Did Gardner have any family?

[David19]

I was just wondering, did Gardner have any family like a wife or kids or brothers/sister's, since i was wondering, he probably would have told his wife he was a witch (i mean, he was publishing books on it) so maybe she'd know where he'd been initated into or maybe the kids know, also does he have any living decendants or relations that are wiccan?

I just remembered something, i've read that in strict Gardnerian coven's, you marry your magical partner, so i'm just wondering, if his wife may have been involved with the coven?.

Anyway, hope that made some sense.

[necrite]

i'm not sure if he had any family but it's something worth looking into.

[Ben Gruagach]

Gardner was married and his wife did know he was involved in occultism and witchcraft, but she herself was not involved. If you read any of the historical accounts such as Doreen Valiente's "The Rebirth of Witchcraft," Philip Heselton's "Wiccan Roots" or "Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration," or Ronald Hutton's "The Triumph of the Moon" you'll see this discussed.

Gardner didn't have any kids though. But he did have siblings, and some of them did have kids of their own so Gerald was an uncle. I know that Gerald went to the United States to visit some of his relatives at one point but I don't know whether any of his family outside of his own wife knew about his witchcraft interests, or were involved in any way themselves.

Gerald worked with a number of women who he initiated to the level of High Priestess over the years including Doreen Valiente and a number of others. There is a lot of suggestions that his earliest magickal working partner, a woman who used the pseudonym Dafo, was more than just a friend to Gardner. Whether Gardner's wife knew about his romantic involvement with Dafo is not clear.

[David19]

Is his wife still alive, and if she is, has anyone spoken to her (although she may not say anything, maybe she respect's her husband's wishes or legacy or something). But, she might have some interesting things to say.

Also about Dafo, i'm nit sure if i'm remembering this right, but in Triumph of the moon, i thought i read that Dafo may have been the one to initate Gardner, was this ever confirmed or is she alive (or anyone who knew her).

[Elderbush]

Gardner's wife died before he did and never wrote anything (as far as we know) about her husband or his activities. Dafo, I believe, cut all ties with Gardner and witchcraft and is dead now. She refused to talk about anything to do with those days.

[David19]

So is there anyone left from those days, or is everyone that personally knew Gardner dead, also i think Ben Gruagach, said he was an uncle, are his nephews or nieces still around, maybe they know something?

[Elderbush]

Sure, there is Fred Lamond and a few people. As for family, they've had 50 years in which to say something on the subject and they haven't. Besides that they didn't live in the same country.

You aren't the first to hope that there is conclusive evidence from the early days. So far it hasn't been uncovered, if it exists.

[Ben Gruagach]

According to Philip Heselton's "Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration" Gardner has one brother who married and had one daughter, Mimi. They lived in Memphis Tennessee when Gardner came to visit them in the US. Mimi also came to stay with Gerald and Donna in the UK at some point, and is quoted in Heselton's book saying things which indicate she knew about Gerald's involvement in witchcraft, although there isn't any indication Mimi was.

Other people who are still alive who knew Gardner personally include people like Patricia Crowther. She's written a number of books about witchcraft and her own experiences, including her memories of Gardner.

I strongly recommend reading Heselton's books for all this sort of information, and Ronald Hutton's as a scholarly examination of the influences that likely lead up to Gardner's success with promoting Wicca.

[Carla O'Harris]

Just take anything Hutton says with a healthy dose of salt -- he thinks that anything not written in a book had no existence for anyone. He's also very ignorant of the fairy tradition.

[SageofThyme]

I was taught by a former friend of Gardner (who is also now dead) and via him i did meet someone who was related to Gardner (I'm not 100% sure what the relation was now)

Personally I think if there is any evidence yet to come out -it will be hidden for many years yet. It seems to have gone more underground in recent years

[Ben Gruagach]

Just take anything Hutton says with a healthy dose of salt -- he thinks that anything not written in a book had no existence for anyone. He's also very ignorant of the fairy tradition.

That's one opinion. Others, like me, understand that writing for a scholarly audience rather than a popular one means there is a different level of evidence required.

Instead of attacking the man try debunking the statements you think are wrong. That's always much more convincing.

[David19]

According to Philip Heselton's "Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration" Gardner has one brother who married and had one daughter, Mimi. They lived in Memphis Tennessee when Gardner came to visit them in the US. Mimi also came to stay with Gerald and Donna in the UK at some point, and is quoted in Heselton's book saying things which indicate she knew about Gerald's involvement in witchcraft, although there isn't any indication Mimi was.

Other people who are still alive who knew Gardner personally include people like Patricia Crowther. She's written a number of books about witchcraft and her own experiences, including her memories of Gardner.

I strongly recommend reading Heselton's books for all this sort of information, and Ronald Hutton's as a scholarly examination of the influences that likely lead up to Gardner's success with promoting Wicca.

Do uou know if any of Patricia Crowther's books are still available, also do you know of any of the title's of her books and if they're good?

Also have any other member's of Gardner's coven written anything (i think she was in his first coven that he formed, right?).

Thanks.

[Ben Gruagach]

Do uou know if any of Patricia Crowther's books are still available, also do you know of any of the title's of her books and if they're good?

Also have any other member's of Gardner's coven written anything (i think she was in his first coven that he formed, right?).

Thanks.

I'm not sure we really have anything written about the first coven that Gardner formed. The earliest published material comes from Doreen Valiente, who Gardner initiated in 1953. She was quickly elevated to the role of High Priestess, and served in that role until she left Gardner's coven in 1957. She did patch up her friendship with Gardner a few years later although I don't think she ever worked with him in a coven again. Gardner willed some of his magickal things to Doreen (including his personal copy of the Book of Shadows that he and Doreen had used back in the 1950s.) Doreen is also important as the person who confronted Gardner back when she was new to his coven regarding all the obviously copied things from places like Crowley's work. Gardner suggested she fix it, so she did and rewrote the Book of Shadows, adding her own material in the process of course. It was Doreen's rewritten Book of Shadows that was used in the coven after that and used as the basis for Gardnerian descended groups.

Fred Lamond is another one (and who is still alive) who was in the coven back when Doreen Valiente was the high priestess, although Fred joined just before Doreen left the coven. Fred has written some books on Wicca -- his recent one, "Fifty Years of Wicca" is quite interesting.

Patricia Crowther came later on, as she was initiated by Gardner in 1960. My understanding is that Gardner's coven had a young woman named Dayonis (her Pagan name of course) act as high priestess after Doreen left. I don't know of anything Dayonis had published though -- I don't think she wrote like Doreen or Patricia did. I'm not sure if Gardner had any other high priestesses after Dayonis and before Patricia.

Gardner did have at least one other high priestess after Patricia Crowther that I know of -- Monique Wilson. I'm not sure if Monique wrote anything that was published. (I couldn't find any mention of books by her on Amazon or on my favourite used book search page, http://used.addall.com/ )

I've read most of Patricia's books (I think I haven't missed any, anyways) and must admit that the ones I found most interesting were "Lid Off the Cauldron" (more of a practical tips book) and "High Priestess: The Life and Times of Patricia Crowther."

I'm not aware of any other people who've worked with Gardner who also wrote about it.

Of the people I've mentioned here who worked with Gardner, only Doreen has passed away. Fred Lamond though is the person still alive today who has the longest history with Gardner.

[Ben Gruagach]

I forgot to include Eleanor "Rae" Bone in that list of people who had worked with Gardner. She apparently spoke publicly about witchcraft but I don't know of anything that she wrote that was published either in magazines or in books. Rae Bone died in 2001.

Raymond Buckland is another one who has written quite a bit who learned directly from Gardner, although he learned mostly through mail and phone conversations rather than in person as a member of one of Gardner's covens. Ray and his wife, Rosemary, travelled to the UK to meet Gardner and received their formal initiations under his direction. I believe it was Monique Wilson who did the actual initiation for Ray. Ray and Rosemary were the ones who introduced Gardnerian Wicca to the United States in the 1960s. They are both still alive, and Ray still publishes books on Wicca and witchcraft. Ray and Rosemary have also split up as a married couple.

[Alexie]

In "Fifty Years of Wicca" Fred Lamond talks about his days in Gardner's First Coven.

"High Pristess" and "Lid of the Cauldron" are by Pat Crowther. They are still availible and are priced around 17$ at Amazon.

Oops sorry Ben I did not read all of your post before I posted. I have a crying four year old distracting me!