The inaugural meeting was held on 4th October 1946 at the home of Delage, 15 Fairfield Avenue, Bath. Among those present were Delage, Wilfrid Tyler, Leonard Marshall, Harry Hall, Tom Hayes, Tom Donovan, Harry Vernon, Lieut. Hook, and Fred Castle. Delage explained his idea of forming a magical society and after some discussion it was decided that this should be done. and should be called the Bath Circle of Magicians. The officers were then chosen who were Chairman, Fred Castle, Hon Sec, Delage, Hon. Treasurer Leonard Marshall.
It was considered that the most magical thing connected with Bath was the hot spring and so the emblem of the circle would be a hand holding a wand over the hot spring. It was agreed that the circle should affiliate to the National Association of Magical Societies and that meetings would take place monthly at Oldfield Boys School (member Fred Castle was the Headmaster at the time). The Society performed and presented over 20 shows between its formation in 1946 and 1955. (The paragraphs above are a copy of the record of the first meeting probably typed by Fred Castle in 1955)
The record doesn’t show that a President was appointed at the first meeting but we know that The first President was Evelyn Francis Edward Seymour the 17th Duke of Somerset DSO, OBE, JP, DL, MIMC who from 1935 – 1954 who was also President of The Magic Circle in London. Born in 1882, he joined The Magic Circle in 1907. After attending the Royal Military College Sandhurst he saw service in the South African War and the First World War when he was mentioned in dispatches.
The Circle enters its 80th season in 2026.
PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE BATH CIRCLE OF MAGICIANS.
1946 – 1954 HIS GRACE THE DUKE of SOMERSET
1954 – 1968 T.B. DONOVAN
1968 – 1969 S.A. BUSSELL
1969 – 1972 B.J. TRANAH
1972 – 1975 G.V. PHILLIPS
1975 – 1983 D.R. ELLIOTT
1983 – 1986 J.W. ISAACS
1986 – 1989 D. MANSI
1989 – 1990 S.R. LANE
1990 – 1993 D.R. ELLIOTT
1993 – 1994 T. GRIFFITH
1994 – 1995 S.R. LANE
1995 – 1996 R.D. ROSE
1996 – 1999 D.A. PAYNE
1999 – 2000 D.R. ELLIOTT
2000 – 2002 A. FARRELL
2002 – 2004 A. BURHOLT
2004 – 2007 D. ALEXANDER
2007 – 2010 D. MANSI
2010 – 2012 S.R. LANE
2012 – 2014 J.W. ISAACS
2014 – 2015 D. MUSTOE
2015 – 2018 G. MAIDMENT
2018 – 2025 R. NICOT
2026 – P.L.T PREAGER