Gerald William Balfour (2nd Earl of Balfour)

1853-1945

     SON OF James Balfour, brother of Tory Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, embryologist Francis Balfour, and of Eleanor Mildred Balfour (Eleanor Sidgwick) who married Henry Sidgwick in 1876. Educated at Eton and Trinity College in Cambridge. Elected Member of Parliament for Leeds in 1885, serving until 1906. He acted as Private Secretary to his brother (1885-6), was Chief Secretary for Ireland (1895-1900) and President of Board of Trade (1900-5). He succeeded his brother to the Earldom of Balfour in 1930.

Helped found the Society for Psychical Research in 1882 and contributed many important papers in the Proceedings of that Society, including:

• "A Study of the Psychological Aspects of Mrs Willet's Mediumship, and of the Statements of the Communicators Concerning Process" (Proc. 43, 1935, pp. 41-318)

• "Some Recent Scripts Affording Evidence of Personal Survival" (Proc. 27, 1914-15, pp. 221-43)

• "The Ear of Dionysius: Further Scripts Affording Evidence of Personal Survival" (Proc. 29, 1918, pp. 197-244). President of the SPR between 1906 and 1907.

He lived at Whittinghame House in East Lothian.