BBC Three’s “Paranormal Britain’s Last Witch” opens a window into a fascinating historical case, examining the life and conviction of Helen Duncan, the last person imprisoned under the Witchcraft Act of 1735. Radio 1’s Sian Eleri leads the investigation, starting in Duncan’s hometown of Callander, Scotland, where she seeks evidence of Duncan’s supposed supernatural gifts.
In 1944, Helen Duncan was convicted of witchcraft, with forty-four witnesses testifying in court to her ability to summon spirits of the dead. Eleri meets with Graham Hewitt, a former criminal lawyer now championing a posthumous pardon for Duncan, seeking justice for the medium’s surviving family.
Eleri gets a rare glimpse into Duncan’s personal life through her journal, where Duncan documents how, as a child, her community feared her “second sight.” Eleri also examines an audio recording of one of Duncan’s séances, an unsettling experience that raises more questions than it answers. The gravelly voice of a male “spirit” emanates from the recording, punctuated by comments from attendees claiming to see and recognize the spectral figure. Was this genuine contact with the other side, a clever impersonation, or something else entirely?
“Paranormal Britain’s Last Witch” premieres Sunday, March 23 at 21:00 on BBC Three.
