Cora Lodencia Veronica Scott was born near Cuba, New York in 1840. When she reached the age of twelve, while her family was living in Waterloo, Wisconsin, Cora began falling into trances and channeling spirits. Her parents, who were Universalists, had an interest in Spiritualism. They began to tour locally, sharing Cora’s talents as a trance lecturer and healer.
Cora’s spirit guides directed her to drop out of school when she was only twelve years of age. She channeled a German Physician for about four years, making many remarkable cures. Her central guide was a little Indian girl named Ouina.
Cora’s father died in 1853 and the following year she moved to Buffalo, New York. Cora and Ouina came to the attention of Professor J. J. Mapes of New York City while he was investigating Spiritualism. Cora’s ability to heal had stopped about this time, but she focused on her lectures, which now covered a variety of topics about which she knew nothing. Mapes tested her by choosing the topic, Primary Rocks. He was so impressed by Cora’s understanding of the subject that he said, “I am a college educated man, and have been all my life an investigator of scientific subjects and associated with scientific men, but I stand here this afternoon dumb before this young girl.”
Cora married the first of her four husbands, Benjamin Franklin Hatch, at the age of 16. The 46-year-old mesmerist acted as her manager and promoted her around the country. He charged large fees for each public appearance, making huge profits. Hatch had their audiences form committees to propose questions and topics for the spirit lectures, to ensure Cora had not prepared for the subject matter. She also entered debates while in trance and answered any questions posed to her.
Cora was not always able to discuss a topic with accuracy. In 1857, in Lynn, Massachusetts, a committee reported: “Resolved, That we, the citizens of Lynn, who have listened to the exposition of Mrs. C. L. V. Hatch this evening, feel it our duty to say to the public that, in our opinion, she has failed to comply with any test which could have been reasonably expected from the wording of the call, or to give evidence of any supernatural inspiration; and we feel called upon to warn our fellow-citizens against her impositions.” John B. Alley, Chairman. J. F. Kimball, Secretary.
Cora sued for divorce in 1858, citing abuse, but didn’t go through with it. Rumors suggested Hatch was visiting prostitutes. He later sued her for divorce in 1863, accusing Cora of adultery. After a bitter battle that played out in the courts and the press, the divorce was final. Cora’s second husband may have had the surname, Daniels, but there are no details available.
Cora’s third marriage was to Samuel Forster Tappan, an abolitionist, Native American rights activist and military officer. The Tappans lived in Washington, D.C. where Cora was one of Lincoln’s advisers. She also worked with President Andrew Johnson and President Ulysses Grant during his first term of office. Grant presented Cora with a Resolution of Gratitude for her six years of service.
Her marriage to Samuel Tappan ended in divorce and Cora moved to England in 1873. It was estimated that she gave three thousand lectures during her three-year visit. When she returned to the United States, she married William Richmond and moved to Chicago. He published several of her books. Her publications include: The Soul: Its Nature, Relations and Expressions in Human Embodiments (1888), Psychosophy, in Six Parts (1915), and My Experiences While Out of Body and My Return After Many Days (1923).
Cora continued with her trance lectures. In 1883 she gave a message to the nation from Washington, D.C. by channeling President James A. Garfield. In 1892 she officiated at the funeral of Henrietta S. Maynard, Lincoln’s medium.
Cora was one of the founding members of the National Spiritualist Association in 1893, becoming the first Vice President. She opened the First Society of Spiritualists in Chicago. Audience numbers ranged from 2000-5000 and increasing interest forced her to keep looking for bigger venues. The church later became known as the Church of the Soul.
Cora died in 1923 after serving Spiritualism for over 70 years.
Additional Reading:
Barrett, H. D. (1991). “Introduction”. Life Work of Cora L. V. Scott Richmond, 2nd. ed.
Edmonds, John Worth; Richmond, Cora Linn V. (1875). Letters and tracts on spiritualism. Also, two inspirational orations by C. L. V. Tappan. Ed. by J. Burns. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
https://psychictruth.info/Medium_Cora_Lodencia_Veronica_Scott.htm
https://ehbritten.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-devil-on-all-sides-of-matter-some.html