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'''Henry Kiddle''' (15 January 1824 Bath, England - 1891) was a United States educator and had an interest in [[spiritualism]]. In 1846-'56 he was principal of a grammar-school, and he was then appointed deputy superintendent of common schools in New York city. He was made superintendent in 1870, but resigned in 1879, owing to an adverse public sentiment created by his avowal of a belief in spiritualism.<ref>[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Appletons%27_Cyclop%C3%A6dia_of_American_Biography/Kiddle,_Henry# Henry Kiddle] at Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography.</ref>
'''Henry Kiddle''' (15 January 1824 Bath, England - 1891) was a United States educator and had an interest in [[spiritualism]]. In 1846-'56 he was principal of a grammar-school, and he was then appointed deputy superintendent of common schools in New York city. He was made superintendent in 1870, but resigned in 1879, owing to an adverse public sentiment created by his avowal of a belief in spiritualism.<ref>[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Appletons%27_Cyclop%C3%A6dia_of_American_Biography/Kiddle,_Henry# Henry Kiddle] at Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography.</ref>


In Dec. 1880 certain passages from one of his talks appeared in [[Mahatma Letter No. 12|one of the Mahatma Letters]]. This lead Mr. Kiddle to accuse [[Koot Hoomi|Mahatma K.H.]] of plagiarism, in what is known as "The Kiddle Incident".
== The Kiddle Incident ==


== The Kiddle Incident ==
On [[August 15]], 1880, Mr. Kiddle gave a lecture at Lake Pleasant, New York convention, entitled "The Present Outlook of Spiritualism". This speech was published in the same month in Boston in the [[The Banner of Light (periodical)|''The Banner of Light'']] magazine.


According to [[Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|''Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett'']]:<br>
In December 1880 certain passages from this talk appeared in [[Mahatma Letter No. 12|one of the Mahatma Letters]] received by [[Alfred Percy Sinnett|Mr. Sinnett]]. In June, 1883, the latter publishes his book [[Esoteric Buddhism (book)|''Esoteric Buddhism'']], in which much of this letter is reproduced verbatim. After reading the book, on [[September 1]], Mr. Kiddle sends a Letter to the Editor of [[Light (periodical)|''Light'']] (Vol. III, No. 139, Sept. 1, 1883, p. 392), accusing [[Koot Hoomi|Mahatma K.H.]] of plagiarism, thus starting what became to be known as "The Kiddle Incident". The Master did not give Mr. Sinnett an explanation of the matter until almost two years later.<ref>George E. Linton and Virginia Hanson, eds., ''Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett'' (Adyar, Chennai, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972), 236.</ref> Alvin Boyd stated:
<blockquote>
Kiddle, Henry, an American [[Spiritualism|spiritualist]] who gave a lecture at Lake Pleasant, New York convention on August 15, 1886,entitled "The Present Outlook of Spiritualism," which speech was published in [[The Banner of Light (periodical)|''The Banner of Light'']] magazine in Boston the same month. Certain passages from this talk appeared in [[Mahatma Letter No. 12|ML-6]] (11) from [[Koot Hoomi|KH]] to [[A. P. Sinnett|APS]]. APS published much of this letter verbatim in his book, [[The Occult World (book)|''The Occult World'']], and this resulted in a claim of plagiarism by Mr. Kiddle. The incident became known in TS circles as "The Kiddle Incident." KH did not give APS an explanation of the matter until almost two years later ([[The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|ML]], p. 415 et seq.) See Appendix E <nowiki>[</nowiki>of [[Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|''Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett'']]<nowiki>]</nowiki>.
<ref>George E. Linton and Virginia Hanson, eds., ''Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett'' (Adyar, Chennai, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972), 236.</ref>
</blockquote>


Alvin Boyd described the incident in this way:
<blockquote>The Master K.H. explained in a letter to Mr. Sinnett that the apparent forgery of words and ideas came about through a bit of carelessness on his part in the [[Precipitation|precipitation]] of his ideas through a [[Chela|chela]]. While dictating the letter to the latter, he had caught himself "listening in" on Mr. Kiddle's address being delivered at the moment in America; and as a consequence the chela took down portions of the actual lecture as reflected from the mind of K.H.<ref>Alvin Boyd Kuhn, "The Mahatmas and Their Letters" available at [http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/kuhnmahatmaletters.htm Blavatsky Archives]. It was originally published as Chapter VI of ''Theosophy: A Modern Revival of Ancient Wisdom'' which is available at [http://archive.org/details/TheosophyAModernRevivalOfAncientWisdom Internet Archive].</ref></blockquote>
<blockquote>
When a Mr. Henry Kiddle, an American lecturer on Spiritualism, accused the writer of the <i>Mahatma Letters</i> of having plagiarized whole passages from his lecture delivered at Mt. Pleasant, New York, in 1880, a year prior to the publication of <i>The Occult World</i>, the Master K.H. explained in a letter to Mr. Sinnett that the apparent forgery of words and ideas came about through a bit of carelessness on his part in the [[Precipitation|precipitation]] of his ideas through a [[Chela|chela]]. While dictating the letter to the latter, he had caught himself "listening in" on Mr. Kiddle's address being delivered at the moment in America; and as a consequence the chela took down portions of the actual lecture as reflected from the mind of K.H.<ref>Alvin Boyd Kuhn, "The Mahatmas and Their Letters" available at [http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/kuhnmahatmaletters.htm Blavatsky Archives]. It was originally published as Chapter VI of ''Theosophy: A Modern Revival of Ancient Wisdom'' which is available at [http://archive.org/details/TheosophyAModernRevivalOfAncientWisdom Internet Archive].</ref>
</blockquote>


== Online resources ==
== Online resources ==
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*[http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v6/y1883_162.htm# Have we to Lower the Flag of Truce?] by H. P. Blavatsky
*[http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v6/y1883_162.htm# Have we to Lower the Flag of Truce?] by H. P. Blavatsky
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=cCkBFIxnQ8EC&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&dq=%E2%80%9CHimalayan+and+Other+Mahatmas%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=IKHYABdRt1&sig=xyRAyepsFu2rwLJZYGpSD2f9wEQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4rBZUciAGJKCyAGvnYFw&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9CHimalayan%20and%20Other%20Mahatmas%E2%80%9D&f=false# "Himalayan and Other Mahatmas"] by Rama Sourindro Gargya Deva
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=cCkBFIxnQ8EC&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&dq=%E2%80%9CHimalayan+and+Other+Mahatmas%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=IKHYABdRt1&sig=xyRAyepsFu2rwLJZYGpSD2f9wEQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4rBZUciAGJKCyAGvnYFw&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9CHimalayan%20and%20Other%20Mahatmas%E2%80%9D&f=false# "Himalayan and Other Mahatmas"] by Rama Sourindro Gargya Deva
*[http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/kiddle1.htm # Letter to the Editor: Esoteric Buddhism] by Henry Kiddle


== Notes ==
== Notes ==

Revision as of 16:41, 21 August 2013

Henry Kiddle (15 January 1824 Bath, England - 1891) was a United States educator and had an interest in spiritualism. In 1846-'56 he was principal of a grammar-school, and he was then appointed deputy superintendent of common schools in New York city. He was made superintendent in 1870, but resigned in 1879, owing to an adverse public sentiment created by his avowal of a belief in spiritualism.[1]

The Kiddle Incident

On August 15, 1880, Mr. Kiddle gave a lecture at Lake Pleasant, New York convention, entitled "The Present Outlook of Spiritualism". This speech was published in the same month in Boston in the The Banner of Light magazine.

In December 1880 certain passages from this talk appeared in one of the Mahatma Letters received by Mr. Sinnett. In June, 1883, the latter publishes his book Esoteric Buddhism, in which much of this letter is reproduced verbatim. After reading the book, on September 1, Mr. Kiddle sends a Letter to the Editor of Light (Vol. III, No. 139, Sept. 1, 1883, p. 392), accusing Mahatma K.H. of plagiarism, thus starting what became to be known as "The Kiddle Incident". The Master did not give Mr. Sinnett an explanation of the matter until almost two years later.[2] Alvin Boyd stated:

The Master K.H. explained in a letter to Mr. Sinnett that the apparent forgery of words and ideas came about through a bit of carelessness on his part in the precipitation of his ideas through a chela. While dictating the letter to the latter, he had caught himself "listening in" on Mr. Kiddle's address being delivered at the moment in America; and as a consequence the chela took down portions of the actual lecture as reflected from the mind of K.H.[3]

Online resources

Articles

Notes

  1. Henry Kiddle at Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography.
  2. George E. Linton and Virginia Hanson, eds., Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (Adyar, Chennai, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972), 236.
  3. Alvin Boyd Kuhn, "The Mahatmas and Their Letters" available at Blavatsky Archives. It was originally published as Chapter VI of Theosophy: A Modern Revival of Ancient Wisdom which is available at Internet Archive.