Charles Maurice Davies

Charles Maurice Davies (1828–1910) was an Anglican clergyman, writer and spiritualist.

Early life

Charles Maurice Davies was born in 1828 in Wells, Somerset. He entered University College, Durham in 1845, graduating with a second-class BA in Classics in 1848. He was elected a fellow of Durham University in 1849.

In 1851 he was ordained a deacon, and in 1852 was ordained a priest. He served as a curate in various parishes. He married Jane Anne Greenaway in 1856.

Career

Davies was at first associated with the "high church" Anglicans, whose thinking was closer to Roman Catholic than Protestant traditions.

On 28 February 1855 Davies and five other Anglican clergy met at the House of Charity, Rose Street, Soho, London, and founded the Anglo-Catholic Society of the Holy Cross. Davies at that time was curate of St Matthew's, City Road, in London. The leader of the group was Charles Lowder. The other founders were David Nicols, Alfred Poole, Joseph Newton Smith and Henry Augustus Rawes.

For a short period Davies became a Roman Catholic, before rejoining the Church of England as a liberal.

In his later years Davies identified himself as a "broad churchman" and thought the church should tolerate a wide range of beliefs and practices.

Davies moved to Paris where he taught Classics and Modern English.

Spiritualism was in vogue in Paris at that time, and Davies' wife began experimenting with automatic writing.

His brother was also interested in spiritualism, and Davies himself was eventually convinced by the results of a seance.