Theos-Talk Archives (October 2004 Message tt00201)

Having looked at original documents, I have to update my posting on
Rumours and explicit allegations of Leadbeater's sexual misconduct:

Leadbeater joins TS: 1884
1885-1889 - rumours in Ceylon (a reference to which occurs in Jinarajadasa¹s 
circular of April 16, 1916; he refers to a more serious allegation than that 
considered in 1906: sodomy of boys, and says: ³I knew that, as a matter of fact, 
this insinuation was made by some people in Ceylon while he was in that country 
between 1885-89. I heard of it when I was a boy of 12, and before I knew 
Mr Leadbeater.²)
1889 - rumours relating to his removal from the Sinnett household and his  
role of tutor to Sinnett's son
1906 - major allegations and scandal over American allegations, Committee
hearing and resignation: in May the Committee conducted an inquiry and was 
shocked at Leadbeater¹s admissions. After Leadbeater¹s resignation, MrsBesant 
wrote: ³Any proposal to reinstate Mr Leadbeater in the membership of the T.S. 
would be ruinous to the Society.²
1907 - massive disruption in TS over Leadbeater's reinstatement [have a
look at the list of those who resigned! the TS lost large numbers of
significant members and suffered a major crisis]
1908-1909 - The Protest Committee of the British Section holds meetings 
objecting to Leadbeater¹s reinstatement: some 250 members resigned over the 
reinstatement and signed a protest; these included: G.R.S. Mead, Herbert Burrows, A.P.Sinnett, W. Kingsland, Madame de Steiger. Nine British lodges severed 
their connection with the TS.
1909 - allegations published in England in "John Bull".
1911 - scandal arising from publication in America (and international
circulation) of pamphlets alleging sexual misconduct; allegations in "The
Antiseptic" libel case
1912-1913 - allegations in Krishnamurti custody case
1917 - Attorney-General directs inquiry into allegations in Sydney
(continues to 1920). Hubert van Hook in the USA making allegations against 
Leadbeater.
1921 - the Martyn letter
1921-1922 - allegations in "The OE Library Critic"; John van Manen published 
³Our Present Trouble² including reference to allegations made against Leadbeater; 
Police investigations in Sydney, concluding that ³there are good grounds for 
believing him (Leadbeater) to be a sex pervert² but considering that the loyalty of Leadbeater¹s boys and their parents would made a prosecution impossible.
1922-1923 - allegations related to the Liberal Catholic Church;
publication in circulars and pamphlets in the USA, England and Australia;
split in the Sydney TS over issue; further detailed investigation by policein
Sydney
1927 - further allegations in the USA by Weller van Hook in which he
repudiated his defences of Leadbeater made in 1906
1934: Leadbeater dies.

Of approximately fifty years of membership, Leadbeater was the subject of
specific public allegations or rumours of sexual misconduct throughout at
least twenty-six of those years (although various rumours and allegations
circulated at other times).
Look at the list of those who resigned over the allegations! E.g. several
hundred of the leading members of the TS in England resigned in 1909,
most of them putting their names to petitions opposing Leadbeater's
reinstatement.
Who else in TS history caused such disruption?
Is all of this not of significance in Leadbeater's biography and TS
history?

Dr Gregory Tillett