George Dearborn and the Spiritualists

By Barbara Rimkunas

This "Historically Speaking" column was published in the Exeter News-Letter on Friday, October 23, 2020.

George Dearborn was never described as an ordinary man. Accounts of him, written later in his life, describe him as eccentric. He was born in 1815, along with his twin brother, into a large family. His father, Freese Dearborn, was from Hampton, but had deep roots in Exeter. The family’s emigrant ancestor, Godfrey Dearborn, had arrived with the Reverend John Wheelwright in 1638. Freese moved his family from Hampton to Exeter around 1802, and long served as the town jailor. It must have caused some excitement when twin boys were born. Freese Dearborn celebrated the birth by naming his sons George Washington Dearborn and John Adams Dearborn.

George and John entered Phillips Exeter Academy in 1827. John became a businessman and moved to California. George joined an older brother in Methuen, Massachusetts, in the apothecary business, earning for himself the title “doctor” without portfolio. He returned to Exeter to set up business as a druggist. In 1841, he married Nancy Veasey of Stratham and they purchased the old Folsom tavern on the square in 1856. There was, perhaps, one child born and lost to the couple according to Dearborn’s obituary. But no record of the birth, death or final resting place of this child can be found. This, it seems, was the private sorrow of the couple. Nancy lived to the age of 67 and, at the time of her death, George was not perceived as unusual. He may have been just a bit too interested in ‘antiquaries’- the old stories, legends and things that enchant many of us. His home was ancient. His lineage was ancient. Is it any wonder he was fascinated with things from bygone days?

He and Nancy attended the Episcopal Church in Exeter, although Nancy was originally a Congregationalist. George was a loyal member of the Republican Party. There was nothing otherworldly about most Republican Episcopalians in New England. However, a religious movement had been growing in popularity during the middle of the nineteenth century. As New Englanders threw off the rigid concepts of predestination, a view of the afterlife began to emerge that was more egalitarian. Maybe salvation was open to everyone. Maybe the human soul was immortal. Maybe it was possible to communicate with those souls.

Spiritualism has its roots in three mischievous sisters: Leah, Maggie, and Kate Fox. They lived in Hydesville, New York, in the 1850s in an old house that many believed was haunted by the soul of a dead travelling salesman. One night, they began to hear rapping noises while lying in bed. They later admitted using apples tied to strings to create the sounds. They created a code for the rappings and said they could communicate with the dead. The eldest sister, Leah, promoted them and an entire movement was sparked. Although in later years the Fox sisters – particularly Maggie – would denounce their readings as phony, the possibility of speaking with the dead intrigued many people.

Spiritualism, as an idea, began to spread across the United States, particularly after the Civil War left many families grieving lost sons, brothers, and husbands. Reassurance from a spiritualist, who was often a woman, provided the comfort and closure many people sought. There were occasional spiritualist readings held in Exeter. Augusta Dwinell-Treadwell advertised in the Exeter Gazette, billing herself as “Clairvoyant, Trance and Prophetic Medium.” For readings, she charged $1.00, “one half LESS than when in Boston.” To the skeptical, such encounters probably seemed like a scam. To many religious leaders, spiritualism was heretical. Yet to many deeply religious Christians, it was a complimentary belief. You could be both Episcopalian and a spiritualist.

George Dearborn was curious. He hosted spiritualist Elizabeth Ewer, formerly of Maine, to hold meetings at his home on the town square. “Miss Lizzie Ewer, Inspirational Lecturer and Test Medium,” an undated advertisement reads, “will hold a meeting at Dr. Dearborn’s Residence, Sunday, November 25th at 2 o’clock, p.m. Public Cordially Invited.” Dearborn, who’d recently changed his party affiliation after the local Republicans refused to support his run for town clerk, was drifting away from his earlier beliefs. Whether this happened before or after his wife’s death is not known. However, it was written of him, “He was a man lacking in balance, and his enthusiasm often carried him to extremes.” Along with communicating with the dead, Dearborn continued to collect his antiquaries – turning the Folsom Tavern into a curiosity shop. “He has always been something of an antiquary,” read his biographical review entry in 1895, “and, as his life has been almost as long as that of the century, a visit to his house is a source of much interest; for, besides having in his possession numerous relics of other times, Mr. Dearborn’s memory is stored with facts which came under his personal observation that have now become matters of history.” He grew his hair long and rarely updated his wardrobe. “His peculiar attire, his flowing white hair and his nervous manner,” said his obituary, “made Dr. Dearborn a conspicuous personage upon our streets. He was quite eccentric. He was abstemious, to extreme asceticism.” Such a puzzle to local people. He earned a solid income from rental property, yet rarely spent anything. After his death, in 1898, his will left the bulk of his estate, including the Folsom Tavern, to his spiritualist medium, Lizzie Ewer. She lived in the house for the next ten years, holding meetings, updating the building. She sold it in 1909, and moved out of town. There continued to be spiritualists in Exeter into the twentieth century. A group known as the Vine Spiritual Society advertised meetings as late as 1929. Dearborn may have been considered eccentric by his more conventional townsmen, but perhaps he felt a companionship with his antiques, his stories and his dearly departed. Who’s to say?

Barbara Rimkunas is curator of the Exeter Historical Society. Support the Exeter Historical Society by becoming a member! Join online at: www.exeterhistory.org

Image: Spiritualists advertised locally in the nineteenth century. This ad, for medium Augusta Dwinell-Treadwell, ran in the Exeter News-Letter in 1895.