Quotes:Wright, Claude Falls

Zirkoff, Boris

Wright, Claude Falls. One of the devoted early workers in the Theosophical Movement who was bom September 18th, 1867, in Dublin, Ireland. His mother was English, a member of an old Cheshire family. His father was the nephew of a well-known Crimean General named Falls. He was educated at the High School in Harcourt Street, Dublin, where many well-known Irish Theosophists were also taught. Preparing to enter the Civil Service in England, he passed one grade, but while waiting for an appointment became an accountant in an Assurance Company. When he was eighteen, he entered the Royal College of Surgeons to study medicine, but had not completed the first year before he heard of Theosophy through Charles Johnston. This subject then claimed his attention and he went over to London at the age of twenty to see H.P.B., afterwards asking her to advise him about going to India, to which she replied: “Do not go, but come to me and I will teach you.” She also suggested that he would first form a Branch at Dublin. Acting on this, he gathered some people together, and a Branch was formed, and opened by W. Q. Judge and Dr. Archibald Keightley. Since then, Mr. Wright has devoted himself entirely to the Society.

He was with H.P.B. for three years, and beside her at the time of her death. At one time he was one of her secretaries, and at another time Manager of the Duke Street Publishing Company, later the Theosophical Publishing Society. Almost every picture and ornament in H.P.B.’s room at 19 Avenue Road, London, he put up at her request, as well as constructing many of the shelves for them. During the first and last visit H.P.B. paid to No. 17 Avenue Road, next door 594 to the Headquarters, she leaned on Brother Wright’s arm as he showed her around the place, and at the time of her passing he knelt beside her holding her left hand, and as she passed away took the ring from her fourth finger.

For a long time he was also Secretary of the Blavatsky Lodge in London. After H.P.B.’s death, he came to America, arriving in New York seven months to a day after that eventful hour. For years he travelled about the United States, lecturing and organizing, and working at the Headquarters on Madison Avenue when in New York. At one time or another, he visited most of the Branches then in existence and was instrumental in forming many new ones.

Mr. Wright and his wife, Leoline Leonard Wright, accompanied Katherine Tingley on her first tour around the world, leaving New York June 13, 1896. He was at the time member of the Executive Committee of the T.S. in America, of which E. T. Hargrove was then President. He was present at Point Loma and participated in the Ceremonies of the laying of the Corner Stone of the School for the Revival of the Lost Mysteries of Antiquity, Feb. 23, 1897. He spoke, taking as title “H. P. Blavatsky.”

The Wrights had a son who, unfortunately, lost his mind and was placed in an Institution.

At the end of 1922, Mr. Wright was in New Orleans and stayed with his close friends, Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm McDowell. A firm there dealing in bananas asked him to go to Central America for them, to attend to some business, offering excellent payment for his services. He went, against his friends’ advice, and the McDowells received a letter from the American consul in Nicaragua saying that Mr. Wright had lost his footing when stepping from the larger to the smaller boat by which passengers landed then at Bluefields. It was quite dark and the body was not recovered until it was washed ashore. This happened on January 8, 1923.

(Sources: The Path, New York, Vol. VIII, February, 1894, pp. 35152; letter from Alice Boyd to Mrs. Annie Besant, The Theosophist, Vol. XLIV, May 1923, pp. 221-22; Point Loma Archives.)

Source: Boris de Zirkoff, «H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings», vol. 11, pp. 593-594