Ruhaniya
2009-03-14 00:37:40 UTC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellesley_Tudor_Pole
Major Wellesley Tudor Pole (23 April 1884 – 13 September 1968)[1] was
a spiritualist and early British Bahá'í.
He authored many pamphlets and books and was a life long pursuer of
religious and mystical questions and visions, being particularly
involved with spiritualism and the Bahá'í Faith as well as the quest
for the Holy Grail of Arthurian Legend.
Born in 1884, at 20 years old he became managing director of the
family firm involved in marketing grains and cereals[2] and also
became involved in adventures to find the Holy Grail.[3] He pursued
investigations in the Middle East. On a visit to Constantinople prior
to the Young Turk Revolution in 1908 he heard of `Abdu'l-Bahá[4] head
of the Bahá'í Faith and met and interviewed him over 9 days in late
November of 1910 in Cairo and Alexandria.[5] For the next several
decades he was active in the Bahá'í Faith as well as other interests.
When `Abdu'l-Bahá traveled to the West, Tudor Pole spoke the English
translation of his first talk on the evening of 10 September 1911.[6]
[7] In 1912 he marries Florence Snelling, with whom he has three
children over the next nine years.[2] During World War I Tudor Pole
served in the Directorate of Military Intelligence in the Middle East
and was directly involved in addressing the concerns raised by the
Ottoman threats against `Abdu'l-Bahá which ultimately required General
Allenby altering his plans for the prosecution of the war in the
Palestine theatre.[7] After the War, Tudor Pole began his writing
career with Private Dowding which dealt with a soldier and his
afterlife, and instituted the Big Ben Silent Minute (in collaboration
with Sir Winston Churchill) and then The Lamplighter Movement.[8]
These led to the Remembrance Day observance.[9] In 1921, while Tudor
Pole was Secretary of the Local Spiritual Assembly in London,[10] the
telegram announcing the passing of `Abdu'l-Bahá by his sister,
Bahíyyih Khánum, arrived at Tudor Pole's home in London and it was
there read by Shoghi Effendi.[11] In 1922 he began a long association
with a project aimed at relieving the oppression the Bolsheviks on
religionists in Russia.[2] (See also Bahá'í Faith in Turkmenistan.)
Returning to his searches through the Middle East, Tudor Pole aided in
the modern day identification of the site of the ancient Boukoleon
Palace, also known as the House of Justinian.[12] Following Shoghi
Effendi's leadership of the Bahá'í Faith, and the change in style and
priorities of the leadership of the religion, Tudor Pole could not
leave behind his spiritualist involvements and his involvement in the
religion ebbed.[13] In 1959 Tudor Pole founded a group preserving the
Chalice Well and Bride's Mound of Glastonbury, England.[2] Tudor Pole
especially wrote several books investigating spiritualist approaches
to faith and the meaning of the times until his passing in 1968 and
works relating to him continued to be published after his death.
Writings
Private Dowding -The personal story of a soldier killed in battle was
first published in August 1917, and then through six editions by 1966.
In it Tudor Pole presents the case that war, and the Great War in
particular, are spiritually driven events geared to prove the
impotence of materialism.[14] The book also tells of the conditions of
life after death.[15]
Abdu'l-Baha Abbas and the Baha'i Faith in Light (London) 70 (Dec.
1950): pp. 347-51.[16]
Recollection of a Healing Incident: Sequel to 'Abdu'l-Baha Abbas and
the Baha'i Faith in Light (London) 71 (Feb. 1951): pp. 398-400.[16]
Michael: Prince of Heaven, Captain of the Angelic Hosts (Pamphlet) by
Robert Morton Nance; Howard Jewell; Wellesley Tudor Pole; Margaret
Thornley Segal; Frank Retallack; Robert Morton Nance and Neville
Coventry, Publisher: J.M. Watkins - 1951, ISBN B000EGLX5Q
The Upper Room with Commentary is about a mystic experience of
visiting the Upper Room of Christian reference.[17]
The Silent Road Published in London by Neville Spearman, 1960.
A Man Seen Afar Written with Rosamond Lehmann in 1965, it retells
events in the life of Jesus Christ pondering the importance of
everyday experiences he may have had[18] inspired by a conversation in
1917 between Tudor Pole and another British officer about World War I
and its probable aftermath on the eve of a battle. In places it
amplifies and elsewhere contradicts the Gospel accounts but is written
to produce a kind of shock, as of fuller recognition of the events and
import of the life of Jesus.[19]
The Messenger of Chalice Well is a newsletter Tudor Pole began
publishing around 1967.
Writing On The Ground a sequel to A Man seen Afar[19] written in 1968,
the year of his death.
My Dear Alexias which is a compilation of letters Tudor Pole sent to
Rosamond Lehmann she published in 1979.
Mentioned in other books
Some of his contributions to history and humanity are referenced in
The Story of the Divine Plan - Taking place during and immediately
following World War I and is mentioned extensively in The Servant, the
General and Armageddon (ISBN 0853984247). Sir George Trevelyan:
memories and observations[20] mentions his close friendship with and
actions on behalf of Tudor Pole. A biography The Two Worlds of
Wellesley Tudor Pole by Gerry Fenge is being published on the internet
and covers 1884 to 1931.[21]
Biographical notes
From the introduction to The Silent Road[22]
By Brinsley le Poer Trench
Some people are publicists; others act unseen behind the scenes and
let their deeds speak for themselves. Tudor Pole is one of the latter
group. If you passed him in the street you would not realize that
there was anything particularly unusual about him. But he is, I assure
you, a quite exceptional man. He is utterly modest and unassuming.
Although he would never admit it, I dare say that half his life has
been spent in listening to people's troubles and advising them on how
to overcome their problems. In addition, I suspect that much of his
sleeping life is also taken up with problems concerning the world's
affairs. And by this I mean actual spiritual work while he is 'out of
the body' in the sleep state. Tudor Pole is the confidant of the great
and the lowly, the rich and the poor. He is a kind of Albert
Schweitzer for the sick in mind. And yet he is wise enough to know
that nobody can solve another's troubles or run their lives for them.
One cannot permit another to take over one's own burdens and
liabilities, leaving one, as it were, free and comfortable, without
responsibilities. Each one of us has to find his own way and
salvation. Spiritual and material progress lies solely with the
individual. Outsiders can only point the way. And this is what Tudor
Pole, in his wisdom, tells each one who comes seeking solace. Although
he has had many astonishing experiences of a most singular nature,
some of which are described in these pages, he has his feet firmly
anchored on the ground. The greater part of his life, apart from five
years in the Army, has been spent in the world of industry. However,
his interests are decidedly varied. He has traveled widely and has
undertaken archaeological research in Egypt, Palestine, Turkey and the
Sahara. ...
References
^ Villiers O.G. (1977) Wellesley Tudor Pole: Appreciation and
Valuation. Privately published.
^ a b c d Fenge, Gerry. "Wellesley Tudor Pole.com". A few highlights
from a full life (timeline). Wellesley Tudor Pole.com.
http://wellesleytudorpole.com/page2.htm. Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ "Da Vinci Code Decoded, The Holy Grail, P.2". E.P.Wijnants.
2006-10-01. http://sociologyesoscience.com/davincicode/davincic-2.html.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ Tudor Pole, Wellesley (1911), "A Wonderful movement in the East, A
visit to Abdul-Baha at Alexandria", Star of the West 01 (18),
http://bahai-library.com/file.php?file=abdulbaha_star_west_1&chapter=18
^ Graham Hassall (2006-10-01). "Egypt: Baha'i history".
http://bahai-library.com/?file=hassall_egypt. Retrieved on
2006-10-01.
^ `Abdu'l-Bahá (2006-10-01). "`Abdu'l-Bahá in London". National
Spiritual Assembly of Britain. http://bahai-library.com/?file=abdulbaha_abdulbaha_london#s3.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ a b Lady Blomfield (2006-10-01). "The Chosen Highway". Baha'i
Publishing Trust Wilmette, Illinois. http://bahai-library.org/books/chosen/chosen5.html.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ "The Lamplighter Movement". Tricia Claridge. 2006-10-01.
http://www.networkoflight.org/links/lamplighter6.htm. Retrieved on
2006-10-01.
^ "The Remembrance Ceremony". The Royal New Zealand Returned and
Services' Association. 2006-10-01. http://www.rsa.org.nz/remem/rsa_hist_ceremony.html.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ Khanum, Rúhíyyih (1958-08-28). "Talks / presentations by Bahá'í
notables". Rúhíyyih Khanum's Tribute to Shoghi Effendi at the Kampala
Conference Jan 1958. Bahá'í Library Online.
http://bahai-library.com/file.php?file=rkhanum_kampala_1958_jan&language=All.
Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ Khanum, Rúhíyyih (1988). The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith. 27
Rutland Gate, London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. p. 13. ISBN 0900125594.
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/1264004/The-Guardian-of-the-Bahai-Faith.
^ Macintyre, Lorn (1994). Sir David Russell: A Biography. Canongate.
ISBN 9780862414634. http://www.lornmacintyre.co.uk/books.htm.
^ Momen, Moojan. "Unpublished Articles". A Change of Culture. Bahá'í
Library Online. http://bahai-library.com/index.php?file=momen_change_culture.
Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ Carrington, Hereward (1918). Psychical Phenomena and the War.
University of Michigan: Dodd, Mead and company. p. 325.
http://books.google.com/books?id=MRs2AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA323&lpg=PA325&source=bl&ots=kbddQCHBOX&sig=66Xdbv1WodMpxLTm3GSP3o3WmKY&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA325,M1.
^ "Review". Amazon.com. 2006-10-01.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Private-Dowding-Wellesley-Tudor-Pole/dp/0946259100/.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ a b MacEoin, Denis; William Collins. "Biography/autobiography". The
Babi and Baha'i Religions: An Annotated Bibliography. Greenwood
Press's ongoing series of Bibliographies and Indexes in Religious
Studies. entries # 273-4. http://bahai-library.com/books/biblio/biography.autobio.html.
Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ Tudor Pole, Wellesley. "The Upper Room". The Chalice Well Trust.
http://web.archive.org/web/20070716114216/http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/upper_com.html.
Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ "Review". Amazon.com. 2006-10-01.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Ground-Wellesley-Tudor-Pole/dp/0946259097/.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ a b Tudor Pole, Wellesley; Walter Lang (1968). Writing On The
Ground. Whitfield Street, London: Neville Spearman Ltd. Introduction.
ISBN 9780946259090. http://bahai-library.org/books/writing.ground.txt.
^ Ruth Nesfield-Cookson (2006-10-01). "Sir George Trevelyan: memories
and observations". http://www.sirgeorgetrevelyan.org.uk/mem-ruthnescook.html.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ Fenge, Gerry. "Wellesley Tudor Pole.com". The Two Worlds of
Wellesley Tudor Pole. Wellesley Tudor Pole.com. http://wellesleytudorpole.com/page15.htm.
Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ "The Silent Road (Introduction)". Neville Spearman. 2006-10-01.
http://bahai-library.com/?file=pole_silent_road. Retrieved on
2006-10-01.
The Avalonians by Patrick Benham, Gothic Image Publications,
Glastonbury, (1993).
Wellesley Tudor Pole website including timeline, galleries,
biographical chapters and ongoing research
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellesley_Tudor_Pole"
Categories: 1884 births | 1968 deaths | British theologians | English
Bahá'ís
Major Wellesley Tudor Pole (23 April 1884 – 13 September 1968)[1] was
a spiritualist and early British Bahá'í.
He authored many pamphlets and books and was a life long pursuer of
religious and mystical questions and visions, being particularly
involved with spiritualism and the Bahá'í Faith as well as the quest
for the Holy Grail of Arthurian Legend.
Born in 1884, at 20 years old he became managing director of the
family firm involved in marketing grains and cereals[2] and also
became involved in adventures to find the Holy Grail.[3] He pursued
investigations in the Middle East. On a visit to Constantinople prior
to the Young Turk Revolution in 1908 he heard of `Abdu'l-Bahá[4] head
of the Bahá'í Faith and met and interviewed him over 9 days in late
November of 1910 in Cairo and Alexandria.[5] For the next several
decades he was active in the Bahá'í Faith as well as other interests.
When `Abdu'l-Bahá traveled to the West, Tudor Pole spoke the English
translation of his first talk on the evening of 10 September 1911.[6]
[7] In 1912 he marries Florence Snelling, with whom he has three
children over the next nine years.[2] During World War I Tudor Pole
served in the Directorate of Military Intelligence in the Middle East
and was directly involved in addressing the concerns raised by the
Ottoman threats against `Abdu'l-Bahá which ultimately required General
Allenby altering his plans for the prosecution of the war in the
Palestine theatre.[7] After the War, Tudor Pole began his writing
career with Private Dowding which dealt with a soldier and his
afterlife, and instituted the Big Ben Silent Minute (in collaboration
with Sir Winston Churchill) and then The Lamplighter Movement.[8]
These led to the Remembrance Day observance.[9] In 1921, while Tudor
Pole was Secretary of the Local Spiritual Assembly in London,[10] the
telegram announcing the passing of `Abdu'l-Bahá by his sister,
Bahíyyih Khánum, arrived at Tudor Pole's home in London and it was
there read by Shoghi Effendi.[11] In 1922 he began a long association
with a project aimed at relieving the oppression the Bolsheviks on
religionists in Russia.[2] (See also Bahá'í Faith in Turkmenistan.)
Returning to his searches through the Middle East, Tudor Pole aided in
the modern day identification of the site of the ancient Boukoleon
Palace, also known as the House of Justinian.[12] Following Shoghi
Effendi's leadership of the Bahá'í Faith, and the change in style and
priorities of the leadership of the religion, Tudor Pole could not
leave behind his spiritualist involvements and his involvement in the
religion ebbed.[13] In 1959 Tudor Pole founded a group preserving the
Chalice Well and Bride's Mound of Glastonbury, England.[2] Tudor Pole
especially wrote several books investigating spiritualist approaches
to faith and the meaning of the times until his passing in 1968 and
works relating to him continued to be published after his death.
Writings
Private Dowding -The personal story of a soldier killed in battle was
first published in August 1917, and then through six editions by 1966.
In it Tudor Pole presents the case that war, and the Great War in
particular, are spiritually driven events geared to prove the
impotence of materialism.[14] The book also tells of the conditions of
life after death.[15]
Abdu'l-Baha Abbas and the Baha'i Faith in Light (London) 70 (Dec.
1950): pp. 347-51.[16]
Recollection of a Healing Incident: Sequel to 'Abdu'l-Baha Abbas and
the Baha'i Faith in Light (London) 71 (Feb. 1951): pp. 398-400.[16]
Michael: Prince of Heaven, Captain of the Angelic Hosts (Pamphlet) by
Robert Morton Nance; Howard Jewell; Wellesley Tudor Pole; Margaret
Thornley Segal; Frank Retallack; Robert Morton Nance and Neville
Coventry, Publisher: J.M. Watkins - 1951, ISBN B000EGLX5Q
The Upper Room with Commentary is about a mystic experience of
visiting the Upper Room of Christian reference.[17]
The Silent Road Published in London by Neville Spearman, 1960.
A Man Seen Afar Written with Rosamond Lehmann in 1965, it retells
events in the life of Jesus Christ pondering the importance of
everyday experiences he may have had[18] inspired by a conversation in
1917 between Tudor Pole and another British officer about World War I
and its probable aftermath on the eve of a battle. In places it
amplifies and elsewhere contradicts the Gospel accounts but is written
to produce a kind of shock, as of fuller recognition of the events and
import of the life of Jesus.[19]
The Messenger of Chalice Well is a newsletter Tudor Pole began
publishing around 1967.
Writing On The Ground a sequel to A Man seen Afar[19] written in 1968,
the year of his death.
My Dear Alexias which is a compilation of letters Tudor Pole sent to
Rosamond Lehmann she published in 1979.
Mentioned in other books
Some of his contributions to history and humanity are referenced in
The Story of the Divine Plan - Taking place during and immediately
following World War I and is mentioned extensively in The Servant, the
General and Armageddon (ISBN 0853984247). Sir George Trevelyan:
memories and observations[20] mentions his close friendship with and
actions on behalf of Tudor Pole. A biography The Two Worlds of
Wellesley Tudor Pole by Gerry Fenge is being published on the internet
and covers 1884 to 1931.[21]
Biographical notes
From the introduction to The Silent Road[22]
By Brinsley le Poer Trench
Some people are publicists; others act unseen behind the scenes and
let their deeds speak for themselves. Tudor Pole is one of the latter
group. If you passed him in the street you would not realize that
there was anything particularly unusual about him. But he is, I assure
you, a quite exceptional man. He is utterly modest and unassuming.
Although he would never admit it, I dare say that half his life has
been spent in listening to people's troubles and advising them on how
to overcome their problems. In addition, I suspect that much of his
sleeping life is also taken up with problems concerning the world's
affairs. And by this I mean actual spiritual work while he is 'out of
the body' in the sleep state. Tudor Pole is the confidant of the great
and the lowly, the rich and the poor. He is a kind of Albert
Schweitzer for the sick in mind. And yet he is wise enough to know
that nobody can solve another's troubles or run their lives for them.
One cannot permit another to take over one's own burdens and
liabilities, leaving one, as it were, free and comfortable, without
responsibilities. Each one of us has to find his own way and
salvation. Spiritual and material progress lies solely with the
individual. Outsiders can only point the way. And this is what Tudor
Pole, in his wisdom, tells each one who comes seeking solace. Although
he has had many astonishing experiences of a most singular nature,
some of which are described in these pages, he has his feet firmly
anchored on the ground. The greater part of his life, apart from five
years in the Army, has been spent in the world of industry. However,
his interests are decidedly varied. He has traveled widely and has
undertaken archaeological research in Egypt, Palestine, Turkey and the
Sahara. ...
References
^ Villiers O.G. (1977) Wellesley Tudor Pole: Appreciation and
Valuation. Privately published.
^ a b c d Fenge, Gerry. "Wellesley Tudor Pole.com". A few highlights
from a full life (timeline). Wellesley Tudor Pole.com.
http://wellesleytudorpole.com/page2.htm. Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ "Da Vinci Code Decoded, The Holy Grail, P.2". E.P.Wijnants.
2006-10-01. http://sociologyesoscience.com/davincicode/davincic-2.html.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ Tudor Pole, Wellesley (1911), "A Wonderful movement in the East, A
visit to Abdul-Baha at Alexandria", Star of the West 01 (18),
http://bahai-library.com/file.php?file=abdulbaha_star_west_1&chapter=18
^ Graham Hassall (2006-10-01). "Egypt: Baha'i history".
http://bahai-library.com/?file=hassall_egypt. Retrieved on
2006-10-01.
^ `Abdu'l-Bahá (2006-10-01). "`Abdu'l-Bahá in London". National
Spiritual Assembly of Britain. http://bahai-library.com/?file=abdulbaha_abdulbaha_london#s3.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ a b Lady Blomfield (2006-10-01). "The Chosen Highway". Baha'i
Publishing Trust Wilmette, Illinois. http://bahai-library.org/books/chosen/chosen5.html.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ "The Lamplighter Movement". Tricia Claridge. 2006-10-01.
http://www.networkoflight.org/links/lamplighter6.htm. Retrieved on
2006-10-01.
^ "The Remembrance Ceremony". The Royal New Zealand Returned and
Services' Association. 2006-10-01. http://www.rsa.org.nz/remem/rsa_hist_ceremony.html.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ Khanum, Rúhíyyih (1958-08-28). "Talks / presentations by Bahá'í
notables". Rúhíyyih Khanum's Tribute to Shoghi Effendi at the Kampala
Conference Jan 1958. Bahá'í Library Online.
http://bahai-library.com/file.php?file=rkhanum_kampala_1958_jan&language=All.
Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ Khanum, Rúhíyyih (1988). The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith. 27
Rutland Gate, London: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. p. 13. ISBN 0900125594.
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/1264004/The-Guardian-of-the-Bahai-Faith.
^ Macintyre, Lorn (1994). Sir David Russell: A Biography. Canongate.
ISBN 9780862414634. http://www.lornmacintyre.co.uk/books.htm.
^ Momen, Moojan. "Unpublished Articles". A Change of Culture. Bahá'í
Library Online. http://bahai-library.com/index.php?file=momen_change_culture.
Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ Carrington, Hereward (1918). Psychical Phenomena and the War.
University of Michigan: Dodd, Mead and company. p. 325.
http://books.google.com/books?id=MRs2AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA323&lpg=PA325&source=bl&ots=kbddQCHBOX&sig=66Xdbv1WodMpxLTm3GSP3o3WmKY&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA325,M1.
^ "Review". Amazon.com. 2006-10-01.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Private-Dowding-Wellesley-Tudor-Pole/dp/0946259100/.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ a b MacEoin, Denis; William Collins. "Biography/autobiography". The
Babi and Baha'i Religions: An Annotated Bibliography. Greenwood
Press's ongoing series of Bibliographies and Indexes in Religious
Studies. entries # 273-4. http://bahai-library.com/books/biblio/biography.autobio.html.
Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ Tudor Pole, Wellesley. "The Upper Room". The Chalice Well Trust.
http://web.archive.org/web/20070716114216/http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/upper_com.html.
Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ "Review". Amazon.com. 2006-10-01.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Ground-Wellesley-Tudor-Pole/dp/0946259097/.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ a b Tudor Pole, Wellesley; Walter Lang (1968). Writing On The
Ground. Whitfield Street, London: Neville Spearman Ltd. Introduction.
ISBN 9780946259090. http://bahai-library.org/books/writing.ground.txt.
^ Ruth Nesfield-Cookson (2006-10-01). "Sir George Trevelyan: memories
and observations". http://www.sirgeorgetrevelyan.org.uk/mem-ruthnescook.html.
Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
^ Fenge, Gerry. "Wellesley Tudor Pole.com". The Two Worlds of
Wellesley Tudor Pole. Wellesley Tudor Pole.com. http://wellesleytudorpole.com/page15.htm.
Retrieved on 2008-11-08.
^ "The Silent Road (Introduction)". Neville Spearman. 2006-10-01.
http://bahai-library.com/?file=pole_silent_road. Retrieved on
2006-10-01.
The Avalonians by Patrick Benham, Gothic Image Publications,
Glastonbury, (1993).
Wellesley Tudor Pole website including timeline, galleries,
biographical chapters and ongoing research
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellesley_Tudor_Pole"
Categories: 1884 births | 1968 deaths | British theologians | English
Bahá'ís