Annie Besant And C. W. LeadbeaterCharles Webster Leadbeater (16 February 1854 – 1 March 1934) was a Theosophical Society member, Co-Freemason, esoteric author, and co-founder of the Liberal Catholic Church with J. I. Wedgwood. Originally a Church of England clergyman, his interest n spiritualism led him to abandon Anglicanism in favor of the Theosophical Society, where he became an associate of Annie Besant. He rose through the ranks of the Society, becoming a high-ranking officer and remaining one of its most prominent members until his death in 1934, producing over 60 books and pamphlets and giving regular public lectures. Leadbeater was born in 1854 in Stockport, Cheshire. Charles, his father, was born in Lincoln, while Emma, his mother, was born in Liverpool. He was the only child in the family. His family had moved to London by 1861, when his father worked as a railway contractor's clerk. Read More Read Less