Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 promoted by Walter Monslow, Labour Member of Parliament for Barrow-in-Furness. The campaign to repeal the Act had largely been led by Thomas Brooks, another Labour MP, who was a spiritualist. Duncan's original conviction still stood, and it was the subject of a sustained campaign to have it overturned. Death She died at her home in Edinburgh, on 6 December 1956, a short time after another seance. It is believed by spiritualists that Helen Duncan died as a result of the sudden impact of ectoplasm snapping back into her body when the police that raided her séance turned on the light. Contrary to what these spiritualists have written, it is unlikely that there was anything unusual about Duncan's death, nor was it caused by the police disturbing her "trance." Duncan's medical records indicated that she had a long history of poor health, and as early as 1944 she was described as an obese woman who could move only slowly as she suffered from heart trouble. Legacy After her death, Duncan was cited in paranormal and parapsychological books as an example of a fraudulent medium. However, she retained supporters amongst the spiritualist community. On this, Jenny Hazelgrove has noted: The psychical researcher Simeon Edmunds also noted that spiritualists have a history of ignoring the evidence of fraud in the Duncan case. He criticized the spiritualist press such as Psychic News for biased reporting and distorting facts. Science writer Mary Roach in her book Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife (2007) favorably mentioned Price's methods in debunking Duncan as a fraudulent medium. Inspired by her legacy, new wave of British heavy metal band Seventh Son recorded and released a song 'The Last Witch in England' in 2009, depicting her life and her 'prediction' of the sinking of HMS Barham. The naval investigation and subsequent trial was dramatized as a radio play. The Last Witch Trial by Melissa Murray, starring Joanna Monro as Duncan and Indira Varma as the undercover investigator, was broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on 4 June 2010. Descendants and supporters of Duncan have campaigned on several occasions to have her posthumously pardoned of witchcraft charges. Petitions for a posthumous pardon were rejected by the Scottish Parliament in 2001, 2008, and 2012. Duncan's supporters maintain a website and online petition where they continue to campaign for her pardon. Gallery Notes References Mary Armour. (2001). Helen Duncan: My Living