Charles Drayton Thomas


Charles Drayton Thomas also known as C. Drayton Thomas was a British Methodist minister and spiritualist.

Career

Thomas graduated from Richmond Theological College and was a minister at Wesleyan Methodist Church. He was a member of the Society for Psychical Research and a convinced spiritualist.
His father John Wesley Thomas, also a minister had died in 1903. In 1917, he attended séances with the medium Gladys Osborne Leonard. He carried many experiments with the medium and became convinced she had communicated with the spirit of his father. Thomas became known for his involvement in the Bobby Newlove case, a famous proxy séance sitting with Leonard.
Thomas defended the direct-voice medium Leslie Flint, despite the fact that other members from the SPR suggested he was fraudulent. He also defended the fraudulent spirit photographer William Hope from charges of fraud from Harry Price. Thomas received criticism from psychical researchers for this and his statements about the Hope-Price case were rebutted by the SPR in 1924.

Publications

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Papers