Theos-Talk Archives (January 2005 Message tt00820)

Mead (and others associated with him, including Kingsland, Burrows and 
Ward) published the correspondence and associated documents regarding the 
Leadbeater 1905/6 case in a series of pamphlets, including "The 
Leadbeater Case: A Reply to the President's Letter of November, 1908" 
(London, 1908). Copies of the Mead et al pamphlets are available in the 
British Library, the library of Columbia University (NY), and the 
National Library of Australia In the John Cooper Collection).
I also saw some or all of them (without restriction) in the libraries of 
the Theosophical Society in London, the Theosophical Society 
International in Pasadena, and the archives of Point Loma Publications in 
San Diego. I also saw them in the Library at Adyar, and in files in the 
archives at Adyar; my access to both was by virture of the generosity and 
commitment to historical research (however unpredictable and possibly 
unpleasant!) of the then President, John Coats. John knew of my major 
findings (including the birthdate) well in advance of my arrival at 
Adyar. Despite the great distress my discoveries caused him, John was 
unconditionally welcoming, generous, open and supportive. The few minor 
obstructions I faced at Adyar were quickly overcome by John's personal 
intervention. He could, of course, do nothing with regard to the ES 
archives.
A search on-line for "The Leadbeater Case" should locate the versions of 
some of them published on the net by Alan Bain.
There are also copies in my own collection.

There may be letters to or from Mead et al which were not published in 
these pamphlets or in Theosophical journals of the time. What has become 
of them?
After Mead left the TS he formed The Quest Society which certainly had a 
library and archives (and probably had its own ES). Mead eventually 
closed The Quest Society, settled in the Channel Islands and devoted 
himself to an interest in Spiritualism. The Library was sold. What 
happened to the archives and to Mead's personal papers is not known to me 
- although it could be a treasure-trove of Theosophical material. 
Likewise, the Kingsland, Burrows and Ward papers.

As to the "forged" cypher letter: Leadbeater was asked whether he had 
written it, but never stated (a) that he did not write it or parts of it, 
or (b) that it or parts of it were a forgery. He stated that he 
"recognized it" but "did not know it in its present form", whatever that 
may have meant. Given that he was shown a legally attested copy of the 
letter, this may have been a somewhat careful reply. Presumably if he had 
not written it, there was a simple response to be given. When Miss Edith 
Ward, in a circular letter to the British Section of the TS, called upon 
him to admit or deny that he had written the letter (as in the legally 
attested copy). Leadbeater refused to do so, saying that it was a "gross 
impertinence" to suggest that he should! I have never seen any suggestion 
that Fullerton forged the letter. The confusion may arise from later 
"troubled" which afflicted Fullerton in relation to boys.

Dr Gregory Tillett