'Twixt two worlds : a narrative of the life and work of William Eglinton

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Tzvixt Two Worlds.
Spiritualism by Mr. Blackburn. As a matter of fact, the movement is indebted to him more
than many Spiritualists dream of—especially the new generation of inquirers and investigators.
For years Mr. Blackburn has spent himself, his time, and his resources, in furthering the cause
of spiritual research. Hardly a medium can be named who has not experienced his fostering
care, and whose gifts, but for him, would never have been carefully examined and usefully applied.
Nor is the literature of the movement less indebted to him. For a long time he contributed
hundreds of pounds yearly to the support of the Spiritualist newspaper, and in numerous other
ways has he watered and tended the growth of what he believed would, if carefully guided,
prove one of humanity's greatest blessings. I hope Mr. Blackburn will forgive these allusions to
what I know he himself regards as of little account, but for the sake of historical accuracy it is
desirable that the facts should be made known.
Mr. Blackburn united a wise discretion with unbounded generosity in his work for
Spiritualism. He clearly saw the great need of Spiritualism at that time, as now, was
systematic research, and with this end in view he arranged for a series of experimental
seances with various mediums. These took place at the rooms of the British National Association
of Spiritualists at 38, Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, and were known as the " Blackburn
seances." Mr. Eglinton was amongst the mediums engaged, and the first seance took place in
March, 1876. Important results were obtained at these sittings. They were given before a
committee of the B.N.A.S., and taking place as they did in the light, they were much appreciated
owing to the extreme difficulty existing at that time of obtaining other phenomena than those
occurring at dark seances. Mrs. Marie Neville, the wife of George Neville, the well-known
actor, writing in the Spiritualist, for March 17th, 1876, testifies that these daylight seances
were a great step in advance. She further expressed an opinion that these conditions should
be encouraged in every way as likely to be satisfactory to inquirers, adding that " Mr.
Eglinton's courtesy and willingness to submit to any proposed test cannot be too strongly
commented
upon."
At one of these seances he met another life-long friend and tried worker in Spiritualism,
Mr. Dawson Rogers. Mr. Rogers, in the Spiritualist, for March 24th, 1876, gives a very
interesting account of the manifestations witnessed by him, and concludes his report by saying,
" I will only add my belief that all present had the most implicit confidence in the genuineness
of the manifestations." Amongst those present on the occasion were the Rev. W. Miall, the
Rev. W. Newbould, and other well-known Spiritualists.
On March 2 1st, 1876, Mr. Eglinton held another seance at Mrs. Gregory's, at 2.1, Green Street,
W. He there met Dr. Kenealy, M.P., who was, if not then a Spiritualist, very much interested
in the subject. A frequent correspondence ensued, and as instancing how thoroughly Dr. Kenealy
believed in the Claimant up to the day of his death, I may mention that, in one of the advocate's
letters to Mr. Eglinton, after expressing his wonder and belief in the phenomena of Spiritualism,
he adds a characteristic note, " Anniversary of poor Tichborne's conviction."
It should be specially remembered that from this time (March, 1876), down to the year
1883, Mr. Eglinton never gave a single sitting on his own premises. This fact entirely cuts
the ground from under the feet of those who ignorantly assert that mediums can only obtain
results in a prepared room of their own.
Seance followed seance in rapid succession, and Mr. Eglinton was kept fully employed.