The Drummer of Tedworth

Record summary

A poltergeist-like disturbance associated with John Mompesson’s household after he seized a drum from a travelling drummer. Joseph Glanvill described repeated drumming, apparent movements and household witnesses in Saducismus Triumphatus. The episode became a major Restoration-era argument for and against spirits, fraud and providential signs. It matters for comparison because the account combines physical noises, social testimony and a contested human suspect. The extent of Glanvill’s editing, the reliability of witnesses and the possibility of concealed mechanical or intentional causes remain uncertain.