E.A. Wilson aka. Brother XII by Allen Whitestag

Edward Arthur Wilson was born July 25th 1878 in Birmingham England. He was raised in an Apostolic Catholic tradition. He eventually became a ships captain which afforded him a chance to travel. In 1902 He married Margery Clark and moved to British Columbia in 1907. By 1912 he abandoned his Family and returned to the sea travelling until he fell sick in the south of France in 1924.

This is where the story becomes interesting! Prior to his illness in France Edward spent some time learning of world religions and in particular Theosophy. This set the stage for what came next. In the south of France Edward became sick and started having visions and going into trances. (possible drug use or bouts of mental illness). Edward began to think himself a conduit for the twelfth brother of the White Lodge. It is at this time be started calling himself Brother XII. He wrote the book Three truths and his manifesto “A message from the masters of wisdom” In 1926 Edward returned to England where his writings attracted the attention of the British theosophical society. From there his writings were published throughout Europe and then the west. In 1927 he moved to Cedar BC on Vancouver Island. There with the help from wealth British benefactors he bought land and started touring Canada gathering followers. By years end he have gathered 8000 followers giving money to the Aquarian Foundation. Some describe him as the L Ron Hubbard of Canada. A cult leader who many hold as a model for cult leaders world wide.

The bones of this story is interesting. Brother XII is an occult figure who attempted to create a Utopian future for himself and his followers. Like many cults it began with grand ideas but fell apart with the disillusionment of its followers of the cult leader. Brother XII even attempted to create a third party for the 1928 US federal election. He predicted that the 1928 election would end in a violent civil war. This prediction didn’t happen. He still gained more popularity. Given the events of last year with the insurrection on January 6, 2021 it is interestingly relevant to now. He did however accurately predict the stock market crash.

He convinced Myrtle Baumgartner that she and him were the reincarnations of Osiris and Isis which ended in her mental breakdown after multiple miscarriages. Shortly after Brother XII was accused of embezzling funds from the Aquarian foundation by a disillusioned member of the foundation. The charges were dropped with the testimony of Mary Connolly that she had gifted him the funds he had taken.

Over time the cult slowly declined. What spurred he final destruction of the cult was the paranoid and abusive behaviour of Brother XII and his consort Madame Z aka Mable Skottowe. It ended with Brother XII in court with Mary Connolly and others suing him for the return of the funds they had put into the foundation.

This court case is what drew my attention to this. It is said that the court case was plagued by strange occurrences. Attorneys fainting, the judge growling like a dog when trying to speak. One of Brother XII’s followers claimed he had tried to assassinate his enemies with black magic. In 1932 during the court case Brother XII escaped and fled with Madame Z taking as much money s they could and destroying part of the compound in the process. Two years later a death certificate was issued for him in Neuchâtel, Switzerland on November 7th 1934. Despite this people said they saw him on multiple occasions in the US and Canada after his supposed death. Madame Z was never seen again.

This strange and interesting man; who may have been the conduit of Theosophies White lodge member Brother XII, is a mystery to explore. Lets jump into this rabbit hole and explore the connections this case presents to us. Whether it is a terror to behold or a fraud by a man desperate for attention and power.

References

TBrother XII (Edward Arthur Wilson)

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/brother-xii-edward-arthur-wilson?fbclid=IwAR27TwL9XqYParocVQOpIVbx-KUgpHFjB2n00fVo2tWdBOnGlPJBvu_qKok

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https://www.brotherxii.com/