Balfour, Gerald William (2nd Earl of
Balfour) (18531945)
Brother of Arthur J. Balfour, first earl of Balfour. He was a
statesman, classical scholar, and student of psychical research.
He joined the Society for Psychical Research soon after its
formation and served as president from 1906 to 1907.
Born April 9, 1853, at Whittinghame, Scotland, Balfour was
educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge University
(M.A.). In 1887 he married Lady Betty, daughter of the first
earl of Lytton. He was elected member of Parliament for Central
Leeds from 1885 to 1906 and held various government
posts; he was also private secretary to his brother.
Like his brother, he was very active in psychical research and
also took an important part in organizing and studying the
group of automatic writings concerned with crosscorrespondence
evidence. He published a number of valuable
papers in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research,
including The Earl of Dionysius, a study of a crosscorrespondence
case presenting evidence for survival. He died
January 14, 1945, at Whittinghame.
Sources
Balfour, Gerald W. The Ear of Dionysius Further Scripts
Affording Evidence of Personal Survival. Proceedings of the Society
for Psychical Research 29, no. 74 (191618).
. Some Recent Scripts Affording Evidence of Personal
Survival. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research
27, no. 69 (1915).
. A Study of the Psychological Aspects of Mrs. Willets
Mediumship. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research
43, no. 140 (1935).
