Paschal Beverly Randolph facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paschal Beverly Randolph
Born	(1825-10-08)October 8, 1825 New York City, U.S.
Died	(1875-07-29)July 29, 1875 (aged 49) Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Mary Jane Randolph (m. 1850; div. 1864) Kate Corson (?–1875)

Paschal Beverly Randolph (born October 8, 1825 – died July 29, 1875) was an American doctor, writer, and a person interested in mysticism and Spiritualism. He is known for possibly being the first person to start a Rosicrucian group in the United States. Rosicrucians are part of a secret society focused on spiritual and mystical truths.

Early Life and Travels

Paschal Beverly Randolph was born in New York City. He grew up there and was baptized at the Church of the Transfiguration, Episcopal (Manhattan). He was a free Black man and his mother, Flora Beverly, had a mixed background including English, French, German, Native American, and African roots.

When he was young, his mother passed away, leaving him without a home or money. To support himself, he decided to become a sailor. From his teenage years until he was twenty, he worked on ships, which allowed him to travel all over the world.

During his travels, Randolph visited many places, including England, other parts of Europe, and even as far as Persia. These journeys sparked his interest in mysticism and the occult (which means hidden or secret knowledge). He studied with people who practiced folk magic and different religions. He also met and became friends with other people interested in these topics in England and Paris, France.

Career and Public Work

After his many travels, Randolph returned to New York City in September 1855. He gave a public talk to African Americans about the idea of moving to India. He believed that Black people faced many challenges in the United States at that time.

Once he stopped working as a sailor, Randolph began a public career as a speaker and writer. By his mid-twenties, he often appeared on stage as a trance medium, someone believed to communicate with spirits. He also advertised his services as a spiritual guide in magazines about Spiritualism. Like many Spiritualists of his time, he spoke out against slavery. After slavery was ended, he helped teach formerly enslaved people to read and write in New Orleans.

Besides his work as a trance medium, Randolph also trained to be a doctor. He wrote and published many books, both stories and guides, based on his ideas about health, Spiritualism, and the occult. He wrote over fifty books on magic and medicine and even started his own publishing company.

Randolph often used the pen name "The Rosicrucian" for his writings. In 1858, he founded the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis, which is the oldest Rosicrucian organization in the United States. Their first lodge (a meeting place) was opened in San Francisco in 1861.

Beliefs and Teachings

Randolph considered himself a Rosicrucian. He developed his own unique blend of "esoteric teachings," which are ideas meant for a small group of people with special knowledge. He worked mostly on his own to create these ideas.

Pre-Adamite Man

Randolph believed in pre-Adamism, which is the idea that humans existed on Earth before the biblical Adam. In 1863, he wrote a book called Pre-Adamite Man: demonstrating the existence of the human race upon the earth 100,000 thousand years ago! He published this book under the name Griffin Lee.

His book was special because it didn't just rely on the Bible. Randolph used many different sources from various world traditions, ancient religions, and esoteric knowledge. He claimed that Adam was not the first man and that pre-Adamite people lived on all continents between 35,000 and 100,000 years ago. Unlike other writers who thought pre-Adamites were like beasts, Randolph believed they were civilized people.

Personal Life

Paschal Beverly Randolph was a person who moved around a lot. He lived in many different places, including New York State, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Toledo, Ohio.

He married his first wife, Mary Jane, in 1850. She was of African or mixed-race background. They had three children together, but only one, Cora (born in 1854), lived to be an adult. They owned a farm in Stockbridge, New York for a few years. Mary Jane also worked as a healer and helped Paschal publish his books. Their marriage ended in 1864.

Later in his life, he married his second wife, Kate Corson, who was Irish-American. They had one child named Osiris Budh Randolph (1874–1929). Kate also worked as a medium and helped publish his books. After Randolph passed away, Kate Corson Randolph continued to publish his works through the Randolph Publishing Company until the early 1900s.

Death

Randolph passed away in Toledo, Ohio, when he was 49 years old. Official records from Lucus County Probate Court state that his death was accidental. He was succeeded as the leader of the Fraternitas by Freeman B. Dowd.

Influence and Legacy

Paschal Beverly Randolph had an impact on other spiritual and mystical groups, including the Theosophical Society and the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor.

For a long time, historians of esotericism (people who study hidden knowledge) didn't pay much attention to Randolph. However, in 1996, a biography about him was published, titled Paschal Beverly Randolph: A Nineteenth-Century Black American Spiritualist, Rosicrucian, and Magician. This book helped bring more attention to his important life and work.

Published Works

Randolph also edited newspapers like the Leader (Boston) and the Messenger of Light (New York) between 1852 and 1861. He also wrote for the Journal of Progress and Spiritual Telegraph.

Another work, "Affectional Alchemy and How It Works" (around 1870), is also believed to be written by Randolph.