Peter Underwood (1923–2014) was President of The Ghost Club — the world's oldest paranormal research organisation, founded 1862 — for over 30 years. He investigated more than 2,000 haunting cases across the UK and authored over 50 books on the paranormal, making him one of the most prolific researchers in the field's history.
Underwood claimed his first paranormal experience at age nine, witnessing what he believed to be his father's apparition shortly after his death. This formative experience drove a lifetime of rigorous, methodical investigation. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he consistently cautioned against hasty conclusions and emphasised the importance of eliminating natural explanations before attributing phenomena to paranormal causes.
Joins The Ghost Club, the world's oldest paranormal research organisation
Publishes his first book, A Gazetteer of British Ghosts — becomes a foundational paranormal reference text
Elected President of The Ghost Club; begins restructuring it as a serious research organisation
Resigns from The Ghost Club following internal disputes over direction; founds the Ghost Club Society
Continues writing and investigation into his eighties; regarded as the elder statesman of British paranormal research
Dies aged 90; leaves an archive of over 2,000 investigation files and 50 published volumes
Underwood was widely regarded as Britain's leading authority on ghosts and hauntings. A meticulous documenter who was sceptical of sensationalism, his careful approach lends his case files significant credibility among researchers.
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