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Cecil Williamson

January 01, 1970

Cecil Williamson (18 September 1909 – 9 December 1999) was a British screenwriter, editor and film director and influential English Neopagan Warlock. He was the founder of both the Witchcraft Research Center which was a part of MI6's war against Nazi Germany, and the Museum of Witchcraft. He was a friend of both Gerald Gardner, who was the founder of Wicca, and also of the notorious occultist Aleister Crowley.

Cecil Williamson
Born19 September 1909
Paignton, Devon, England
Died9 December 1999(1999-12-09) (aged 90)
Occupation(s)MI6 Operative; Witch
SpouseGwen Wilcox

Biography edit

Early life edit

Williamson was born in Paignton, Devon.[1] His father was a senior officer in the Royal Navy and was posted abroad.[1] He first encountered witchcraft in 1916, when, on a visit to North Bovey, also in Devon, to visit his uncle, a local vicar, he saw a woman being publicly beaten and accused of being a witch. Williamson tried to defend the woman, and in doing so befriended her.[1]

In 1921, whilst at the boarding school Malvern College, Williamson was bullied, but got help from a woman who lived on the school grounds, who was also a witch. She showed him how to cast a spell on the bully, who soon after broke his leg in a skiing accident and stopped bullying Cecil.

During Summer holidays, Williamson often went to visit Dinard in France with his grandmother and her friend Mona Mackenzie. Mackenzie was a spirit medium, and she taught Williamson about divination.

Life in Rhodesia edit

After studying in college, Williamson travelled to Rhodesia (modern Zimbabwe) to grow tobacco, where his servant, Zandonda, taught him about African magic.

Life in Britain edit

In 1930, Williamson returned to Britain and moved to London, where he began working as a production assistant at several film studios. As a hobby, he continued to investigate the occult, beginning to collect objects and became an acquaintance of Margaret Murray, Montague Summers and Aleister Crowley.

In 1933, he married Gwen Wilcox, a make-up artist, and niece of film director Herbert Wilcox.

World War II edit

In 1938, MI6 hired Williamson to investigate the Nazis' occult interests, and in doing so he formed the Witchcraft Research Center. An April 1944 news report, while not mentioning the Witchcraft Research Center, reflects their area of expertise in claiming Goebbels was going to 'harness fortune telling, astrology, and necromancy to his propaganda machine'.[2]

Gardner and the Museum edit

In 1946, Williamson met Gerald Gardner in the Atlantis Bookshop in London at a talk which Gardner was giving. The two became friends largely due to their mutual interest in the theory of the pagan witch cult.

In 1947, Williamson tried to open a museum about witchcraft in Stratford-on-Avon, but was forced to change his plans after local opposition. In 1948, Williamson bought a dilapidated windmill at Castletown on the Isle of Man. He turned it into the Folklore Center of Superstition and Witchcraft, and opened it in 1949, along with an adjacent restaurant, the Witches' Kitchen.

Williamson employed Gardner to be the 'resident witch' at the museum, which had been renamed the Museum of Magic and Witchcraft after the repeal of the Witchcraft Act 1735 in 1951. However, Williamson and Gardner's relationship began to fall apart, and Williamson wanted to return to England. So in 1952 he sold the museum to Gardner, and moved all his artefacts to a new site, in Windsor, renaming it the Museum of Witchcraft. Gardner, using his own artefact collection, continued to run the museum on the Isle of Man for the rest of his life.

At Windsor, Williamson's museum remained open for a year, and was quite successful, but was again forced out due to local opposition. In 1954 he therefore moved the museum to Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire. Here, the museum was damaged in an arson attack, and so, in 1960, Williamson moved the museum to Boscastle in Cornwall, where it remains to this day.

Final years edit

At midnight on 31 October 1996, Williamson sold the museum to Graham King. Williamson retained some of his artefacts (but none that were on display in the museum) at his home in [Witheridge], a small village near to Tiverton in Devon. After his death in 1999 much of his private collection was acquired by the museum.

Selected filmography edit

Director

Editor

References edit

  1. ^ a b c The Museum of Witchcraft, page 2
  2. ^ "Nazis Read Their Fate In The Stars". Sunday Mail. Brisbane. 9 April 1944. p. 1. Retrieved 30 September 2013 – via National Library of Australia.

External links edit

  • Controverscial Entry

January 01, 1970
cecil, williamson, september, 1909, december, 1999, british, screenwriter, editor, film, director, influential, english, neopagan, warlock, founder, both, witchcraft, research, center, which, part, against, nazi, germany, museum, witchcraft, friend, both, gera. Cecil Williamson 18 September 1909 9 December 1999 was a British screenwriter editor and film director and influential English Neopagan Warlock He was the founder of both the Witchcraft Research Center which was a part of MI6 s war against Nazi Germany and the Museum of Witchcraft He was a friend of both Gerald Gardner who was the founder of Wicca and also of the notorious occultist Aleister Crowley Cecil WilliamsonBorn19 September 1909Paignton Devon EnglandDied9 December 1999 1999 12 09 aged 90 Occupation s MI6 Operative WitchSpouseGwen Wilcox Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early life 1 2 Life in Rhodesia 1 3 Life in Britain 1 4 World War II 1 5 Gardner and the Museum 1 6 Final years 2 Selected filmography 3 References 4 External linksBiography editEarly life edit Williamson was born in Paignton Devon 1 His father was a senior officer in the Royal Navy and was posted abroad 1 He first encountered witchcraft in 1916 when on a visit to North Bovey also in Devon to visit his uncle a local vicar he saw a woman being publicly beaten and accused of being a witch Williamson tried to defend the woman and in doing so befriended her 1 In 1921 whilst at the boarding school Malvern College Williamson was bullied but got help from a woman who lived on the school grounds who was also a witch She showed him how to cast a spell on the bully who soon after broke his leg in a skiing accident and stopped bullying Cecil During Summer holidays Williamson often went to visit Dinard in France with his grandmother and her friend Mona Mackenzie Mackenzie was a spirit medium and she taught Williamson about divination Life in Rhodesia edit After studying in college Williamson travelled to Rhodesia modern Zimbabwe to grow tobacco where his servant Zandonda taught him about African magic Life in Britain edit In 1930 Williamson returned to Britain and moved to London where he began working as a production assistant at several film studios As a hobby he continued to investigate the occult beginning to collect objects and became an acquaintance of Margaret Murray Montague Summers and Aleister Crowley In 1933 he married Gwen Wilcox a make up artist and niece of film director Herbert Wilcox World War II edit In 1938 MI6 hired Williamson to investigate the Nazis occult interests and in doing so he formed the Witchcraft Research Center An April 1944 news report while not mentioning the Witchcraft Research Center reflects their area of expertise in claiming Goebbels was going to harness fortune telling astrology and necromancy to his propaganda machine 2 Gardner and the Museum edit In 1946 Williamson met Gerald Gardner in the Atlantis Bookshop in London at a talk which Gardner was giving The two became friends largely due to their mutual interest in the theory of the pagan witch cult In 1947 Williamson tried to open a museum about witchcraft in Stratford on Avon but was forced to change his plans after local opposition In 1948 Williamson bought a dilapidated windmill at Castletown on the Isle of Man He turned it into the Folklore Center of Superstition and Witchcraft and opened it in 1949 along with an adjacent restaurant the Witches Kitchen Williamson employed Gardner to be the resident witch at the museum which had been renamed the Museum of Magic and Witchcraft after the repeal of the Witchcraft Act 1735 in 1951 However Williamson and Gardner s relationship began to fall apart and Williamson wanted to return to England So in 1952 he sold the museum to Gardner and moved all his artefacts to a new site in Windsor renaming it the Museum of Witchcraft Gardner using his own artefact collection continued to run the museum on the Isle of Man for the rest of his life At Windsor Williamson s museum remained open for a year and was quite successful but was again forced out due to local opposition In 1954 he therefore moved the museum to Bourton on the Water in Gloucestershire Here the museum was damaged in an arson attack and so in 1960 Williamson moved the museum to Boscastle in Cornwall where it remains to this day Final years edit At midnight on 31 October 1996 Williamson sold the museum to Graham King Williamson retained some of his artefacts but none that were on display in the museum at his home in Witheridge a small village near to Tiverton in Devon After his death in 1999 much of his private collection was acquired by the museum Selected filmography editDirector Soho Conspiracy 1950 Hangman s Wharf 1950 Action Stations 1956 Editor Up for the Derby 1933 Girls Please 1934 The Way of Youth 1934 The Village Squire 1935 Troubled Waters 1936 Blind Man s Bluff 1936 The Minstrel Boy 1937 The Mill on the Floss 1937 Jailbirds 1940 Three Silent Men 1940 Old Mother Riley in Paris 1942 References edit a b c The Museum of Witchcraft page 2 Nazis Read Their Fate In The Stars Sunday Mail Brisbane 9 April 1944 p 1 Retrieved 30 September 2013 via National Library of Australia External links editControverscial Entry Witchcraft Org entry Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cecil Williamson amp oldid 1218218769, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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