C. C. Massey

Charles Carleton Massey (December 23, 1838 - March 29, 1905) was an English barrister, keenly interested in Spiritualism. He was one of the Founders of the Theosophical Society in 1875. In 1878 he became a founder and first president of the British Theosophical Society, the first Branch outside the USA. He was also one of the founders of the Society for Psychical Research in 1882. According to Josephine Ransom, "he was one of the ablest metaphysicians in Great Britain, and a lucid and scholarly writer on psychical subjects."

Early years

Charles Carleton Massey was born December 23rd, 1838, at Hackwood Park, Basingstoke, in Hampshire, England. He was educated at Westminster School, studied law, and was called to the bar. However, he abandoned his practice to devote to the study of philosophy, psychology, and phenomena. He never married.

Theosophical involvement

Founding of the Theosophical Society

President-Founder H. S. Olcott and Mr. Massey had a life-long friendship. They seem to have met in England in 1870, when Col. Olcott was there on a business trip, but their friendship really developed when Mr. Massey visited New York in 1875. The latter had traveled to the US to investigate Spiritualistic phenomena and during the time the two visited together several mediums.

Mr. Massey was one of the original Founders of the Theosophical Society. He was present at the meeting held on September 8, 1875, where the founding of the Society was proposed, and at the first meeting held under the name of "Theosophical Society", on October 16.

Theosophical Society in England

In 1877, Mr. Massey helped to establish the Theosophical Society in England, which came to be known as the London Lodge. He became the first president of the London Lodge from June 27, 1878 to early 1880, and again from August 1882 until January 6, 1883.

Theosophical phenomena

Historian Josephine Ransom described this incident:

Before H.P.B. left London in 1879, Massey requested her to give relief to his father, whose eyesight was seriously impaired. To establish contact she took with her a pair of Mr. Massey's (senior) gloves. After arrival in Bombay H.P.B., by occult means, sent one glove to London, 17 February. Having been advised by a lady medium to be at home on the 17th, Massey waited in a darkened room, and presently a soft packet was flung in his face. The remaining glove was sent by post for comparison. This incident got into the papers and annoyed Massey, who complained that such publicity cost him his practice.

Involvement with the Mahatmas

Mr. Massey figures prominently in the Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett, being mentioned in more than 20 of them. H. P. Blavatsky tried hard to get the Masters of Wisdom to teach him but they refused. Master K.H. regarded him as a very honest person, but considered he was not strong enough to become a chela. In one of his letters he wrote:

Doubtless a more sincere, truthful or a more noble minded man (S. Moses not excepted) could hardly be found among the British theosophists. His only and chief fault is — weakness. Were he to learn some day how deeply he has wronged H.P.B. in thought — no man would feel more miserable over it than himself.

This probably referred to a situation that aroused at the end of 1882. Mr. Massey had become suspicious of Mme. Blavatsky due to the machinations of Dr. Billing and Hurrychund Chintamon. The latter, showed him some letters supposed to come from Mme. Blavatsky, incriminating her as the creator of a hoax in relation to the Mahatmas. In Mahatma Letter No. 92, Master K.H. describes to A. P. Sinnett the strategies these two people were using:

I am morally bound to set his mind [Mr. Massey's] at rest — through your kind agency — with regard to H.P.B. deceiving and imposing upon him. He seems to think he has obtained proofs of it absolutely unimpeachable. I say he has not. What he has obtained is simply proof of the villainy of some men, and ex-theosophists such as Hurrychund Chintamon . . . exposed and expelled from the Society ran away to England and is ever since seeking and thirsting for his revenge. And such other as Dr. Billing . . . [who] left his wife and Society and turned with bitter hatred against both women; and since then is ever seeking to secretly poison the minds of the British Theosophists and Spiritualists against his wife and H.P.B.

Mr. Massey was obviously not satisfied with Sinnett's explanation and maintain his opinion. All this suspicion was probably part of his probation, because a few months later the Master wrote: "On this last day of your year 1882, his name comes third on the list of failures. However, this did not imply that he had become immoral. The Master added in the letter: "With all he is the noblest, purest, in short, one of the best men I know, though occasionally too trusting in wrong directions. But he lacks entirely — correct intuition".

At this time, Mr. Massey resigned as president of the London Lodge.

Resignation

On July 22, 1884, he sent a letter to Light announcing his official resignation from the Theosophical Society.

Society for Psychical Research

Mr. Massey was one of the founders of the Society for Psychical Research in 1882.

Later years

C. C. Massey passed away on March 29, 1905, due to heart-disease, from which he had been suffering the last few years. His physician, Dr. Simmons, wrote:

Mr. Massey was practically under sentence of death the last two. years, and his heart was only kept going by avoidance of all exertion. He was most wonderfully brave throughout, made no fuss, and always considered other people more than himself. I kept him alive for a month by hypodermics of strychnine twice daily. He had very little actual suffering and lived his own life to the end, got up and dressed almost every day, and retained all his faculties to the last. We had many long talks together, and my daily intercourse with him for weeks before his death has been one of the most valued experiences of my life.

In an Obituary published in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research W. F. Barrett wrote:

Beyond and above his intellectual gifts and his passionate love of truth were the sweetness and beauty of his character. One of the most unselfish and lovable of men, ever modest and retiring, yet with a rare and resolute moral courage, he was outspoken in espousing unpopular causes when his judgment convinced him they were right; he was indeed a "Just and faithful knight of God".

Writings

Massey translated several works from the German:

• Zöllner's Transcendental Physics
• Carl du Prel's Philosophy of Mysticism
• von Hartmann's Spiritism

Articles by C. C. Massey have appeared in several Theosophical periodicals:

• "The Supernatural," The Theosophist vol. 1 (March 1880), 137.
• "True and False Personality," The Theosophist vol. 2 (December 1880), 57.
• "Theosophy and Spiritualism," The Theosophist vol. 2 (September 1881), 260. Reprinted from The Spiritualist.
• "Esoteric Buddhism by AP Sinnett," The Theosophist vol. 3 (October, 1881), 2.
• "Astrology," The Theosophist vol. 4 (August, 1883), 288. Review reprinted from Light.
• "Scientific Verification of "Spiritual" Phenomena," The Theosophist vol. 5 (August, 1884), 267. Review reprinted from Light.
• "The Idea of Re-birth' by Francesca Arundale, " Lucifer vol. 7 (February, 1891), 490. Book review.
• "Opinions des anciens sur les corps physiques," Le Lotus vol. 3 (August 1888), 257. Reprint with notes by HPB.
• "A Lost Account of Theosophical Origins," Theosophical History no. 1 (October, 1985), 83. Account of the Butterfly incident, reprinted from Light July 16 1892.
• "Ancient Opinions Upon Psychic Bodies," Theosophical Siftings 1:2 (1888), 15. Reprint from The Theosophist December 1879.

Online resources

• W. F. Barrett and Emily Kislingbury on Charles Carleton Massey at Chasing Down Emma blog

Other resources

• "Blavatsky Letters: to CC Massey," The Eclectic Theosophist no. 78 (November-December, 1983), 9.
• "Death of CC Massey," The Theosophist vol. 26 (1905), 34. Obituary.