Fox sisters

Sisters Catherine (1838–1892), Leah (1814–1890) and Margaret (1836–1893) Fox are generally seen as the creators of Spiritualism. They were daughters of David and Margaret Fox, and residents of Hydesville, New York. After the house they lived in was the scene of unexplained rappings, Kate and Margaret conducted various channeling sessions. At first communicating with a peddler who was allegedly murdered and buried beneath the house, later they communicated with various spirits of the deceased through rappings and a procedure reminiscent of the Ouija board.

They had a long yet controversial career as mediums, that sparked an enthusiastic Spiritualist movement. Margaret Fox exposed herself and her sister as frauds in 1888, demonstrating how to make knocking sounds with her toe, but many Spiritualists simply did not believe her. She later repented and claimed to have been paid money to make her exposure.

While rarely mentioned, the Fox sisters are a likely influence on the work of Allan Kardec.