August Anniversaries

3 Aug 1856
Alfred Deakin (1856-1919) was born in Melbourne, Australia. Deakin is most remembered for being Prime Minister of Australia and also Attorney-General responsible for writing the Australian Constitution. Deakin was a prominent spiritualist and maintained close relationships with mediums and spiritualists worldwide. For a time during the late 19th century Deakin was considered to be one of Melbourne’s leading mediums, having developed his mediumship in a class run by Dr Motherwell who was also a President of the Victorian Association of Spiritualists. Deakin tested phenomena, delivered trance lectures for publication in the Harbinger of Light, conducted the Sunday school at the Victorian Progressive Spiritualist Lyceum (where he met his future wife Elizabeth “Pattie” Browne), edited and contributed to the Lyceum Leader and was President of the Victorian Association – a very busy man. As part of Deakin’s dedication to his spiritual beliefs he became a vegetarian and he also used herbal remedies and also gave them to his daughters. As Deakin’s political career began to flourish he distanced himself publically from the spiritualist movement however he did maintain his belief in the spirit world and continued to study and write about it in private. Deakin died on 7 October 1919 and was given a State Funeral. He is buried in St Kilda Cemetery.

9 Aug 2006
George Chapman (1921-2006) returns to the spirit world. Chapman became known for his extraordinary healing abilities however he never recalled showing any special abilities for the first 25 years of his life. It wasn’t until the death of his newborn daughter that made him question life after death and then while serving with the Aylesbury Fire Brigade, he and a colleague would pass the time by working with a makeshift ouija board. The information being received was so specific and detailed it left Chapman in no doubt that the messages were coming from the spirit world. Chapman then went on to develop his trance mediumship and then the most important introduction that would change Chapman’s life forever, Dr Lang stepped into his life. Dr Lang was the spirit doctor who would work with Chapman for many years to come curing those who had been declared incurable. Their bond would become so close that Dr Lang’s son Basil who had joined him in the spirit world would return to work with Chapman’s son Michael.

11 Aug 1826
Andrew Jackson Davis (1826-1910) was born in Orange County, New York. When AJD was around 2 years of age he suffered a serious illness and almost died. At 17 AJD was found to have x-ray clairvoyance (the human body is transparent to the eye). AJD went on to have number spiritual experiences throughout his life and wrote a number of books regarding his visions and prophecies. Following a vision he received of children in the spirit world and the way they were educated he established the first Children’s Lyceum in Lilydale New York in 1963. AJD was affectionately referred to as the Poughkeepsie seer, the father of modern American spiritualism and also John the Baptist of modern spiritualism.

12 Aug 1831
Helena Blavatsky was born in Russia. She was a medium and author and her sister was also an author of occult fiction. Helena travelled the world and was one of the co-founders of the Theosophical Society in New York and also at Adyar in India, she was also President of the Theosophical Society. The anniversary of her death is still celebrated by Theosophists and called White Lotus Day.

18 Aug 1854
James Hyslop (1854-1920) was born in Ohio, USA. Hyslop had a keen interest in psychic research and his introduction into the world of psychic phenomena was through the mediumship of Leonora Piper. Through Leonora he received communication from his father and other loved ones in the spirit world. Hyslop established the America Institute for Scientific Research to encourage interest and raise funds for psychical research and was responsible for merging his institute with the American Society for Psychical Researach. Hyslop would continue to run the ASPR for the remainder of his life. Hyslop died in June 1920.

22 Aug 1940
Sir Oliver Lodge (1851-1940) enters higher life. Sir Oliver was a distinguished scientist and spiritualist of the Victorian age. When he died he left behind a sealed message which he planned to reveal to his friends after his death. There were a series of messages contained in separate envelopes. Each envelope was to be opened at various séances “When the right people are sitting with the medium I will try and give them the message. But it might take as long as a year. I will not get anything in a hurry”. On his death bed he told those around him “I hope to continue my scientific research on the other side”. Sir Oliver died at his home in Wiltshire.

25 Aug 1850
Charles Robert Richet (1850-1935) was born in France. Charles was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1913. He devoted many years to the study of spiritualism and in 1905 was appointed President of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) UK. Charles is also attributed with coining the terms ectoplasm and metapsychics. In 1929 he became President of the Institut Metapsychics International, Paris.

26 Aug 1910
William James (1842-1910) passes into the other side of life. James grew up in a family with unorthodox spiritual beliefs, and his father also had a strong interest in spiritual philosophy and was well versed in the teachings of Swedenborg, all of this was to have a deep impact on James throughout his life. James struggled to find where his true intellectual interests lay and his research and personal experiences led to the publication of work “the sick soul” in 1902. James’ struggled with his own psychological demons throughout his life and his accomplishments in the field of psychology were also for his own health and wellbeing. It was the death of his 6 month old son that led James and his wife Alice on their quest for answers regarding life beyond the physical death. James was one of the co founders of the American Society for Psychical Research.

28 Aug 1900
Henry Sidgwick (1838-1900) returns to the other side of life. Sidgwick was a co founder and first President of the Society for Psychical Research, a member of the Metaphysical Society and advocate for the higher education of women. Sidgwick was married to Eleanor Balfour, who also held the position of President of the SPR the sister of Arthur Balfour who was a UK Prime Minister and also a President of the SPR. In fact, the Balfour family all has strong ties with the SPR.

28 Aug 1918
Thomas Welton Stanford (1832-1918) returns to the world of spirit at his home on Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, Australia. Stanford was a man of wealth and following the death of his wife and new born child he developed a strong interest in spiritualism, and for a time employed the physical medium Charles Bailey as his own personal medium holding the séances in his home. Throughout the years the séances were held, Stanford accumulated numerous apports. Stanford’s brother established the Stanford University in the USA and Thomas Stanford was on the Board of Trustees. And so, at his death Thomas Stanford bequeathed his library including the apports and a substantial amount of money to Stanford University specifically for the purpose of psychic research. Thomas Stanford is buried at Melbourne General Cemetery.

31 Aug 1954
Elsa Barker (1869-1954) returns to the spirit world. Elsa was born in 1869 in Vermont, USA. Her parents died when she was young and she shared her father’s interest in the occult and was a member of the Theosophical Society. Elsa is probably best remembered for the books she authored, Letters from a Living Dead Man, War Letters from the Living Dead Man and Last Letters from the Living Dead Man. All three books were received through automatic writing from a Los Angeles judge, David P Hatch who was living in the spirit world.

Thanks again Helen for the Anniversaries information. XX