The True Story Of The Conjuring

Summary Ed & Lorraine Warren established their paranormal group in 1952, predating the events in The Conjuring movie.

The Perron family in The Conjuring was inspired by a real family's haunted experience in Rhode Island.

The evil spirit in The Conjuring, Bathsheba Sherman, was based on a real historical figure, with exaggerated details.

One of the most successful horror movies of the 21st Century, The Conjuring follows the experiences of real-life demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren as they investigate the malevolent spirits plaguing a Rhode Island farmhouse. Like many popular paranormal horror films, The Conjuring makes a bold claim to be "based on a true story". Given the supernatural quality of the events on screen, some viewers understandably treat such a statement with skepticism. However, while the extent of the movie's accuracy is up for debate, there is still a shocking true story behind the first installment in The Conjuring franchise.

Set in 1971, The Conjuring follows the experiences of the Perron family, comprised of parents Roger and Carolyn, and children Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cindy, and April. What starts as mildly paranormal events quickly take a turn for the terrifying as they realize they are haunted by the evil Bathsheba Sherman – a witch from the 19th Century. Unsurprisingly, The Conjuring takes liberties with many of the real facts around the case, including the experiences of the investigating Warrens and the Perrons. Nevertheless, some interesting and ultimately sinister grains of truth run through both the 2013 movie and the spooky source material that inspired it.

Ed & Lorraine Warren Founded Their Paranormal Investigator Group In 1952

They Were Established Long Before The Movie

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In The Conjuring, Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, respectively) enter the story as fully formed and established paranormal investigators. In fact, before the main events of the narrative really begin, the Warrens are shown resolving an additional case involving a cursed doll and the spirit of a seven-year-old girl named Annabelle Higgins (a story which, in turn, would inspire the Annabelle Conjuring-spinoff movies). While this provides some background on the Warrens, it doesn't explain the full extent of their experience.

The Conjuring is available to rent on Apple TV+

Long before the events of The Conjuring in 1971, the Warrens founded the New England Society for Psychic Research in 1952, when both Ed and Lorraine were in their mid-twenties. This led to the pair's involvement in many strange occult events, including famous incidents such as the Amityville haunting, the Snedeker haunting in the 1980s, and the Enfield Poltergeist – which provided the inspiration for The Conjuring 2. Over the course of their careers, the Warrens claimed to have investigated over 10,000 paranormal cases, including the events at the Perron family home (via Outlook).

The Conjuring's Perron Family Was Based On A Real Family From Harrisville, Rhode Island

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Just as shown in The Conjuring, the real Perron family did indeed move into an old farmhouse in Rhode Island before experiencing what they claimed were sinister and terrifying paranormal phenomena. The film is fairly reflective of the family's dynamic, with the real Perrons also having five daughters. However, The Conjuring did make some important alterations to the house at the center of the story.

According to fact-checkers History vs Hollywood, the movie actually recreated a version of the farmhouse on a soundstage in North Carolina. The real Perron house, which is still standing today in Harrisville, looks very different and doesn't have the impressive multi-story frontage. According to local news channel NBC WJAR (via Hollywood vs History), the house has a long history of macabre occurrences. As outlined in the town's former public records book, the so-called Black Book of Burriville, historic tragedies at the Warren home include:

...two suicides by hanging, one suicide by poison, the rape and murder of eleven-year-old Prudence Arnold by a farmhand, two drownings, and the passing of four men who froze to death.

Clearly, these events are not proof of paranormal activity. However, it does show that the backstory explained in The Conjuring is rooted in fact – irrespective of whether the supernatural aspect of the story is believable.

What Happened To The Perron Family In Rhode Island

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Unlike the events depicted in The Conjuring, the Perron family's experience was drawn out over a protracted period. Although the movie suggests that the haunting was both incredibly intense and somewhat brief, the true story is that the family remained in the house for nine years between 1971 and 1980 – eventually selling it to new owners at the first opportunity following financial troubles. Many of the events shown in the film were exaggerated for dramatic effect. However, the Perrons themselves have been extremely forthcoming about the strange events they experienced.

...other inexplicable events included an exorcism carried on Carolyn Perron (just as depicted in the movie), beds levitating at night, sinister whispers, and the stench of rotting flesh appearing at random.

For example, in an interview with USA Today conducted at the time of The Conjuring's theatrical release, the oldest Perron daughter, Andrea, revealed that the family would never go into the basement. The only exception would be when the heating would fail, forcing Roger to conduct repairs. While down there, he would "feel this cold, stinking presence beside him." According to Andrea, other inexplicable events included an exorcism carried on Carolyn Perron (just as depicted in the movie), beds levitating at night, sinister whispers, and the stench of rotting flesh appearing at random.

These experiences reflect the dramatic and terrifying events depicted in The Conjuring. However, the Perrons' experience wasn't limited to these more theatrical happenings. According to All That's Interesting, every member of the family began to see spirits – including many that were completely harmless. More benign paranormal activity included "the sound of something scraping against the kettle in the kitchen," or "small piles of dirt in the center of a newly-cleaned kitchen floor." Yet while these events were somewhat innocent, others were much more sinister – especially those centered around a spirit called Bathsheba.

Who Was Bathsheba Sherman? The Conjuring's Evil Spirit Explained

In The Conjuring, it's fair to say that Bathsheba is the main antagonist. The movie portrays her as a witch who conducted child sacrifice, stabbing her own baby and declaring her love for the devil. Unsurprisingly, the true story is more nuanced. Although the real Bathsheba Sherman did live on the Perrons' farm in the 1800s and was purported to be involved in witchcraft, the allegations were never proven. No trial ever took place and many of the more lurid details provided in The Conjuring were invented for the movie. However, the Perrons themselves are in no doubt as to Bathsheba's sinister motivations.

While the real Bathsheba Sherman's association with witchcraft would make her an intriguing historical character, the testimony of the Perrons only makes her seem more sinister.

In her book based on the family's experience, titled House of Darkness House of Light, Andrea claimed that Bathsheba was consistently the most threatening presence during the family's residence in the house. As she told USA Today, "Whoever the spirit was, she perceived herself to be mistress of the house and she resented the competition my mother posed for that position." While the real Bathsheba Sherman's association with witchcraft would make her an intriguing historical character, the testimony of the Perrons only makes her seem more sinister.

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Did Ed & Lorraine Help The Perron Familly? What The Real Family Has Said

The extent to which Ed and Lorraine helped the Perron family is a matter of continued debate. Just as shown in the movie, the Warrens made several visits to the family home – albeit over an extended timeframe. Likewise, just as is shown in The Conjuring's terrifying ending, the Warrens reportedly played some part in an apparent possession of Carolyn, which was witnessed by Andrea. As she told USA Today:

I thought I was going to pass out. My mother began to speak a language not of this world in a voice not her own. Her chair levitated and she was thrown across the room.

There's no doubt that the Warrens were heavily involved in the goings-on at the Perron house. However, the extent to which it can be said they "helped" the situation is debatable. The paranormal activity continued until the family left, and reporting by All That's Interesting indicates that Roger Perron actively kicked the investigators out, following Carolyn's possession. However, despite their differences, The Conjuring was made with the blessing of both Lorraine Warren and the Perrons, highlighting their shared experience.

Sources: USA Today, All Things Interesting, History vs Hollywood