In 1950s England, tragedy struck the Pollock family when their two young daughters, Joanna and Jacqueline, were killed in a horrific car accident. A year later, Florence Pollock gave birth to twin girls — and that’s when things got weird.

The twins, Gillian and Jennifer, began recalling memories, places, and experiences they couldn’t possibly have known. They recognized landmarks in a town they’d never visited, talked about “their other lives,” and one even bore the same birthmarks and scars as her late sister. Was this the most compelling modern case of reincarnation — or a story shaped by grief, coincidence, and a father’s desperate need to believe?

In this episode of Loreplay, we head across the pond to Hexham, England, where science, spirituality, and straight-up spooky collide. We’ll dig into the documented accounts by psychiatrist Dr. Ian Stevenson, the skepticism that followed, and the unnerving details that still stump researchers today.

Grab your tea, maybe light a candle (or an incense stick, if you’re feeling metaphysical), and prepare for one of the strangest tales of déjà vu the afterlife ever wrote twice.

🔍 Show Notes & Sources:

(For listeners who love a good rabbit hole — these are the primary and reputable sources used in the research for this episode.)

1. Stevenson, Ian (1966). Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation. University of Virginia Press.
   • Chapter 6 documents the Pollock Twins case in detail, based on Stevenson’s direct interviews with the family in the 1960s.
2. Playfair, Guy Lyon (2006). The Indefinite Boundary: An Investigation into Psychic Phenomena.
   • Includes references to British reincarnation reports, including Hexham.
3. BBC Archive (2003). “The Pollock Twins: Reincarnation in Hexham.” BBC Radio 4, Beyond Belief.
   • Broadcast discussing the case with theologians and psychologists.
4. Bowman, Carol (1997). Children’s Past Lives: How Past Life Memories Affect Your Child.
   • Discusses parallels between the Pollock twins and other child reincarnation cases studied globally.
5. Journal of Scientific Exploration (Vol. 12, No. 3, 1998). “Reincarnation Research: An Overview.”
   • Scholarly analysis of Stevenson’s methods and criticisms from contemporary researchers.
6. The Hexham Courant (1957–1960 archives).
   • Local reports on the Pollock family’s accident and community response, preserved in regional historical records.
7. The Society for Psychical Research (SPR).
   • Archives include correspondence and investigation notes referencing the Pollock case.
8. Extrasensory Podcast