A. Trevor Barker

A. Trevor Barker, from frontispiece of The Hill of Discernment, 1941.

Alfred Trevor Barker (b. October 10, 1893- d. July 17, 1941) was a Theosophist, writer, and lecturer. He is well-known in the Theosophical world for his publication of the The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett and The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett.

Bio-data

A. Trevor Barker was born at Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, on October 10, 1893.

He joined the Theosophical Society (Adyar), but resigned from this organization in 1925. During this time Dr. Barker transcribed and published The Mahatma letters to A. P. Sinnett. In 1926, he published The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett.

On July 30, 1930, he joins the Theosophical Society (Pasadena), soon becoming the President of its English Section for a number of years. It was Dr. Barker who suggested London as the place to hold the commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of H. P. Blavatsky's birth that G. de Purucker was planning. On June 24, 1931, Dr. Barker chaired the Centennial Conference, which was well attended by leading representatives of the principal Theosophical Societies.

By 1937 Dr. Barker's health was in a deteriorating condition. Mrs. Elsie Benjamin, secretary to Dr. de Purucker, who met Barker at the time, wrote:

All during that time Trevor was a very ill man, and his illness particularly taking the form of deep depression and excessive fatigue. . . .

Dr. Barker died on July 17, 1941, in Torquay, Devon, England. His writings were compiled into the book The Hill of Discernment by Gottfried de Purucker. In the preface of that book he wrote:

With the death of A. Trevor Barker on July 17th of this year, the spontaneous wish was expressed by his many friends all over the world that his lectures and writings might be gathered together for publication in some permanent form. The present work, THE HILL OF DISCERNMENT, is an answer to this widespread desire. It contains in large part all the available addresses given in various parts of England, mainly to Theosophical groups and lodges, to European Conventions of the Theosophical Society, and to various 'fraternization' meetings with the Phoenix Lodge and other Lodges of the Adyar T. S. in England.

The Mahatma Letters

A. P. Sinnett, recipient of many letters from the Mahatmas known as Koot Hoomi and Morya, had died in 1921. His correspondence with the Mahatmas and with Helena Petrovna Blavatsky passed on to Maud Hoffman, executrix of the estate of Mr. Sinnett. Dr. Barker contacted her and obtained her permission and support to transcribe these letters and publish them in book form. Grace Knoche wrote,

Just what prompted Trevor Barker to contact Maud Hoffman, executrix of the estate of the late A. P. Sinnett who had died in 1921, is not known. It is of record that the Mahatma as well as the Blavatsky letters had been bequeathed by Mr. Sinnett "solely and unconditionally" to Miss Hoffman, and that she in turn had allowed this young man the "great privilege of undertaking the whole responsibility" for their transcription and publication in book form.

In 1923 he published in London The Mahatma letters to A. P. Sinnett from the Mahatmas M. & K. H. through T. F. Unwin ltd. In 1926 he published The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett.

One of Trevor's last actions was arranging for the depositing of the MSS. the The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett in the British Museum, in the Department of Select Manuscripts.

Other writings

Dr. Trevor Barker's writings and lectures have been compiled in a book entitled The Hill of Discernment, published by The Theosophical University Press. This book provides information as to where and when the various lectures contained in that volume were given.

For Further Information

These books are available online:

• The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett. Theosophical University Press.[2]
• The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett. Theosophical University Press. [3]
• The Hill of Discernment. Theosophical University Press.[4]