Quotes:Home, Daniel Dunglas

Boris de Zirkoff

Home, Daniel Dunglas. Scottish Spiritualistic medium, b. near Edinburgh, March 20, 1833. When nine years old, was taken by aunt to the USA. Became converted to Spiritualism in 1850, and for the next five years gave seances in New York and elsewhere; sent to Europe, 1855, by friends who provided the means for it; his seances in Europe aroused very considerable interest and were attended by a great many notables. Home subsisted until 1858 on the bounty of his friends. In August, 1858, he married Alexandrine (Sasha) de Kroll and settled in Russia with wealthy relatives. His wife, however, died in 1862 and Home's finances became again unsettled. In 1866 he was adopted by a wealthy widow, Mrs. Lyon, who provided him with money; she got tired of him after a while and sued him for the recovery of her "gifts." The Court gave judgment in her favor. In 1870-72, Home had a series of sittings with Sir Wm. Crookes. He married in 1871 another Russian woman of means, and spent a number of years on the European continent. He died at Paris, June 2, 1886 after a long and painful illness. As a medium, he was connected with all known forms of manifestation, and was never detected in any fraud. His phenomena are the best attested in the history of Spiritualism. His two works are: *Incidents in My Life. Series 1, 2. London: Longman, Green, 1863-72. 8vo.; 2nd ed., Ser. 1. London, 1864. 8vo.; 5th ed., with Introd. by Judge Edmonds. Ser. 1. New York, 1864. 8vo. - Light and Shadows of Spiritualism. London, and New York: G. W. Carleton & Co., 1877. 483 pp. (pp. 301-28 concern H. S. Olcott); 2nd ed. London, 1878.

In spite of some statements to the contrary, H.P.B. did not know Home personally and never met him. Cf. Collected Writings, Vol. VI, pp. 73 and 289-90; also The Mahatma Letters to H. P. Sinnett, p. 37, where it says that "...Home-the medium... He is the bitterest and most cruel enemy O. and Mad. B. have, though he has never met either of them..."

For further information about Home, consult the following works: Madame D. Home. D. D. Home. His Life and Mission. London: Trubner & Co., 1888. 8vo. viii, 428. Also Dutton & Co., 1921. - The Gift of D. D. Home, by the same author. London: Kegan Paul & Co., 1890. 8vo. viii, 388. - Horace Wyndham, Mr. Sludge, The Medium. London, 1937. xii, 307. - Jean Burton, Heyday of a Wizard. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1944.

Source: Boris de Zirkoff, «H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings», vol. 1, p. 469