Gardner, Gerald B. (1884- (d. Feb 12,)1964)

[icymist]

Gerald Brousseau Gardner, an English hereditary Witch and allegedly responsible for reviving Witchcraft in the modern Western world, was born in Blundellands, near Liverpool, England, on June 13, 1884. His father served as a justice of the peace, being a member of a family in the timber trade business. The family was of Scottish descent, tracing its roots to a woman named Grissell Gardner who had been burned as a Witch in 1610 at Newburgh. Gardner's grandfather marred a woman who was supposedly a Witch and some of his distant relatives assumedly possessed psychical abilities. Gardner's family tree included as well mayors of Liverpool, and Alan Gardner, a naval commander and later vice admiral and peer, who later earned distinction as the commander-in-chief of the Channel Fleet who helped to prevent the invasion of Napoleon in 1807.

Gerald was the second of three sons, and suffered severely with asthma when young. To alleviate his condition his nurse Josephine "Com" McCombie convinced his parents to permit him to travel with her in Europe during the winter. During this time young Gerald found much time for reading since he was often by himself while Com roamed Europe. She eventually married a man in Ceylon and took Gerald with her. There he worked on a tea plantation. Later he worked in Borneo and Malaysia.

While in the Far East Gardner became acquainted with the natives and familiar with their spiritual beliefs, which influenced him more than Christianity. He was fascinated by the ritual daggers and knives, especially the Malaysian kris; a wavy blade dagger, and wrote Kris and Other Malay Weapons, which was published in Singapore in 1939. The book established Gardner as the world authority on the kris. It remains the standard on the subject, and was reprinted posthumously in 1973.
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