1. From the Shropshire Star 24 March 2007 Weekend p.5:

Aussie Author Tells of County Heroine

A linkup over thousands of miles between a Shropshire researcher and an author in Australia has borne fruit with a new book about a little-known Shropshire heroine of the women's movement.

The book Red Cactus by Alan Pert is a biography of Anna Kingsford, a multi-talented woman of Victorian times who died of TB in 1888 at the age of 41. She is buried at a spot overlooking the River Severn at Atcham.

Born Annie Bouns, in 1867 she eloped with Algernon Kingsford, and married him. In 1869 he became curate of Atcham. The following year she was baptised a Roman Catholic, to avoid the duties of a clergyman's wife. Later Algernon became a rector at Pontesbury, and she began to study medicine in London.

Among her achievements, she campaigned against vivisection, lectured for vegetarianism, and became president of the British Theosophical Society. She founded the hermetic Society in 1884. Her spiritual writings have influenced many people, including Mahatma Ghandi.

In writing the book, Pert, who lives in Sydney, was given vital help by Mrs Sue Poulson, from Muxton, Telford. While doing some research in the 1871 census for Atcham she came across an entry for Algernon Kingsford, the curate of Atcham.

"It caught my eye because the name Kingsford is one of the names I've been researching for a long time," said Mrs Poulson. Her research led her to Anna Kingsford's Grave at Atcham, where she noticed her name had M.D. after it, showing she was in the medical profession. Going to the internet to find more, she discoverd that Alan Pert was researching in the same area, which led to her contacting him to find out what his interest was.

He asked if she could help in taking some photographs and also doing some research in the archives. "It was me who discovered that Algernon changed his surname on his remarriage," said Mrs Poulson." Algernon took the surname of his new wife, Catherine Burton of Longner Hall, near Shrewsbury.

Red Cactus: the Life of Anna Kingsford has been published in Australia but Mrs Poulson says it is available in Britain from Gothic Image Publications, Glastonbury. UK distributor: psypioneer@aol.com

Comment by author: Anna's friend, the journalist Florence Fenwick Miller, wrote that Anna told her she joined the Roman Catholic Church to avoid the duties of  an (Anglican) clergyman's wife.But at the same time Anna wrote sermons for husband! Anna was not a shirker, she was destined for higher things.
 
2. From Theosophy in Australia June 2007 by Naomi Blumensaadt:

Throughout its history The Theosophical Society has attracted to its work and membership a varied range of people, some more remarkable and unconventional than others. Some have stayed at the forefront of awareness and activities and others have dropped out of sight. Anna Kingsford (1846-1888) is one of the latter but Alan pert's well -researched and readable biography should help rekindle interest in her and her work.

Anna Kingsford was President of The British Theosophical Society in 1883 but resigned and formed the Hermetic Society. This move reflected both her significant differences with some leading members of The Theosophical Society and her wish to provide opportunities to pursue a more Christian-oriented focus on understanding the mystery teachings. She saw herself as a mystic and a prophetess who perceived the way forward for the betterment of humanity. Her mystical 'illuminations', apparently obtained mostly through dreams, form the basis of The Perfect Way or the Finding of Christ. This major work, written with her co-worker Edward Maitland, sets out the hermetic philosophy also called esoteric Christianity. Among other significant publications are The Virgin of the World and Clothed With the Sun.Her work had some influence on the emergence, after her death, of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Anna Kingsford was also active in various social causes. She obtained, in Paris, a medical degree that provide credentials in her vigorous campaign against vivisection, and in her promotion of vegetarianism and a health life. She also supported women's rights and animal welfare, and owned and produced a magazine.

This is the second biography of Anna Kingsford-- the first, Anna Kingsford Her Life, Letters, Diary and Work by Edward Maitland, was published in 1986 in 2 volumes. Alan Pert initially planned to abridge this biography as it was not in print but he says the 'work is full of errors' and her 'soon found inadequacies...especially a serious lack of personal information on Anna's background and life...Maitland assumes centre stage, and we see Anna only through his distorted lens.' Further the biography 'is about Maitland himself rather than his professed subject'.Pert attempts to rectify this by providing what he considers a more accurate picture of Anna Kingsford, her life and her broad contribution to society. He is obviously partial to Kingsford and in his efforts to balance the perceived bias in Maitland's biography he may have swung the pendulum too far the other way. Nevertheless, Alan Pert had provided a very valuable service the theosophical movement by producing this biography and letting us know just how remarkable and extraordinary Anna Kingsford.

Comment: Edward Maitland wrote some outrageous things about Anna: that she killed two men by occult means; her mind was once taken over by a black magician; that she was frequently attacked by evil spirits; and she was suicidal, to name a few of his fanciful allegations. He burnt all her letters and diaries in his possession to cover his tracks.

3. From Living Traditions 8 February 2007 (online magazine):

Anna Kingsford was an amazing character, many believe that if she hadn't died so young' she would have surpassed the success of other esoteric teachers of that period such as Madame Blavatsky. She had a presence and integrity that affected everyone she met, and what she achieved in a short life cannot but impress.

Anna Kingsford was an unusual woman in that she was also a great success in the "real"as well as spiritual world. She is still remembered in medical history as one of the earlier women to gain qualifications as a doctor and her fight for animal rights and against vivisection was way before its time and sad to say, still continues to this day.

She fought for the rights of woman and for a short period became the editor of a well established women's magazine. She tirelessly lectured on the values of vegetarianism and argued for a healthy diet in a period when the medical profession had little understanding of the relationship between food and health. Her writings on rational dress and advice for women may seem trite today, but in her time were revolutionary and made her a much "in demand" public speaker. She discussed all aspects of women's health, diet, childcare and related issues which was just not the done thing at the time.

This in itself was a challenge, since in the 1800s it was not "seemly" for women to speak in public, never mind on the subject she chose to debate, and she had to battle prejudice every step of the way. One must admire her strength and stubborn persistence.

In many ways her life was quite an achievement without the spiritual aspect, yet ijn addition to her work with health, animals and vegetarianism she became one of the most significant spiritual figures of the period. Her books The Perfect Way and Clothed With the Sun are still considered classics of mystical thought and offer a lucid outline of Esoteric Christianity.

She felt that Theosophy overemphasized the eastern traditions which were perhaps unsuited to western minds and that the Society rather than encouraging free thought and a rational approach to the Mysteries was creating another form of dogma. She worried that the "Masters cult" developing within Theosophy would end up creating another form of hierarchy and this would lead to grief. After much conflict within the London Lodge of the Theosophical Society she left to form the Hermetic Society with Edward Maitland.

She worked with Maitland in the Hermetic Society to re-instate what she believed was the essence of original Christianity, that is a living "Mystery Tradition" that was at the same as that found in Hermeticism, Neo-Platonism, Kabbalah and the esoteric traditions of east and west. It is fascinating to note that both McGregor Mathers and Wynn Westcott, both who went on to form the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, began by giving lectures at the Hermetic Society. Anna was not someone who knew her own limits and was constantly involved in her teaching, campaigns against vivisection and her work for vegetarianism. This coupled with consumption lead to her death in 1888.

Since Anna Kingsford's death there has been little research on her life. Red cactus offers a new and comprehensive re-evaluation of what we know about Kingsford's life, work and spirituality. It is meticulously researched, well documented and relies heavily on letters and source material, many from people Anna knew, since sadly Maitland, Anna's co-worker destroyed most of the source materials.

This is perhaps the saddest aspect of the tale, the man she chose to work with, Edward Maitland, after her death decided to write his own story of her life. Anna Kingsford: Her Life, Letters , Diary and Work by Edward Maitland (1824-1897) was published in 1896 in two volumes totaling 900 pages, and received very mixed reviews in the press. For many it was a betrayal of Anna. Maitland seemed to make himself the centre f the work and included many episodes that seemed out of character for a woman of such high ethics. A good example being the ludicrous tale that Anna killed two French vivisectors via the means of a curse!

Alan Pert's work takes Maitland's "mythic" text to task and offers the very first historically accurate biography of Anna Kingsford.

This is a significant work which is not only of value to those interested in Theosophical or esoteric history, it offers an important reassessment of the life of Anna Kingsford and will hopefully re-introduce her work to a generation seeking spiritual wisdom.