Theos-Talk Archives (July 2007 Message tt00415)

Thank you again Dr Tillett

Some of us can only hope that the amateurs amongst us will eventually 
recognise your eminent and professional qualification to elucidate on 
these matters and, in the words of one of my old teachers, inwardly 
digest your thorough research. It might be the trigger to move to a 
new set of more accurate inferences.

Regards
Nigel


 
--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, gregory@... wrote:
>
> Because most amateur Theosophical historians tend to be lazy, they 
issue
> "definitive" statements without taking the trouble (and time and 
expense)
> to consult source material. For example, the allegations against
> Leadbeater cannot be discussed seriously without consulting the 
Helen
> Dennis archives in the USA, or the Police files in the State 
Archives of
> NSW. To which might be added: the substantial archives on the case 
at the
> TS International in Pasadena (if they are still open to 
researchers). The
> Adyar TS Archives contain (or contained when I had access to them) 
a huge
> amount of material; I suspect these archives are now closed on this
> subject! There is (or was) a large amount of material in the 
library and
> archives of the TS in England.  Likewise, a careful consideration is
> required of the material included in Arthur Nethercott's two volume
> biography of Mrs Besant ? he had access to people and documents now 
long
> gone. Almost all the material relating to the 1906 case was 
published in
> various forms and exists in a number of libraries.
> 
> Those closest to Leadbeater and his boys to whose recollections I 
had
> access were Russell (Dick) Balfour-Clarke (whom I interviewed at 
length at
> Adyar) and Oscar Kollerstrom (one of the "boys", for whose memories 
I was
> reliant on his diaries, what he had told two of his wives (Jean and 
Brigit
> ? from whom I received information), and taped interviews with him
> undertaken by another researcher). Additionally, Wedgwood's 
secretary in
> the 1920's, Rex Henry, met and knew a number of the "boys" and 
provided me
> with details of what they had told him.
> 
> Very importantly, there are letters and (privately published) 
documents by
> the eminent English Theosophist E.L. Gardner, who had obtained 
material
> from people then very much alive and well and close to 
the "troubles" both
> in 1906 and the 1920's.
> 
> While I have more material than I could reasonably want on 
Leadbeater and
> the allegations against him, I really cannot generate the 
motivation to do
> anything more with it than I have done! The only "mystery" I would 
be
> interested in pursuing comes from Leadbeater's career in the Church 
of
> England.  Arthur Nethercott suggested to me in correspondence that 
there
> had been a sexual scandal involving Leadbeater in his pre-Theosophy 
days.
> It would be interesting to know if this is true and if it is, 
whether it
> had any influence on his sudden abandonment of his Anglican 
appointment
> and departure from England (officially to follow HPB). I have not 
had the
> opportunity of tracking down the sources on this.
> 
> Dr Gregory Tillett
>