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Frances Ann Conant (28 April 1831 – 5 August 1875), also known as J. H. Conant, was an American spiritualist
''The Humbugs of the World: An Account of Humbugs, Delusions, Impositions, Quackeries, Deceits and Deceivers Generally, in All Ages''
New York, Carleton. pp. 124-125
''Biography of Mrs. J. H. Conant, the World's Medium of the Nineteenth Century: Being a History of Her Mediumship from Childhood to the Present Time''
Boston: William White and Company.
Frances Ann Conant (28 April 1831 – 5 August 1875), also known as J. H. Conant, was an American spiritualist medium
Medium may refer to:
Aircraft
*Medium bomber, a class of warplane
* Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''The Medium'' (1921 film), a German silent film
* ''The Medium'' (1951 film), a film vers ...
.
Conant was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on ...
, on April 28, 1831. Luther Colby, editor of the spiritualist
Spiritualism may refer to:
* Spiritual church movement, a group of Spiritualist churches and denominations historically based in the African-American community
* Spiritualism (beliefs), a metaphysical belief that the world is made up of at least ...
newspaper the '' Banner of Light'', gave Conant free public séance
A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French language, French word for "session", from the Old French , "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general and mundane: one ma ...
s for seventeen years in Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
which were reported in the newspaper. Spiritualists claimed that Conant made contact with the spirit of a deceased Boston physician who was alleged to have made diagnoses of disease and made treatments. The ''Boston Courier
The ''Boston Courier'' was an American newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded on March 2, 1824, by Joseph T. Buckingham as a daily newspaper which supported protectionism. Buckingham served as editor until he sold out complete ...
'' criticized the reports, and Professor Cornelius Conway Felton
Cornelius Conway Felton (November 6, 1807 – February 26, 1862) was an American educator. He was regent of the Smithsonian Institution, as well as professor of Greek literature and president of Harvard University.
Early life
Felton was born in ...
claimed that Conant was known for making fanatical and wild statements.
The impresario P. T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding with James Anthony Bailey the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He was ...
included an exposure of Conant in his 1865 book ''The Humbugs of the World''. He suggested that Conant had impersonated the spirits and found information about her sitters by looking at obituary
An obituary (wikt:obit#Etymology 2, obit for short) is an Article (publishing), article about a recently death, deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as Article (publishing), news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on p ...
notices from newspapers.Barnum, P. T. (1866)''The Humbugs of the World: An Account of Humbugs, Delusions, Impositions, Quackeries, Deceits and Deceivers Generally, in All Ages''
New York, Carleton. pp. 124-125
References
Further reading
*Theodore Parker. (1873)''Biography of Mrs. J. H. Conant, the World's Medium of the Nineteenth Century: Being a History of Her Mediumship from Childhood to the Present Time''
Boston: William White and Company.
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Conant, Frances Ann 1831 births 1875 deaths People from Portsmouth, New Hampshire American spiritual mediums