The Dagg Poltergeist

The Ghost That Talked is the name of a chapter in a book entitled, "Exploring The Supernatural", published in 1955 by R.S. Lambert and also became the title of a short film in 1957 by the National Film Board of Canada. Both the chapter and film concern the Dagg Poltergeist.

As a Canadian born in 1957 and as a visitor to Shawville from my Ottawa childhood home, I have commenced our journey here in the exploration of the poltergeist phenomenon. The history of the Ottawa Valley is interesting as it was very much an area where Scottish, Irish, Polish and French Canadians brought their collective cultures together to create a region rich in music, art and folkilore.

The Ottawa River is a big River that served as a water road for the early explorers, prime farmland and rich timber stands as the area became settled with the original French, some Loyalists from the American Revolutionary War, recipients of land grants for services to the crown in the War of 1812 and poor immigrants escaping poverty and death in the Potato Famine in Ireland and land appropriations in Scotland during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries.

Of course, little Bytown on the Ottawa River became the new capital of Canada, Ottawa, but this selection of a swampy shanty town was the wisdom of Queen Victoria to end the contest for the capital to be in either Kingston in Upper Canada or Quebec City in Lower Canada. Like Solomon's decision to cut the child in half for the two women who claimed the infant, The Ottawa River both divided and joined theses two solitudes. The long time residents of the Ottawa Valley were unfazed by this twist of history.

The Dagg family, like most, were simple farmers. This was a rural area populated by a hard and hardy people who would have no time nor interest in such tales and claptrap that the more urbane residents of the new nation would have time for in their liesure hours. This fact alone lends credence to the events and manifestations that plagued the Dagg family in 1889.

Poltergeist activity, which eventually manifested itself as a speaking entity, occurred on a farm owned by George Dagg in the Shawville area, on the Quebec side of the mighty Ottawa River.The poltergeist infestation commenced with streaks of manure appearing on the floor of the house for which a young boy named Dean, was blamed. However, while the boy was out of the house the streaks continued to appear. Poltergeist activity accelerated with crockery being displaced, windows smashed and fires spontaneously breaking out.

The focus of the poltergeist infestation was soon identified as an eleven year old girl by the name of Dinah McLean, an adopted child of the family. In November 1889 an artist named Woodcock asked Dinah McLean to take him to the woodshed where she had reported poltergeist activity. There in the woodshed, Woodcock apparently heard both sides of Dinah’s conversation with an entity — the entity’s side of the conversation consisted mostly of foul obscenities.

The entity initially identified itself as the devil. It then threatened to break Woodcock’s neck. When further questioned by farmer George Dagg and Woodcock together the entity admitted that it was only doing the activities ‘for fun’. A crowd soon heard about the phenomenon and gathered at the woodshed. The entity performed for all the assembled family, friends and neighbours. Woodcock organised a statement signed by seventeen witnesses acknowledging that they had seen the spontaneous fires, that they had witnessed stones flying and a mouth organ playing by itself.

The poltergeist made itself visible in a variety of guises to the two younger children of the house and to Dinah as the devil, as a huge black dog and as a man in white robes. It seems that the poltergeist transformed from belligerent and foul mouthed to act quite significantly different by the end of the infestation by singing beautiful music, and finally disappearing happily up into the air.

In our exploration of the poltergeist phenomenon, the Dagg Poltergeist has many common characteristics of any number of cases that have been documented historical fact. First of all, the presence of children is a common fact in many cases. Secondly, the poltergeist is seen a an infestation, not unlike rats or termites. Thirdly, the infestation manifests in many destructive and mischievous ways. Fourth, the entity shows a playful and fun side, full of personality and talents. And finally, as is often the case, suddenly stops as abruptly as it had begun.

For a period of two months in the fall of 1889, the Dagg family experienced a poltergeist infestation that was recorded and witnessed by a variety of people. The sheer terror that must have resulted to the occupants of the Dagg farmhouse must have been unbearable. The poltergeist often gains strength over time, and in this case the poltergeist seemed to be able to talk to the children and also to appear in various ways after the initial activities of firestarting, thrown objects and windows broken by an unseen force. Similarities abound with the Bell Witch case that also had the so called talking witch as well as manifestations as strange animals and of course the apparent attacks on individual family members.

What would a skeptic make of this case? Admittedly, imagination and superstition can play on and magnify the normal to the paranormal in people's minds. Also, credible evidence is difficult to prove, especially in older times, when no photographic or recording equipment was available. Also, some reports gain notoriety and certain people, whether the press or the family itself, basking in the attention that the initial story brings can have the motive to continue the saga, though no other infestation has occured. This element in many cases is, however, no reason to discount the poltergeist phenomenon.

What I look for is credible witnesses or at least some documentation that records the event or events. To me, this satisfies the requirements to move the story from total fiction to possible fact. There is just such a document in this case. Here is a report made by witnesses, like the Bell Witch and other poltergeist cases, which seems to lend sound and truthful testimony to what otherwise would be a fantastic local legend:

To whom it may concern:

We, the undersigned, solemnly declare that the following curious proceedings, which began on the 15th day of September, 1889, and are still going on, on the 17th day of November, 1889, in the home of Mr. George Dagg, a farmer living seven miles from Shawville, Clarendon Township, Pontiac County, Province of Quebec, actually occurred as below described.

1st, That fires have broken out spontaneously through the house, as many as eight occurring on one day, six being in the house and two outside; that the window curtains were burned whilst on the windows, this happening in broad daylight whilst the family and neighbours were in the house.

2nd, That stones were thrown by invisible hands through the windows, as many as eight panes of glass being broken; that articles such as waterjug, milk pitcher, a wash basin, cream jug, butter tub and other articles were thrown about the house by the same invisible agency; a jar of water being thrown in the face of Mrs. John Dagg, also in the face of Mrs. George Dagg, whilst they were busy about their household duties, Mrs. George Dagg being alone in the house at the time it was thrown in her face; that a large shelf was heard distinctly to be played and was seen to move across the room on to the floor; immediately after, a rocking chair began rocking furiously. That a washboard was sent flying down the stairs from the garret, no one being in the garret at the time. That when the child Dinah is present, a deep gruff voice like that of an aged man has been heard at various times, both in the house and outdoors, and when asked questions answered so as to be distinctly heard, showing that he is cognizant of all that has taken place, not only in Mr. Dagg's family but also in the families of the surrounding neighbourhood. That he claims to be a discarnated being who died twenty years ago, aged eighty years; that he gave his name to Mr. George Dagg and to Mr. Willie Dagg, forbidding them to tell it. That this intelligence is able to make himself visible to Dinah, little Mary and Johnnie, who have seen him under different forms at different times, at one time as a tall thin man with a cow's head, horns and cloven foot, at another time as a big black dog, and finally as a man with a beautiful face and long white hair, dressed in white, wearing a crown with stars in it.

Signed,

John Dagg Portage du Fort, PQ.; George Dagg, Portage du Fort, PQ; William Eddes, Radsford, PQ; William H. Dagg Port. du Fort; Arthur Smart, Port. du Fort; Charles A. Dagg, Port. du Fort; Bruno Morrow, Port. du Fort; Benjamin Smart, Shawville, PQ.; William J. Dagg, Shawville, PQ.; Robert F. Peever, Cobden, Ont.; Robert H. Lockhart, Port. du Fort; John Fulfrid, Port. du Fort; George H. Hodgins, Shawville; Richard F. Dagg, Shawville; George Blackwell, Haley’s, Ont.; William Smart, Portage du Fort; John J. Dagg, Portage du Fort.