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|name=British Occult Society | |name=British Occult Society | ||
|type=Occult investigation society | |type=Occult investigation society | ||
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== History == | == History == | ||
Manchester served as president of the BOS from June 1967 until its dissolution in 1988, during which time it was frequently described, including in J. Gordon Melton's ''The Vampire Book'', as an "occult investigation bureau." The Society maintained links with other British paranormal organisations of the period, including cross-membership with the Ghost Club Society; ghost-hunter and author Peter Underwood, long-time president of the Ghost Club, was also a member of the BOS until its dissolution. | Manchester served as president of the BOS from June 1967 until its dissolution in 1988, during which time it was frequently described, including in J. Gordon Melton's ''[[The Vampire Book (book)|The Vampire Book]]'', as an "occult investigation bureau." The Society maintained links with other British paranormal organisations of the period, including cross-membership with the Ghost Club Society; ghost-hunter and author Peter Underwood, long-time president of the [[Ghost Club]], was also a member of the BOS until its dissolution. | ||
The BOS's most publicly prominent case was its investigation into the [[Highgate Vampire]], beginning in early 1970, which Manchester led as the Society's president and which formed the basis of his widely known 1985 book, ''The Highgate Vampire''. | The BOS's most publicly prominent case was its investigation into the [[The Highgate Vampire|Highgate Vampire]], beginning in early 1970, which Manchester led as the Society's president and which formed the basis of his widely known 1985 book, ''[[The Highgate Vampire (book)|The Highgate Vampire]]''. | ||
== The Vampire Research Society == | == The Vampire Research Society == | ||
Latest revision as of 13:02, 5 August 2026
The British Occult Society (BOS) was a British organisation dedicated to the investigation of occult and paranormal phenomena, active from 1967 until its formal dissolution on 8 August 1988. It is best known for its role in the Highgate Vampire case of the early 1970s under the presidency of Sean Manchester.
History
Manchester served as president of the BOS from June 1967 until its dissolution in 1988, during which time it was frequently described, including in J. Gordon Melton's The Vampire Book, as an "occult investigation bureau." The Society maintained links with other British paranormal organisations of the period, including cross-membership with the Ghost Club Society; ghost-hunter and author Peter Underwood, long-time president of the Ghost Club, was also a member of the BOS until its dissolution.
The BOS's most publicly prominent case was its investigation into the Highgate Vampire, beginning in early 1970, which Manchester led as the Society's president and which formed the basis of his widely known 1985 book, The Highgate Vampire.
The Vampire Research Society
On 2 February 1970, the Society's vampire research unit became a self-governing body in its own right, founded by Manchester as the Vampire Research Society (VRS). The VRS continued to operate independently after the BOS's dissolution in 1988, and remains active under Manchester's presidency today. Membership, initially open, was restricted to invitation only from 1990 onward.
Rivalry over the name
The British Occult Society's name and legacy became a point of dispute between Manchester and David Farrant, who went on to found a separate organisation, the British Psychic and Occult Society (BPOS), in the early 1980s. Manchester's supporters have characterised Farrant's choice of name as a deliberate attempt to trade on the BOS's reputation; Farrant and his own supporters disputed this characterisation. The two organisations, and their respective founders, remained publicly at odds for decades afterward.