Paranormal Investigators: Past and Present: Peter Underwood

"The Sherlock Holmes of Psychical Research"

Peter Underwood

 As probably the longest-serving paranormal investigator in the world today, Peter Underwood is well respected, admired and sought after for his vast knowledge on hauntings and other paranormal topics.

 A life member and president of “The Ghost Club Society” (founded in 1851, this being the third incarnation, founded in 1994) Peter Underwood has travelled the world recording anecdotes, stories, writing books and investigating the paranormal. To date, he has written over 50 books on hauntings and other phenomena.

Peter was born at Letchworth, Garden City in Hertfordshire, on the 16^th of May 1923. Privately educated, Peter Underwood was destined to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and one of the worlds leading experts on paranormal phenomena.

 It is recorded that Peter’s first supernatural experience was that of seeing an apparition of his Father on the day off his Father’s death, but it should also be noted that his Grandparents lived in a haunted home known as “Rosehall”, a 17^th century house that allegedly contained the ghost of a headless man – it is thought that this is the around the time Peter developed his interest in ghosts and other phenomena.

 

 Peter Underwood has investigated some fascinating cases, including Borley Rectory (Essex U.K.) with Harry Price, whom Peter would later become the executor of Harry’s estate.

 Other notable cases included The Church at Langenhoe, in Essex. The haunting included the Church, the Manor House and the surrounding yards, and is well documented in Peter Underwood’s book “Nights in Haunted Houses” (1994), the book also features another famous location that Peter investigated “The Queens House” at Greenwich

 

He spent 12 years, on and off, exploring the remarkable Langenhoe case of hauntings that extended to the manor house, the church and surrounding area; Peter thoroughly examined and researched the unique Greenwich ghost photograph - probably the best known "genuine" ghost photograph ever obtained, “The Tulip Staircase” photo (for more about this amazing photograph visit this link: http://www.nmm.ac.uk/about/history/queens-house/the-queen-s-house-ghost).

Another case of note investigated by Peter is the Police College “Bramshill” in Hampshire, built in 1621, which is said to house 9 spirits.

"Bramshill" build in 1621

 

 In his almost 50 years of investigating Peter has held many positions of importance including:

Life President, Ghost Club Society (founded 1851)

President, Unitarian Society for Psychical Studies

Patron, Paranormal Site Investigators

Patron, Ghost Research Foundation

Patron, Ghost Investigation

Life Member: Vampire Research Society

Fellow: Royal Society of Arts

Peter has also had memberships with The Society for Psychical Research, (SPR), Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena (ASSAP), The Society of Authors, just to name a few            

 

 Peter Underwood has also had extensive media coverage on radio and television. He has been seen on “Strange But True” and appeared in the TV film “The Ghost Hunters” (UK).

 

 Peter was married in 1944 to Joyce, who unfortunately passed away in 2003 after suffering Parkinson’s disease for 14 years. In 2004 Peter struck up a friendship with Marlena Sypniewska, of whom he travels the world.

 In recent years Peter has continued publishing books but has also become the patron of “The Ghost Research Foundation” which was founded in Oxford in 1992 and Patron of “Paranormal Site Investigators” in Swindon.

He was also featured in Jason Karl’s book “Illustrated History of the Haunted World” and is a contributor to a Boris Karloff biography.

 

In 2009, following the passing of his friend, the renowned parapsychologist Hanz Holzer, Peter was invited to write the obituary for The Guardian Newspaper.

 

In 2010 Peter was also featured in a 6-page spread in “Paranormal Magazine” written by John Stoker, who listed Peter Underwood as  "One of the most important figures in the paranormal investigation community”

 

In 2011 he published the book “Shadows in the Nave”

 

So far in 2012, Peter has released two books “Haunted Britain: A Gazetteer” and “Irish Ghosts: Ghost Hunters Guide” plus he has one book scheduled for release in 2013 “Haunted Farhnam” when he turns 90 years of age!

 

To contact Peter Underwood please write to:

 Savage Club, 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD.

  Further reading:

http://seminars.torontoghosts.org/blog/index.php/2007/04/18/weird_wednesday_with_chris_laursen_20

researched and Written by:

Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au