The first movie, The Conjuring, directed by James Wan, is based on a true story and real-life events surrounding Ed and Lorraine Warren and the Perron family in Rhode Island during 1971. The movie doesn’t even reach the disturbing events that happened to this family. The actual events are far more terrifying and shocking than how the movie presented them. This article will explain who the Perron family was, who Ed and Lorraine Warren were, and compare The Conjuring movie to the real events.
Background on the Conjuring House:
The Conjuring house was originally built around 1736. The original name for the house was “The Arnold Estate.” It was owned by the Arnold family, one of whom, Dexter Arnold, is often mentioned within the local lore. Over the centuries, multiple deaths occurred on the property, including accidents and reported suicides. Soon, it fell into Bathsheba Sherman’s possession.
Who was Bathsheba Sherman?
Bathsheba Thayer Sherman was a real person who lived in Rhode Island in the 1800s. She was rumored to be a witch who had sacrificed an infant to the devil. Although she was never convicted, her reputation largely stems from legend and later embellishments. The Warrens believed her spirit was the main entity haunting the Perrons. She was rumored to have been a Satanist, and there was evidence that she had been involved in the death of a neighbor’s child, though no trial ever took place. She was buried in a nearby Baptist cemetery in downtown Harrisville.
Who was the Perron Family?
The Perrons were a family of seven at the time of the haunting, as they moved into the house in Harrisville, Rhode Island, in 1971. The members of the Perrons were Roger Perron (the father), Carolyn Perron (the mother), Andrea Perron (the eldest and the author of the trilogy books about their experience), Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April Perron, who were the other daughters. Not long after the move, the Perrons began to experience strange and frightening phenomena like objects moving on their own, unexplained noises, and the sights of apparitions.
Who were the Warrens and what did they do?
Ed and Lorraine lived in Monroe, Connecticut. In 1952, the Warrens founded the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR), the oldest ghost-hunting group in New England. Ed is a demonologist, as well as an author, while Lorraine is the star of the show as she is a medium, which is someone who mediates as well as communicates between spirits of the dead and the living. The couple decided to combine their unique skills and become the most well-known paranormal investigation duo.
What Happened & How It Ended:
In January of 1971, the Perron family moved into a 14-room farmhouse, where Carolyn, Roger, and their five daughters began to notice strange things happening soon after they moved in. At first, it started small. Carolyn mentioned how she began to see the broom would go missing, or items being moved from their original place. She would hear the sounds of scraping against the kettle in the kitchen when no one was there, or she’d find random piles of dirt on the clean kitchen floor. The daughters also started to notice spirits around the house. While they seemed harmless, a few were angry. Carolyn allegedly did some research on the house and found out that what was happening to her had happened to eight generations of families who lived there before her, although many of them had died from mysterious or horrific circumstances. Several children had drowned in a nearby creek, one was murdered, and a few had hung themselves in the attic. Bathsheba was the worst of them all, as the eldest daughter Andrea Perron stated, “Whoever the spirit was, she perceived herself to be the mistress of the house and resented the competition my mother posed for that position.” Andrea also mentioned that the family experienced other spirits that smelled like rotting flesh, and the spirits would cause the beds to rise off of the floor.
Ed and Lorraine Warren were called to assist the Perron family by Carolyn Perron, the mother of the family. According to accounts from the Perrons and the Warrens, Carolyn reached out to them after experiencing increasingly disturbing paranormal activity. When the Warrens arrived at the Perron family home, Lorraine sensed a dark presence she believed was a malevolent spirit. As the investigation continued, the paranormal activity intensified, particularly targeting Carolyn Perron with physical attacks and disturbing encounters. During a séance conducted by the Warrens, Carolyn was reportedly possessed and violently thrown across the room, prompting her husband, Roger, to demand the Warrens leave. Despite their involvement, the haunting did not stop, and the Perron family continued to experience supernatural events until they eventually moved out years later in 1980, at which point the spirits were silenced and the hauntings ceased.
The Conjuring Movie:
The Conjuring movie is loosely based on real events in the Perron family, but it takes significant creative liberties. Here is a little breakdown of what the movie got right versus what the movie got wrong based on firsthand accounts, especially from Andrea Perron, the eldest daughter and the author of House Of The Darkness House Of Light.
Right:
- The family was haunted: The Perrons did in fact experience what they called a prolonged haunting after moving into Harrisville, Rhode Island. Apparitions, unexplained noises, physical contact (like hair pulling or slaps), and a sense of dread were commonly reported by the family.
- The Warrens did visit: The Warrens did investigate the house and were invited by Carolyn Perron.
- Mainly focused on Carolyn Perron: The film shows Carolyn Perron being spiritually targeted, which aligns with the family’s account. She was believed to be the primary focus of whatever was there.
Wrong:
- Exorcism vs. Séance: The movie ended with an intense, full-blown exorcism performed by Ed Warren, but in reality, Ed was not an exorcist, and no exorcism was performed. A séance was held instead, led by Lorraine Warren and a medium, which went wrong and scared the family even more.
- Possession scene: The film’s climax, where Carolyn is possessed and tries to kill her daughter, is completely fictional. Although she did experience disturbing encounters, there was no confirmed possession or violent attempt like the movie showed.
- Bathsheba’s story: The movie claims Bathsheba was a devil-worshipping witch who sacrificed her baby and cursed the land. Historically, there is no evidence that she was a murderer or witch.
Conclusion
As of May 2025, the Conjuring House in Harrisville, Rhode Island, is closed to the public and cannot operate as a tourist attraction as it did before. It was visited by many people you may know, like Sam and Colby, and Zak Bagans. This isn’t the only case the Warrens have explored, as other Conjuring movies are based on true stories and have actually happened. The Perrons’ case is very tragic and unlikely. We hope you learned, or learned more, about this family’s story.
