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The beginnings of Seership – Vincent Turvey

This letter is not, strictly speaking, a “letter" I submitted the rough notes to Mr. J W, Sharpe, and he signed them.

(No.1.)

On April 11, 1903, Mr. J. 'W'. Sharpe, a graduate of Cambridge University (a perfect stranger), called on me and we went for a walk, the better to discuss the topic of my letter in the Daily Mail.

Without any preparatory conversation I said to him, in the presence of a witness-"You know a man who is going to disinherit his son because he is going to marry a barmaid against his father's wish."

At first Mr. Sharpe said- "No I don't!" And then" Oh yes, I do! But I only know the man just to speak to, and not as a friend" I then described the son accurately.

A little later I said to him: "You have some china which is connected with India." But as he did not seem to know for certain, I said- "Oh yes, surely! And I see pictures of elephants on it. "  However, he did not call it to mind, and it was not until some weeks afterwards, when I went to tea with him and pointed out to him the identical pieces of china with the elephants on them, that he remembered that he had such china in his house.

I then described his dining-room furniture to him, and the manner in which it was arranged; particularly mentioning some chairs which were carved in a certain style. He said- "Oh ! wait a bit. You are partly right, except the chairs; but you are horribly mixed up as to the position of the furniture."

However, when I went to take tea with him the chairs were in the dining-room, and upon my pointing them out to him, he said- "Yes, yes; you were quite right! I had clean forgotten that chairs of that sort were in this room."

"Well, then, "I said," if you take this room as viewed from the window, the easiest way for my 'spirit body' to see it, you will see that I was not mixed up in my description."

He replied- "No! By Jove, you were right! "

On April 13, 1903, I again called and had tea with him, and whilst talking, I said- "Wait a minute, some one else is here."

"A spirit?"

"Yes, of a lady!"

"Can you describe her?"

"Yes! She is a short, dark lady with a high forehead, prominent nose, nice mouth; her chin is not so perfect ; her hair is parted in the middle; she is dressed in black, she wears a lace collar, cameo brooch, a large jet bead necklace, etc, etc”. He recognized the description, but in order to test me further, he handed me an album and asked me if I could pick out her photograph. I looked through it, and gave it back to him, saying- “She is not here." He gave me another album, and I put my finger on the first photo saying- "This is she." I was so certain that I did not trouble to look any further.

He said: "You are quite right; it is the photo of my mother, who died-some years ago." The photo was not so true to life as was my description, as it did not show the lace collar that she usually wore when indoors

On April 14, 1903, "I" determined to go over to Mr. Sharpe's house, leaving “Me" in bed, in order to see what he was doing, and to call upon him the next day and tell him what “l" had seen. This would be a good test for him. On the 16th. (as the 15th was wet) I called on him and told him what “I" had done and exactly what “I" had seen.

He replied- "That is a particularly good test, and, what is more, it is absolutely correct. You might have come three hundred times and not have found me doing what I was then, as I make it a rule never to do so-and-so at that hour, as it disturbs my rest”.

On April 22, 1903, I called on Mr. Sharpe, and during the afternoon said- "You own some cottage property, and you used to have a man to collect the rents, but you found out that he robbed you."

He replied: "Quite right; the man is now dead." Perhaps I may rather astonish the reader who believes in the necessity of "good conditions" while giving Clairvoyance, when I tell him that the following experience took place in a refreshment-room. It occurred at a time when I thought Clairvoyance might be "clever guess work, due to a knowledge of facial expression."