Quotes:Moses, William Stainton

Zirkoff, Boris

Moses, William Stainton. English clergyman and medium, b. at Donington, Lincolnshire, Nov. 5, 1839; d. in 1892. Known for many years to Spiritualists all over the world under the pseudonym of “M.A., Oxon.” His father was headmaster of the Grammar School in his native town. At Bedford Grammar School, which he entered when sixteen, he carried off several prizes. He matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford, 1858, taking a third class in Classical Moderations in 1860. Shortly before his final examination his health broke down and he was compelled to go abroad for a year, visiting among other places Mount Athos. Having turned his thoughts toward the ministry, he was ordained, and from 1863 to 1870 acted as curate, first in the Isle of Man and later in the West of England. Towards the end of this period his health again failed, and an affection of the throat compelled him to give up parish work. In 1870 he came to London, and took up his residence with his friends, Dr. and Mrs. Stanhope Speer, acting as tutor to their young son. The following year he obtained an appointment as English master in University College School, which he held until 1889, when failing health forced him to retire. In his last years he suffered from extreme depression and nervous prostration, as well as severe neuralgic pains. The immediate cause of his death was Bright’s disease. In his various capacities he discharged his duties efficiently and conscientiously, and retained the respect and warm regard of those he came in contact with.

It was in 1872 that Stainton Moses contacted Spiritualism through the reading of R. Dale Owen’s book, The Debatable Land. He visited various mediums, sat in many private circles, and soon developed strong mediumistic powers of his own, which manifested themselves first in physical phenomena and later in automatic writing. He rapidly came to the front of the Spiritualistic movement, took a leading part in founding the British National Association of Spiritualists, served on the Council of the Psychological Society, and, until 1886, on that of the Society for Psychical Research, when he resigned from that body because of the Society’s attitude towards Eglinton and other public mediums. From 1884 to his death he was also President of the London Spiritual Alliance. He also acted for many years as Editor of the magazine Light.

While Stainton Moses was an exponent of almost all the various phases of mediumship, he is best known for his automatic writings excerpts from which were published under the title of Spirit Teachings (London: The Psychological Press Ass’n, 1883; also as “Memorial Edition,” London, 1894). They began in March, 1872, and continued for about ten years. The teachings given in the published volume are supposed to emanate from an entity who calls himself + Imperator and delivers orations of a rather noble-minded type and in flowing language.

Other works of Stainton Moses are: Psychography, London, 1878; Spirit Identity, 1879; and The Higher Aspects of Spiritualism, 1880.

The first contact between Stainton Moses and Col. Olcott took place in April, 1875, when he wrote to the Colonel about his recently published book. A close friendship developed, not only with the Colonel hut with H.P.B. whom Moses held in very high regard. A more complete account of this association may be found in H. S. Olcott’s Old Diary Leaves, I, 60, 300-329, where many highly interesting facts are brought out. Students should also consult The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett, for various passages wherein the identity of Moses’ “controls” is hinted at.

From what Col. Olcott says, it would appear that a rather lively exchange of correspondence went on for several years between Moses and the Founders. While Moses’ own letters are in the Adyar Archives, the letters of the Colonel and of H.P.B. have never been located, in spite of considerable search having been made in the Spiritualistic Archives and Libraries of London, where the papers of Stainton Moses are deposited.

Sources: Dictionary of National Biography; “Records of Private Seances,” Light, 1892, 1893; “The Experiences of W. Stainton Moses,” by F. W. H. Myers, in Proceedings, S.P.R., Vols. IX and X; Podmore, Modern Spiritualism.

Source: Boris de Zirkoff, «H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings», vol. 1, pp. 500-501

Moses, William Stainton (1839-92). Known under the pseudonym of “M. A., Oxon.” *Psychography: a Treatise on one of the objective forms of psychic or spiritual phenomena, Lond., 1878 & 1882. — *Spirit Identity, London, 1879. See Vol. I, pp. 500-01, for biographical sketch.

Source: Boris de Zirkoff, «H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings», vol. 4, p. 661

Moses, Rev. Wm. Stainton (pseud.: “M. A. Oxon.”—1840-92). *Visions, London, 1888.

Source: Boris de Zirkoff, «H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings», vol. 9, p. 445