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[[File:Ernest Temple Hargrove.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Ernest Temple Hargrove]]

'''Ernest Temple Hargrove''' was an English barrister best known as the leader of a group of Theosophists based in New York who broke away from [[Katherine Tingley|Katherine Tingley's]] [[Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society]] to form the [[Theosophical Society in America (Hargrove)|Theosophical Society in America]] in 1898. This was the second of three organizations using that name. In 1908 the name was changed to "Theosophical Society."
 

== Personal life and career ==

Ernest Temple Hargrove was born [[December 17]], 1870 in Brentford in the west portion of London, England.<ref>England and Wales FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915.</ref> He arrived in New York on April 10, 1892, and on October 17, 1900 became a naturalized citizen of the United States.<ref>U. S. Immigration Records. New York District Court. 1910.</ref> In London he had been a barrister, but in the United States became a journalist and writer. While in New York, he became acquainted with many Theosophists, including the family of [[August Neresheimer|E. A. Neresheimer]]. Neresheimer's daughter Aimée (or Amy) was married to Ernest on January 17, 1899 in New York.<ref>New York Marriage Index, 1866-1937.</ref> Subsequently, the Neresheimers, Ernest and Aimée moved to Colorado. Ernest and Aimée had a son, William, born in 1902, and a daughter Joan, born in 1905. By 1910, though, the couple had divorced and Aimée was married to Denver lawyer Milton Smith.<ref>1910 U. S. Census.</ref> She died in Houston, Texas.

== Theosophical Society involvement  ==

In New York, young Hargrove became acquainted with [[William Quan Judge]] and other Theosophists. On October 30, 1891 Hargrove was admitted to membership of the [[Theosophical Society]].<ref>Theosophical Society General Membership Register, 1875-1942 at [http://tsmembers.org/ http://tsmembers.org/]. See book 1, entry 7613 (website file: 1C/42).</ref> 

During the last year of Judge's life [1895], Hargrove worked as his secretary. This was a difficult time, when Mr. Judge was was mounting a defense against accusations by international Theosophical Society leaders [[Henry Steel Olcott]] and [[Annie Besant]]. Judge's health was declining, as he suffered from lingering effects of Chagas disease contracted in Venezuela. That year, Hargrove gave lectures in a tour of several cities:

<blockquote>
On December 22d Mr. Hargrove addressed over 600 people in the Academy
of Music at Macon, Ga. Considering the comparatively small population of
this city, such a gathering spoke volumes for the work of the local branch.
Washington was reached on January 7th, a lecture being given that evening.
Another on the 9th was attended by about 200 people and was well reported
in the newspapers. <ref>Anonymous, "Movements of E. T. Hargrove" ''The Theosophical Forum'' 10 (February, 1896): 160.</ref>
</blockquote>

He continued for the next nine days in Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg, and Philadelphia before his return to New York.

== Establishing Theosophical Society in America ==

A book of notable New Yorkers from 1899 listed Hargrove as a clergyman, ex-president of the "Theosophical Society in America and Europe," and former editor of ''Theosophy''.<ref>Moses King, ''Notable New Yorkers of 1896-1899: a companion volume to King's handbook of New York City''. New York: M. King, 1899.</ref>

[[File:Chapel of the Comforter.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Chapel of the Comforter, etching by Walter Pach]]
== Later years ==

After his divorce from Aimée, Hargrove did not remarry. Census records from 1910 list him as single, with the occupation of priest in a church.<ref>U. S. Census, 1910.</ref> His residence was Chapel Farm, Riverdale-on-Hudson, in the Bronx. He served at the Episcopalian '''Chapel of the Comforter''', where fellow Theosophists [[Clement Acton Griscom, Jr.]] and [[Henry Bedinger Mitchell]] were members, and where the funeral service for [[Charles Johnston]] was held in 1931. In addition to his priestly duties, Hargrove was president of the Griscom-Russell Co. and Jas. Reilly Repair & Supply Co., Riverdale-on-Hudson.<ref>New York city directory, 1925.</ref>

After Hargrove died on [[April 8]], 1939, his own service took place at the Chapel of the Comforter. 

== Writings ==
Hargrove wrote numerous articles and edited the periodical [[Theosophy (periodical)|''Theosophy'']] during the years 1896-1897. Under the initials [http://www.austheos.org.au/cgi-bin/ui-csvsearch.pl?search=ETH&method=perfect&header=field4 ETH] he wrote 29 articles, and there are another 28 under [http://www.austheos.org.au/cgi-bin/ui-csvsearch.pl?search=Hargrove&header=field4 Hargrove]. As editor of ''Theosophy'' he undoubtedly wrote numerous other articles that were not signed. He was also known to have used noms de plume such as Chew-Yew-Chang or Che-Yew Tsang.

He also worked for a journalist for other non-Theosophical periodicals and wrote books:
* '''''World Politics'''''. New York: R.F. Fenno & Co., 1898 and London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1898. 220 pages. Available at [http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/15554839.html Hathitrust] and [https://archive.org/details/worldpolitics00hargrich Internet Archive].
* '''''An American view of the South African situation: How Australasia might help Great Britain'''''. New York: 1901. 64 pages. Available at [https://books.google.com/books?id=reUzAQAAMAAJ Google Books].

==Additional resources ==

* Page xii of ''Supplement to The Theosophist'' Volume XXII (December, 1900) has a few (unflattering) paragraphs about Hargrove as a journalist associated with the ''South Africa News'', published in Cape Town.

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:TS Hargrove|Hargrove, Ernest Temple]]
[[Category:Nationality English|Hargrove, Ernest Temple]]
[[Category:Nationality Naturalized American|Hargrove, Ernest Temple]]
[[Category:Writers|Hargrove, Ernest Temple]]
[[Category:Editors|Hargrove, Ernest Temple]]
[[Category:Journalists|Hargrove, Ernest Temple]]
[[Category:Attorneys|Hargrove, Ernest Temple]]
[[Category:People|Hargrove, Ernest Temple]]