THE TS

EP John Denley
Blavatsky AL Rawson FH worked
for JD EBL patronized
Member of EPB inner Frederick
Hockley Denley
circle in London 1883-4
(1808-1880
Caithness may have
funded founded TS John Varley
EPB together (1850-1933)

Had Varley's library

Countess of
after his death?
Caithness Seth Pancoast
FH knew
Lord Stanhope
WIlliam Varley did not have to go very far to gain his most important experiences of spiritualism. In the late 1850s he claimed to have developed mesmeric powers which
Blake he used to entrance his wife Ada who, in this state, displayed the apparent ability to perceive distant objects and scenes (clairvoyance) and to communicate with others by
thought alone. Ada was one of many Victorian mesmeric subjects whose extraordinary mental skills helped her cultivate apparent powers of spiritual
mediumship in which capacity she became the channel through which invisible intelligent agencies manifested themselves to the living, typically via a ‘telegraphic’
code of raps on furniture. Séances with Ada convinced Cromwell Varley that the invisible agents were genuine spirits of the dead, and sittings with the notable Scottish-
American medium D. D. Home persuaded him that Home had the ability to move objects at a distance by some unknown force. Convinced that he was the victim of
neither self-delusion nor trickery, Varley proclaimed in 1869 that he was a spiritualist because he had distinctly seen ‘spirits’, because ‘spirits’ had relayed information
known only to him and deceased persons allegedly communicating from beyond the grave, and because ‘spirits’ had correctly predicted the time and nature of future events
did unanticipated by all present in séances. (Richard Noakes, Cromwell Varley FRS, Electrical Discharge and Victorian Spiritualism)
Grandfather/grandson
"visionary"
experimentation together
Cromwell
Varley

Uncle/nephew

Richard He was sketching at

Varley the Earl of
father/son Blessington's
John Varley
country-seat when he
(1778-1842)
got in the way of the Earl of
Varley hunt, and Blessington
tutored the hounds set upon
Stanhope him with the utmost
Mathematician,
fury.
electrical experimenter
(Story, Life of John
met in Egypt? Varley, p.216) husband/wife
Charles
Stanhope

investigated
Varley
phrenologically
It was at this time (1838) a striking and singular figure might be seen in her drawing-room. This
was none other than John Varley one of the founders of the Society of Painters in Water-colours,
an artist, a mystic, an astrologer. A man of great stature, his face was rugged and earnest, his
Got a skrying mirror
eyes had the sadness of the seers. Lady Blessington was sufficiently broad-minded to feel
for Burton before Lady
interested in all theories, philosophies, and sciences, and rather than deny the possibility of facts
Burton left for Mecca and Medina Blessington
that were outside her own experience, or repudiate statements that seemed incredible and
(Davies, The Great Secret, p. 104)
erroneous, she preferred to hear them discussed and explained :
in geomancy circle with known deferring her judgment until knowledge had been obtained....None listened to him more
Founded TS together
Colleagues associates attentively than Bulwer, to whose mind all things mystic presented a vivid fascination, and it was
Not only languages but
from Varley, the novelist took lessons in astrology, as did at a later date young Fred (sic) Burton
May have father/son philosophy and mysticism
Promoted one another's work whose strange career and Oriental travels were foreshadowed by the artist. (J. Fitzgerald
known one another attracted [Burton] in the
Molloy, The Most Gorgeous Lady Blessington, pp.180-184)
in Philadelphia turmoil of this year (1840?
Caithness routinely subscribed CTH dedicated
from the 1860s onward 1841?) at Oxford....In Robert Cross
to EHB's publications Facts In Mesmerism to JE
London during his winter Smith
Both involved in homeopathy vacation he met a man in geomancy circle with Burton was not the only famous man who was
named John Varley, a indebted to Varley for aid and guidance in occult
studies. Amongst others who went to him for Dr. John in Gore
EHB may have practitioner of occult Elliotson House circle
stayed with Pancoast sciences. Varley was an instruction in the quasi-science of astrology in Gore House
family members in artist by profession, but, and allied subjects was Bulwer-Lytton, whose circle Friends. First met in 1840.
Delanco NJ in 1860s "miserably poor," had predilections for studies of this kind is manifest in
or 1870s taken up "practical his novels Zanoni and A Strange Story. He and I had been reading the Rev. Chauncy
Colleagues, in Gore
astrology" and made it a Varley worked on astrology together, and in the taught Hare Townshend's work, "Facts in
competitors, House circle
Connection may be via second profession....Varley occult machinery of the works named Bulwer Dickens mesmerism Mesmerism," and especially his strange
co-founders is said to have been much indebted to experiences with the celebrated
E. J. French seems to have been the Member of
of TS Mathematician, suggestions somnambulist, Alexis Didier, in Paris.
instigator of Burton's occult circle Chauncey
maze designer, given to him by the artist. Story, Life of Varley (p. The book appeared to me very fairly
involvement in the with one another Hare
chairman of Medico-Botanical 254). Charles written, and the value of Mr.
Kabalah.... (Rice, Burton, Townshend
Society 1829-37, Dickens Townshend's testimony was enhanced to
Kaspar Hauser's p. 29-30)
me by the fact that Charles Dickens
guardian wrote a laudatory introduction to the
Philip collection of his "Religious Opinions,"
Henry in geomancy circle with Wilkie Collins acting as literary executor to his friend.
Stainton Stanhope Francis Barrett Knew one another?
Moses Maurice, Occult Secret, p. 67
Benjamin
Disraeli
Master of
friends and colleagues involved the Chapel Royal (1846-86);
Member of with the Zoist
occult circle Townshend's executor
together
Mr. Varley drew out my with one another friends and colleagues
horoscope and
Richard prognosticated Knew?
Burton that I was to become a Richard Based
great astrologer; but Morrison Sybil on?
(Zadkiel) Thomas
the prophecy came friends Edward Helmore
to nothing, for although Bulwer
I had read Cornelius Lytton
Named Agrippa and others intimates
as member of the same school at and occasional Spent time together
by EHB Oxford, I found Zadkiel political around Ramsgate in the 1810s.
in one of quite sufficient
her 'Sirius' THE allies Experimented together in mesmerism in the 1820s.
for me." (RFB, quoted Broke, and then re-established
articles in Isobel Burton bio) MERCURII EL In occult circle friendship in 1840
Blanchard together (Life, Letters and Literary Remains of EBL, pp. 173-4)
(Frederick Spencer, Days Escott, Life of Lord Lytton, p. 46.
Before Yesterday)
Named as
Bunsen's
Could have member
work
been a by EHB Named as
reviewed Wrote Sir Charles
member in one of member
in Proceedings of plays with Wyke
1840-42 her 'Sirius' by EHB
the ASL friends,
articles in one of Knew each other?
members of erotic
her 'Sirius' literature circle Dion Conducted THE
articles Cannibal Club Boucicault tests on CANNIBAL THE
Davenport brothers
CLUB ANTHROPO-
Corresponded with (NCM, p. 154)
LOGICAL
SOCIETY OF
knew one another
(Bigelow, "Bunsen's
LONDON
Recollections of His Friends" Thomas
in Century Magazine, Oct. Welsh
acted in
1899 p. 850)
several of Mark Lemon
his plays
THE
"ORPHIC Acted with, for
CIRCLE" Emma articled to Welsh 1835-40? THE PRB
teaches Welsh's pupils
placed by Welsh in venues
Millais
was a Algernon
GF Watts
clairvoyante Charles
subject for Swinburne
Collins stayed with
RMM from time to time
Henry The Rossettis
Emma members of erotic intimates John Roddam
George
Hardinge literature circle members of erotic Spencer
de Bunsen
Britten friends Cannibal Club literature circle Stanhope
possibly the brothers
Cannibal Club
original of Louis de B____ family father/son
according to Mathiesen Ernest spiritualist circle Burne-Jones
Never understood by those around me, it was only in after years and when I
Richard
became called and associated with a secret society of Occultists and attended (de) Bunsen Christian
intimate, father/son intimates Monckton
their sessions in London as one of their clairvoyant and magnetic Karl Josias
had direct access to Milnes
subjects, that I myself began to comprehend why a young girl fairly husband/wife de Bunsen
EHB papers educated, and blessed with many advantages, should be branded with
after her death such peculiarities of disposition as must inevitably shut her of from all Elizabeth Thomas
companionship with children of her own age and standing. Gurney Carlyle
married
The society of Occultists to whom I can now only allude, and who are
named in " Ghost-Land " as the " Orphic Circle," obtained knowledge Caroline Fox
father/daughter
(by means I am not at liberty to mention) of those persons whose (Quaker
associations they desired. bluestocking
James Frances
None of the members were known as such outside their circles, the Samuel circle)
Robertson Waddington
THE HBofL existence of the society was undreamed of, and those whom they chose to Gurney
de Bunsen
knew one affiliate with they knew of and called. I having been thus favoured
another? obtained a clue to my own exceptional early experiences, which the
how well? subsequent developments of Spiritualism stamped as natural Seership.

EHB, Autobiography
Burgoyne Davidson
Matthew
"We have had Arnold
a most
agreeable
dinner-party Other Bunsen
at Lord Stanhope's..." alleges children
(Letters of Baroness relationship with remained in
Bunsen, 3 March 1842, JRSS in Germany
p, 46) one of her fictional texts
Max Theon

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