Dr. William Robert Woodman (1828– 20 December 1891), one of three co-founders of the

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn ( la, Ordo Hermeticus Aurorae Aureae), more commonly the Golden Dawn (), was a secret society devoted to the study and practice of occult Hermeticism and metaphysics during the late 19th and early 20th ce ...

Biography

Early years

Woodman was born in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in 1828. He studied medicine and was licensed in 1851 and volunteered as a surgeon during

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

's '' coup d'etat''. Afterwards, he set up his own practice at Stoke Newington where he also served as police surgeon. He had a love for

gardening Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture. In gardens, ornamental plants are often grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants, such as root vegetables, leaf vegetables, fruits ...

and was a prominent horticulturalist and flower exhibitor. Inheritance left him with some property in Exeter, he retired there in 1871 to pursue his gardening aspirations, but moved back to London in 1887. So admired was he in that field of expertise that after his death, the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

erected a memorial for his grave in Willesden.Woodman bio He was appointed Grand Sword Bearer of the

United Grand Lodge of England The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the governing Masonic lodge for the majority of freemasons in England, Wales and the Commonwealth of Nations. Claiming descent from the Masonic grand lodge formed 24 June 1717 at the Goose & Gridiron T ...

, and he held high rank in many Orders, including the Order of the Red Cross of Constantine.

The Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia

Dr. Woodman was admitted into the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia on 31 October 1867 and appointed to the office of Secretary General in February 1868. He was co-editor for the society's journal, The Rosicrucian. In 1876, he was appointed Junior Substitute Magus, and in 1877 he was appointed Senior Substitute Magus. When Robert Little died in April 1878, Woodman became Supreme Magus. Under Woodman, the Order expanded from London to the rest of England and was extending its influence to Australia and America. In 1887 he was given the honorary grade of Exempt Adept, of the Isis-Urania temple of the Golden Dawn, founded in 1888, in which he held the office of Imperator. His mottos in the Order were Magna est Veritas et Praelavebit (5=6, "Great is the Truth and it shall Prevail") and Vincit Omnia Veritas (7=4, "Truth Rules All"). Dr. Woodman died suddenly on 20 December 1891 in London after a brief illness. He left behind a letter naming

William Wynn Westcott William Wynn Westcott (17 December 1848 – 30 July 1925) was a coroner, ceremonial magician, theosophist and Freemason born in Leamington, Warwickshire, England. He was a Supreme Magus (chief) of the S.R.I.A and went on to co-found t ...

as his successor to the S.R.I.A. and donating a portion of his library to the society.

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Dr. Woodman is the least known among the three founders of the Golden Dawn because he died before the creation of the Golden Dawn's Second OrderF.King 1989, page 47 In the Golden Dawn, no one was appointed to take his place in the Triad of Chiefs: Westcott became Praemonstrator and

Mathers Mathers is an English surname and may refer to: * Edward Peter Mathers (1850–1924), British journalist and newspaper proprietor * Edward Powys Mathers (1892–1939), British translator and poet * George Mathers, 1st Baron Mathers (1886–1965), ...

, Imperator.

Notes

References