REPORTS suggested that two of the older witches did die soon after a series of rituals against an invasion conducted in the New Forest in the summer of 1940.
Although the details are a little sketchy, it seems that a large number of witches marked a circle of about nine feet between the trees into which was placed a large pile of brushwood with a lantern in the centre.
The magical power came from the people themselves. In some way, not fully explained, this force was formed into a cone, which could be directed at the mind of Adolf Hitler. Cynics will scoff, but history records that there was no invasion.
A short while afterwards, Gardner himself suffered from a return of his asthma, which is said to have a high incidence amongst occultists.
This man is now widely regarded as "the father" of modern witchcraft, a movement which draws heavily on the ancient pagan traditions, blended with folk-wisdom, a love of the land and all it offers, natural medicines, astrology and a hotch-potch of beliefs and superstitions.
He had been born into an affluent home, the Glen on The Serpentine, Blundellsands, Crosby, the son of Robert William Gardner, a partner in the firm of Joseph Gardner and Sons, founded in 1748, which advanced from block and mast making to become the world's largest importer of hardwood.
By the time of Gerald Brosseau Gardner's birth on June 13, 1884, the family fortune was well-established, making them part of that Victorian elite, who claimed Liverpool to be the second city of the British Empire.
They lived in a fine house near the sea, but the boy's poor health was a cause of concern to the family and, on the suggestion of their doctor, they decided to send him abroad to avoid the English winters.
So it was that the four-year-old Gerald and his nanny, Josephine McCombie ("Com"), began cruising the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands, financed by the family.
During this time he received no formal education, but it seems that he learned to read and write, cultivating an interest in weapons. He was also fascinated by native religions, particularly the notion of reincarnation.
People recognised something of the philosopher in this boy, who had deep and sincere spiritual leanings.
Com and Gardner were close and there has been some speculation about the nature of their relationship. She would have been responsible for disciplining a boy, separated from his family and normal schooling.
In later life, Gardner was an enthusiastic naturist who celebrated the human body and found nudity to be a liberating experience. This, of course, extended into the ceremonies of witchcraft, most of which are conducted in the nude.
In 1896, Com married a tea-planter in Ceylon and Gardner went to join them with the approval of his family. He worked on a plantation, learning about tea and Buddhism.
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