James Ingall Wedgwood

James Ingall Wedgwood was an English Theosophist associated with the Theosophical Society based in Adyar, Chennai, India who was the first Presiding Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church.

Early life

James Ingall Wedgwood was born on May 24, 1883.

Pipe organ at York Minster

The Messenger described his family:

He is a descendant of the Wedgwoods of pottery fame. His grandfather, Hensleigh Wedgwood, was one of the founders of the London Spiritualist Alliance and of the Society for Psychical Research (it is thought that he was one of the general committee who passed the report condemning H. P. B.). His mother, who knew H. P. B., was an extremely good clairvoyant, and is mentioned in some of the Myers, Gurney and Podmore books.

Wedgwood received a small but steady income from his family, but never worked in the pottery firm. He had an early interest in becoming an analytical chemist. He studied at University College, Nottingham, but after completing his studies changed direction to learn how to play the church organ at York Minster. After four years he began preparing for Holy Orders in the Anglican Church. when he discovered Theosophy through a lecture by Annie Besant, he lost his position at York Minster.

Theosophical Society involvement

Wedgwood was admitted to the Theosophical Society in Yorkshire, England on September 7, 1904.

In one account of his life:

He thought to enter the Episcopal Church. Coming into a knowledge of Theosophy and falling under the cold intellectualism of that time, he became somewhat impatient of the limitations of orthodoxy; a deeper insight, however, that came with the founding of the Order of the Star in the East and the Temple of the Rosy Cross, made the Power of the Christ a living reality to him; he was led back to Christianity by his study of Theosophy and was ordained priest and later consecrated as a bishop. This connection with the church, he says, has been a wonderful aid to him in his theosophical work.

He quickly became active in the Society, and served as General Secretary for the Society in England and Wales (1911-13). Wedgwood was known as a lecturer in the Theosophical Society, speaking at lodge meetings and conventions around the world.

In 1926, Wedgwood presented the Blavatsky Lecture on the topic "The Distinctive Contribution of Theosophy to Christian Thought".

C. W. Leadbeater and J. I Wedgwood

Liberal Catholic Church

Around 1911-1913 Wedgwood found his religious background and newfound interest in Theosophy taking him in a new direction:

He became the organizer in England for the new Co-Masonic movement. In 1913 he heard of the existence of the Old Catholic Church in England, and on meeting Archbishop Arnold Matthew found the way open to him to enter Holy Orders without having to hide or relinquish his theosophical views. He was ordained later that year. With the return of Matthew to Rome, Wedgwood was elected to lead the English Old Catholic Church, which by this time consisted mainly of those theosophists who had followed him there. Once consecrated a bishop, Wedgwood traveled to Sydney, Australia, to collaborate with Charles Leadbeater in preparing the foundations of the new church (called Liberal Catholic from September 1918). In July 1916 Wedgwood advanced Leadbeater to the Episcopate. Wedgwood was the principal author of the Liberal Catholic liturgy, applying to it great eloquence and sensitivity in the use of language. Both men are believed to have developed a high level of clairvoyance, which they applied to the task of maximizing the potency of the many services needed in a comprehensive liturgy. The task took three years, and was interrupted several times as Wedgwood traveled to New Zealand, the United States, England and Europe, establishing new centers and churches.

Overwork and persecution by the English press took its toll on Wedgwood. In 1922 he resigned as Presiding Bishop, which task was finally taken up by Leadbeater (1923) when convinced Wedgwood could not in the short term resume as leader. For some time Wedgwood attended the Sorbonne in Paris, returning to the physics of organ music, for which studies he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science. As his health improved he accepted responsibility for the LCC in Europe, and supervised a major center of the Church — and the TS — at Huizen in the Netherlands. He wrote extensively, trained many priests, and established a congregation highly skilled in helping him to heighten the influence of the Church’s sacramental rites. He is said to have been electrifying as a ceremonialist, graceful, precise, and powerful.

Co-Masonic involvement

Wedgwood was Grand Secretary of the Supreme Council of Universal Co-Masonry.

Musicianship

Around 1923, Wedgwood "attended the Sorbonne in Paris, returning to the physics of organ music, for which studies he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science." He was an accomplished organist and had considerable expertise in organ construction. He wrote at least three books on the subject. A Comprehensive Dictionary of Organ Stops is still considered to be authoritative and is widely available.

Later years

Bishop Wedgwood retired to Camberley, Surrey Heath Borough, Surrey, England, and died there on March 13, 1951.

Writings

Bishop Wedgwood wrote several books and numerous articles.

Articles

The Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals lists:

• 1 article under the name James Ingall Wedgwood.
• 3 articles by Bishop Wedgwood.
• 57 articles by JI Wedgwood.
• 1 article about James Ingall Wedgwood.
• 3 articles about James I. Wedgwood.
• 9 articles about Bishop Wedgwood.
• 8 articles about JI Wedgwood.

Books and pamphlets

Some of Wedgwood's works were translated into Dutch, German, French, Russian, Swedish, Polish, and Spanish.

On church organs

• A comprehensive dictionary of organ stops: English and foreign, ancient and modern, practical, theoretical, historical, aesthetic, etymological, phonetic. London: Vincent Music Co., 1905. At least seven editions. 194 pages, illustrations. Available at Internet Archive (1900 edition), Hathitrust, and Google Books.
• Some continental organs (ancient and modern) and their makers. London: William Reeves, 1910. 69 pages. Still in print.
• Tonal design in modern organ building: embodying a reply to Mr. R. Meyrick-Roberts. London: Haughton & Co., 1904. 29 pages. Reprinted from the London "Musical Opinion." [In answer to R. Meyrick-Roberts' articles "On Modern Tendencies in Organ-Building" published in the same journal].

On Theosophy and esoteric Christianity

• Varieties of Psychism. Adyar, Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1914. Foreword by Annie Besant. Available at Google Books, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, and Open Library.
• New insights into Christian worship. London: St. Alban Press, 1976. 200 pages.
• Meditation for Beginners. London: Theosophical Publishing House, 1961. 59 pages. 4th edition.
• The Presence of Christ in the Holy Communion: an examination of conflicting views and a modern interpretation. London: Theosophical Publishing House, 1928. 58 pages.
• The Collected Works of James Ingall Wedgwood. San Diego, CA: St. Alban Press, 2004. 260 pages.
• Spiritualism and the Great War. London: Theosophical Publishing House, 1919.
• The Beginnings of the Liberal Catholic Church: February 13, 1916. London, Sydney: The St Alban Press, 1976. 3rd edition, revised. 17 pages. Also Lakewood, N.J.: Ubique, 1966.
• The Larger Meaning of Religion. London, Sydney: The St. Alban Press, 1929. 2nd edition, 1980. 77 pages.
• The Distinctive Contribution of Theosophy to Christian Thought. London: Theosophical Publishing House, 1926. 23 pages. Blavatsky Lecture. 1926.
• The Place of Ceremonies in the Spiritual Life. London, St. Alban Press, 1927. 16 pages. Subtitle: being the substance of two sermons preached at the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Huizen, Holland, 1927.
• The Facts Regarding the Episcopal Succession in the Liberal Catholic Church. 15 pages.
• The Liberal Catholic Church and the Theosophical Society. Sydney: St. Alban Press, 1919. 16 pages.
• The Memory of Previous Lives. London: Theosophical Society, 1928. 20 pages.

Additional resources

• "James Ingall Wedgwood" in Theosophy Forward. November 24, 2013.
• Wedgwood, James Ingall in Theosophy World.
• J. I. Wedgwood in Wikipedia.
• History in Liberal Catholic Church website.
• The Liberal Catholic Tradition: A Farewell Note by Pedro Oliveira.
• James Ingall Wedgwood in CWLeadbeater.Wordpress.com.