| 1911 4 Sep |
`Abdu'l-Bahá arrived in London accompanied by His secretary, Mírzá Mahmúd and Khusraw, His servant. This marked His first visit to the country and lasted 29 days. [ABL53, AB140; GBP280; SBR22, 148, BW4p378, In the Footsteps of the Master p.5]
CH149 says He arrived 8 September and 3 September as per the UK Bahá'í site.
Those Bahá'ís who assembled to meet him were listed as: Lady Blomfield (in whose home at 97 Cadogan Gardens He stayed), Mrs Thornburg-Cropper, Miss Ethel Rosenberg, Miss Gamble, Miss Herrick, Mrs Scaramucci, Miss Elsie Lee, Mr Catanach, Mr Cuthbert, Mr and Mrs Jenner, Miss Yandell, Miss Julia Culver, Mrs Stannard, Mr and Mrs Eric Hammond, The Rev Harrold Johnston, The Rev Cooper Hunt, Miss Juliet Thompson, Mrs Louise Waite, Mrs Movius, Mrs Claudia Coles, Mr Mountfort Mills, Mr Mason Remey and Miss Drake Wright. Mr and Mrs Dreyfus-Barney provided translation. In addition there were a number of Persians who took the opportunity to meet Him. [BW4p377]
As described by Lady Blomfield those who came to see him were: "Ministers and missionaries, Oriental scholars and occult students practical men of affairs and mystics, Anglican-Catholics and Nonconformists, Theosophists and Hindus, Christian Scientists and doctors of medicine, Muslims, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians. There also called: politicians, Salvation Army soldiers, and other workers for human good, women suffragists, journalists, writers, poets and healers dress-makers and great ladies, artists and artisans, poor workless people and prosperous merchants, members of the dramatic and musical world, these all came; and none were too lowly nor too great to receive the sympathetic consideration of this holy Messenger, who was ever giving His life for others' good." In addition there was a representation from the Bramo-Somaj Society, a Hindu reform group. [CH150-152]
See BW4p377 where Lady Blomfield reported that Prince Jalalu'd-Dawlih entreated to be received by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and when in His presence fell prostrate and implored pardon for his crimes. (see 1891 19 May) [BW4p377]
Among the list of visitors were: Professor Edward Granville Browne, Mr Tudor-Pole, Emmeline Pankhurst, a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote. [BW4p377]
See BW4p381 for the story of a homeless, suicidal man who had seen a picture of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in a newspaper in a shop window.
See BW4p382-383 for the story of the persistent journalist who imposed upon the appointment of two ladies from Scotland who had journeyed all that day and intended to make the return voyage that same evening.
For details of His stay in England see AB140–58 and GPB283–5.
It is implied that 'Abdu'l-Bahá was attended by Dr Lutfu-lláh Hakím while in London. [BW4p380]
During His stay in London 'Abdu'l-Bahá received death threats by anonymous letter and he was advised to give up He planned journey to Egypt. He ignored them. [BW4p 387]
During His stay in London He had professional photographs of Himself taken by the Irish photographer, James Lafayette (1853-1923). "...to have a picture of oneself is to emphasise the personality, which is merely the lamp, and is quite unimportant. The light burning within the lamp has the only real significance." [SBR25, BW4p383-384, ABF84]
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`Abdu'l-Bahá, Travels of; `Abdu'l-Bahá, First Western tour; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Pictures and portraits; Portraits; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Death threats to; Mary Virginia Thornburgh-Cropper; Ethel Rosenberg; Juliet Thompson; Louise Waite; Mountfort Mills; Charles Mason Remey; Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney; Jalalud-Din-Dawlih; Mírzá Mahmud-i-Zarqani; Khusraw; Edward Granville Browne; Wellesley Tudor Pole; Emmeline Pankhurst; Lutfullah Hakim; James Lafayette; London, England; United Kingdom |
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| 1911 5 Sep |
'Abdu'l-Bahá was interviewed by the editor of The Christian Commonwealth, Mr Albert Dawson, and later met with the Rev R. J. Campbell. The Christian Commonwealth was a weekly newspaper. On 13 September it printed, on its front cover, an article which included the interview between 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Rev R. J. Campbell that had taken place on 5 September. The following week the front cover had another article, entitled 'The Vanishing of the Veil', about 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to St John's, Westminster. Other issues also had substantial articles about His visits.
[In the Footsteps of the Master p.7] |
`Abdu'l-Bahá, Travels of; `Abdu'l-Bahá, First Western tour; `Abdu'l-Bahá, Interviews; Newspaper articles; London, England; United Kingdom |
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| 1911 9 Sep |
'Abdu'l-Bahá visited the home of Mrs Thornburgh-Cropper at
31 Evelyn Mansions, Carlisle Place, Victoria.
In the afternoon 'Abdu'l-Bahá visited the home of Miss Anett Schepel and Miss Alice Buckton,
Vanners, Byfleet, Surrey (since demolished), some 20 miles out of London. He spoke with a number of working women from the Passmore Edwards' Settlement who were visiting while on holidays. (The Passmore Edwards' Settlement began in 1890 as one of the first "settlements" run by socially-conscious middle-class educators for the benefit of local working people and their children.) The talk has been entitled, "The small house and the path to true happiness". ['Abdu'l-Bahá Speaks, SYH39]
Alice Mary Buckton (1867-1944) wrote many plays and poems. Her play Eager Heart
was seen by 'Abdu'l-Bahá on His second visit to England. She became a member of the
Froebelian Society which was formed to reform educational methods. She persuaded
Anett Schepel who had worked at Pestalozzi-Froebel Haus in Germany to move to
England and together they worked to improve child education, opening a school in St
John's Wood.
[ABL85-86, In the Footsteps of 'Abdu'l-Bahá p9-10]
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`Abdu'l-Bahá, Travels of; `Abdu'l-Bahá, First Western tour; Alice Buckton; Eager Heart (play); Drama; Plays; Education; Byfleet, England; United Kingdom |
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