York Spiritualist Centre Archive

Minute books of Dawn of Day Circle, later known as the St Saviourgate Spiritualist Society and York Spiritual Church, 13 March 1899 - 2 June 1965, 12 February 1977 - 25 March 1982; Minute book of Children’s Progressive Lyceum, Spen Lane, York, 24 April 1955 - 5 April 1959, with programmes for Lyceum Weekends in York pasted in; album of approx. 92 spirit photographs taken by William 'Billy' Hope at York, 1930 and 1932, with annotations and some photographs loose inside; copy of ‘Dead Men’s Embers’ by Gerald O’Hara, York 2006; and facsimile copy of ‘Autobiography of Alfred Kitson’, Batley, Yorks. [original c.1920]

York Spiritualist Centre can trace its beginning to the Dawn of Day Spiritualist Circle founded in York in 1899. The Circle was subsequently known as the St Saviourgate Spiritualist Society and the York Spiritual Church, before eventually becoming York Spiritualist Centre.
The modern form of Spiritualism began in America in the 1840s when sisters Kate and Margaret Fox reported they had made contact with a spirit and were able to communicate with it through rapping sounds. The Spiritualist movement grew quickly and in 1853 an American called David Richmond brought news of the new movement to Keighley in Yorkshire. Three lectures on the subject were held in the Working Men’s Hall and Keighley subsequently became the first town in England to have its own Spiritualist Society. Many more regional societies followed and in 1890 the first National Conference of Spiritualists was held in Manchester. The conference led to the establishment of the Spiritualists’ National Federation, renamed the Spiritualists’ National Union in 1901.
The earliest known Spiritualist activity in York was in the early 1870s when Joseph Slater, later the Post Office Superintendent for York, attended a sitting of the physical medium Frank Herne. Afterwards he formed his own family circle and began organising public meetings and debates, and hosting private seances. Other key early Spiritualist figures in York included Edwin and Elizabeth Mandefield, first President and Vice President of the Dawn of Day Circle; John Thomas Apedaile, its second President; and William Frank, who held the post of Secretary from 1899 to 1948.
For many years the Society was based in rooms on Spen Lane, which were leased from the St Saviourgate Unitarian Chapel. In 1999 the York Spiritualist Centre opened its present premises in Wilton Rise, Holgate. The building has previously been the Wilton Street Methodist Mission Chapel.

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws. 24 hours' notice is required to access photographic material.

The archive was deposited the the Borthwick Institute by York Spiritualist Centre in May 2022.

York Spiritualist Centre can trace its beginning to the Dawn of Day Spiritualist Circle founded in York in 1899. The Circle was subsequently known as the St Saviourgate Spiritualist Society and the York Spiritual Church, before eventually becoming York Spiritualist Centre.
The modern form of Spiritualism began in America in the 1840s when sisters Kate and Margaret Fox reported they had made contact with a spirit and were able to communicate with it through rapping sounds. The Spiritualist movement grew quickly and in 1853 an American called David Richmond brought news of the new movement to Keighley in Yorkshire. Three lectures on the subject were held in the Working Men’s Hall and Keighley subsequently became the first town in England to have its own Spiritualist Society. Many more regional societies followed and in 1890 the first National Conference of Spiritualists was held in Manchester. The conference led to the establishment of the Spiritualists’ National Federation, renamed the Spiritualists’ National Union in 1901.
The earliest known Spiritualist activity in York was in the early 1870s when Joseph Slater, later the Post Office Superintendent for York, attended a sitting of the physical medium Frank Herne. Afterwards he formed his own family circle and began organising public meetings and debates, and hosting private seances. Other key early Spiritualist figures in York included Edwin and Elizabeth Mandefield, first President and Vice President of the Dawn of Day Circle; John Thomas Apedaile, its second President; and William Frank, who held the post of Secretary from 1899 to 1948.
For many years the Society was based in rooms on Spen Lane, which were leased from the St Saviourgate Unitarian Chapel. In 1999 the York Spiritualist Centre opened its present premises in Wilton Rise, Holgate. The building has previously been the Wilton Street Methodist Mission Chapel.

Created by S.A. Shearn, 06.05.22.

A reprographics service is available to researchers subject to the access restrictions outlined above. Copying will not be undertaken if there is any risk of damage to the document. Copies are supplied in accordance with the Borthwick Institute for Archives' terms and conditions for the supply of copies, and under provisions of any relevant copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce images of documents in the custody of the Borthwick Institute must be sought.

Further accruals are expected.

Papers relating to the lease of the Kenrick Rooms in Spen Lane can be found in the Records of the Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate, York archive.

Gerald O'Hara, 'Dead Men's Embers' (York, 2006). This book draws from the minute books and spirit photograph album in the archive.

Published

GB 193