their home as a means to contact dead family and friends. John
kept a diary of all the seances which spanned 6 years. One such
early entry has John traveling to Toronto to meet with medium
Mrs. Swain. During the visit the medium made contact with the
Moodie's son John who had drowned 11 years earlier. John recorded
the events on page 13 of the diary.
The family and friends continued the seances , as a search for
some scientific proof of life after death. The Moodies would write
about their findings, and ripples went through the religious
community. The Congregational Church took action and banned the
Moodies from attending the very church they founded. This gave
John and Susanna even more reason to continue in their studies.
In the Summer of 1855 news of the Moodies seances attracted the
psychic phenom Kate, one of The Fox Sisters. The sister, known as
" The Rochester Rapper " served as medium at the Seances. There
was also Susannas' daughter Agnes, who served as a medium until
1857 when she relocated to Ottawa. Catherine Par Traill was also
a medium during the winter and spring of 1857. Susanna wrote a
letter to Richard Bentley in May 1857 that stated," Catherines
spirits often abuse her and call her names ". In the spring of
1858 Susanna had decided to become a medium. In September that
same year , Susanna finally made contact with her dead son.
In 1863 the seances stopped. At the time, the world was out to rid
itself of cons , charlatans, and mediums. John was forced to resign
his police position and the 1860's were a tough time for the family.
As a means to make money, Susanna wrote her last book in 1867. Two
years later in Belleville , John Dunbar Moodie died. Susanna stayed
at her cottage in Belleville visiting family and friends.
Susanna Moodie passed away in Toronto in 1885. The famous author
of Roughing It In The Bush (1852) was dead at 81 years of age. The
little stone cottage in Belleville bears a commemorative plaque
to Susanna on its' grounds.
The new owner of the historic home still has the odd creepy thing
happen from time to time. They have also said that Susannas' spirit
can be seen standing in the window of her seance parlour.
For more info and to check out the moodies' personal spiritualism
journal click here.
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