Theos-Talk Archives (June 2005 Message tt00171)

It is said that life has its ironies. One of them may have been the 
known name of the property which was eventually acquired by a group 
of theosophists in the 1920s, where Leadbeater took up residence and 
which is now known as The Manor. At that time it was known 
as "Bakewell's Folly", named after Mr Bakewell, who built a large 
mansion with the idea that his entire family would live in it. It 
didn't work and the property was put up for sale.

The judge who presided over the custody case of Narianah, 
Krishnamurti's father, against Annie Besant, was also called 
Bakewell. One of the central arguments in the case was the charge, 
brought up by Naraniah, that Leadbeater had sexually molested his 
elder son. After examining all the evidence available, which 
included the accusations and allegations against Leadbeater from 
1906, the judge concluded that the charge against him had no 
grounds, although he declared that Leadbeater held "immoral views" 
regarding his advice on sexual matters to boys.

This is what Jean Overton Fuller wrote in her book "Krishnamurti & 
The Wind - A Biography" (Theosophical Publishing House, London, 
2003, p. 45) about one of the decisive moments in the court case, 
with Annie Besant representing herself and questioning 
Krishnamurti's father:

"Naraniah had stated in evidence that he had witnessed an obscene 
act between the elder boy and Leadbeater, at Adyar, in 1910. How was 
it that he had not rushed forward immediately, to stop it? Why had 
he never mentioned it before, in the conversation he had with her in 
which he did express some doubts about Leadbeater? Why had he only 
introduced this story when the suit was filed? She [Annie Besant] 
called Dr. Mary Rock and Mrs. van Hook, who stated that during the 
hours between which the incident was alleged to have occurred, 5.30 
in the morning until breakfast time, they had always worked together 
with Leadbeater in that room; the boys came in for their glasses of 
milk but nothing improper occurred.

Then she had to cross-examine Lakshman. He was her personal servant, 
and though he had been called by the other side she did not wish to 
hurt him, but under her careful probing, the nature of 
the "indecency" he had witnessed was this: he had seen them in the 
bathroom together, Krishna had nothing on and was standing by the 
wash basin; Leadbeater, wearing a shirt which descended only to the 
knees, was washing Krishna's hair and putting it in order. In India, 
nudity constituted indecency; even if no one else was present, one 
should retain one's loin-cloth whilst washing. That was why he was 
shocked. When he grasped that in English law, something of a sexual 
nature was required in order to justify the accusation of indecency, 
he had nothing more to say."

Later on, Fuller adds:

"Mr. Justice Bakewell, summing up, said the father had obviously 
lied, in his evidence, and it was open to Mrs. Besant to have him 
prosecuted for perjury; yet his having lied did not unfit him to 
look after his sons, whereas Mr. Leadbeater held "immoral views" 
which did make him unsuitable to be with them. The father, when he 
assigned guardianship to Mrs. Besant, had not understood that the 
elder boy was to be brought up as the agent of "supernatural powers" 
and had a right to object. He awarded custody to the father but 
costs against him." The date was 15 April 1913.

Earlier this year, a Sydney newspaper carried a full page piece 
about cults and sects, with focus on the TS in the 1920s, in which 
it repeated the allegations of Leadbeater's homosexual acts with 
Krishnamurti when he was a boy in Madras. The journalist responsible 
for the piece obviously did not check available information that 
shows that Leadbeater was cleared of that charge 92 years ago. It is 
another case of oracular validity shown as fact.

If Justice Bakewell had condemned him, Leadbeater would have been 
sent to prison, Annie Besant would certainly have resigned as 
President of the TS, the World Teacher circus would have come to an 
end, Bertram Keightley would have been elected President of the 
Adyar TS and would have steered it into pro-Blavatsky lines and 
Anand would probably be a happy member of ULT in Mumbai!

"Bakewell's Folly" indeed.


pedro