Theos-Talk Archives (August 2006 Message tt00246)

I agree with Pedro that there should be multiple biographies of Leadbeater.

He appears, however, to forget that there are already three – mine, the (brief)
work by Hugh Shearman (Theosophist and Liberal Catholic Priest) and that by
Peter Michel (Theosophist, and written in German: “Charles W. Leadbeater: Mit
den Augen des Geistes”).

Perhaps Pedro might explain why none of these – even that of Shearman, published
by the St Alban Press, publishers to the Liberal Catholic Church – seems to have
been reviewed (or even acknowledged) in a Liberal Catholic Church journal.
Perhaps the reason is that all three acknowledge that Leadbeater was born in
1854, contrary to his claim to have been born in 1847.

No doubt Pedro will also be able to explain why, and on what basis, the 11th 
meeting (1996) of the General Episcopal Synod of the Liberal Catholic Church,
of which Pedro is now a member, declared, without explanation or evidence, that
Leadbeater’s correct birth date was 1847.

There are, of course, a number of biographical notes on Leadbeater in various
Theosophical publications, including archival notes made by Jinarajadasa on the
basis of (according to him) information provided by Leadbeater. The data in
these notes, insofar as they relate to Leadbeater’s family background, birth
and early years, are all false.

An American publisher is eager to reprint “The Elder Brother” but I am hesitant
to agree, given that I have acquired, in the years since that work was
published, vastly more material on Leadbeater (all of it confirming my original
account).

But I await with eager anticipation a new biography and encourage Pedro to begin
one as soon as possible.

Dr Gregory Tillett