Charles Drayton Thomas (1867 - 1953) also known as C. Drayton Thomas was a British

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

minister and

spiritualist Spiritualism may refer to: * Spiritual church movement, a group of Spiritualist churches and denominations historically based in the African-American community * Spiritualism (beliefs), a metaphysical belief that the world is made up of at least ...

Career

Thomas graduated from Richmond Theological College and was a minister at Wesleyan Methodist Church. He was a member of the

Society for Psychical Research The Society for Psychical Research (SPR) is a nonprofit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal. It describes itself as the "first society to condu ...

(SPR) and a convinced spiritualist. His father John Wesley Thomas, also a minister had died in 1903. In 1917, he attended

séance A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French language, French word for "session", from the Old French , "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general and mundane: one ma ...

s with the medium

Gladys Osborne Leonard Gladys Osborne Leonard (28 May 1882 – 19 March 1968) was a British trance medium, renowned for her work with the Society for Psychical Research. Although psychical researchers such as Oliver Lodge were convinced she had communicated with spi ...

. He carried many experiments with the medium and became convinced she had communicated with the spirit of his father. Thomas became known for his involvement in the Bobby Newlove case, a famous proxy séance sitting with Leonard. Thomas defended the direct-voice medium Leslie Flint, despite the fact that other members from the SPR suggested he was fraudulent. He also defended the fraudulent spirit photographer

William Hope William Hope may refer to: * William Johnstone Hope (1766–1831), prominent and controversial British Royal Navy officer and politician * Sir William Hope, 14th Baronet (1819–1898), British Army officer * William Hope (VC) (1834–1909), Scottis ...

from charges of fraud from

Harry Price Harry Price (17 January 1881 – 29 March 1948) was a British Parapsychologist, psychic researcher and author, who gained public prominence for his investigations into psychical phenomena and exposing fraudulent Spiritualism (movement), spiritu ...

. Thomas received criticism from psychical researchers for this and his statements about the Hope-Price case were rebutted by the SPR in 1924.See statements in ''Concerning the "Price-Hope" Case''. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 1924.

Publications

Books *''Some New Evidence For Human Survival'' (1922) *''Life Beyond Death With Evidence'' (1930) *''The Mental Phenomena of Spiritualism'' (1930) *''An Amazing Experiment'' (1936) *''Precognition and Human Survival: A New Type of Evidence'' (1949) Papers *Thomas, Charles Drayton. (1924)
''Concerning the Price-Hope Case''
Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 21: 190–200. (Drayton's statement and rebuttal from the SPR) *Thomas, Charles Drayton. (1928)
''The Modus Operandi of Trance Communication According to Descriptions Received Through Mrs Osborne Leonard''
Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 38: 49–100. *Thomas, Charles Drayton. (1935). ''A Proxy Case Extending Over Eleven Sittings With Mrs. Osborne Leonard''. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 43: 439–519. *Thomas, Charles Drayton. (1946–1949)
''The Volume of Byron: A Significant Book-Test''
Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 48: 230–237. *Thomas, Charles Drayton. (1946–1949)
''A New Hypothesis Concerning Trance-Communications''
Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 48: 121–163.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Charles Drayton 1867 births 1953 deaths English Methodist ministers English spiritualists English writers on paranormal topics British parapsychologists 19th-century English Methodist ministers 20th-century English Methodist ministers

Career

Publications

See also

References