Bedford School and The Panacea Society
Ivan Charles Barltrop, son of the well-known Panacea Society founder, Mabel Barltrop, and the Rev. Arthur Barltrop, attended Bedford School from 1906-1911.
On Albany Road in Bedford stands the house that was once predicted by Mabel Barltrop to be the future residence of the Messiah. This house, named “The Ark,” is situated on the same road as another property owned by the Barltrops and The Panacea Society.
The Barltrop family relocated to Bedford in 1905, primarily so that Arthur could be near his sister Helena ‘Lennie’ after she married prominent Bedfordian, Thomas Bull. Thomas, the son of the jeweller John Bull, had many roles in his life, but a few notable ones were that of Churchwarden to St Paul’s for many years and being one of the founders of the Bedford Rowing Club. Thomas passed away in 1910.
Arthur was too ill to work and passed away in 1906. Mabel was in hospital at the time of his death being treated for melancholia, and had a further 2 stays in hospital in 1915 and 1916. Mabel founded a Society in 1919 which she called the ‘Community of the Holy Ghost’ which was later called The Panacea Society. It was founded at 12 Albany Road, Bedford, which was believed to be the site of the Garden of Eden. Mabel declared herself the ‘daughter of God’, took the name of ‘Octavia’ and led Holy Communion in a room at No 12 until a chapel was built in the gardens. Several informative books delve into the Society’s history, and The Panacea Society maintains a comprehensive website.
For over a century, the society has played a significant role in the town’s history and has been actively involved in charitable endeavours, becoming an integral part of Bedford’s fabric. What remained unknown until recently was the connection between the Panacea Society and Bedford School.
Mabel and Arthur had four children: Eric, Ivan, Adrian, and Dilys. Ivan, the second eldest, was born in January 1892 in Dover, Kent. When his family moved to Bedford 
Ivan enrolled at Bedford School. A thorough examination of the School Archives has shed light on his school years and his post-school involvement with the OB Club.
Ivan boarded at St Cuthbert’s, was a member of his house Junior XV and Junior IV, and was in the 4th VIII. He took part in the School Regatta in 1910 rowing for the Day boys, beating the Boarders by 1 ½ lengths. He was also a member of his house rugby team. Later in life, he rowed for Queen’s College, Cambridge. Ivan and his mother were known for their charitable contributions, supporting the OB War Memorial Hall Fund and donating books to the library.
Ivan was a member of the ‘OBs at Cambridge’ group during his time at Queen’s, attending meetings to discuss School matters and listening to music and chatting. Records indicate his attendance at OB gatherings at the school including the Annual Dinner in 1913. Ivan served in the Royal Engineers during WW1, reaching the rank of Captain.
In 1920, Ivan married Violet Irene Shannon in Edinburgh, and the couple choose to emigrate to Canada. He took up a position as Assistant
Engineer for the Canada Land Irrigation Company in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and in 1922, had a son, John. Ivan later joined the Engineering Branch of the Provincial Public Works Department of British Columbia. The family never returned to Britain, and Ivan passed away in British Columbia in 1971.
Bedford School archives are digitised and free to access here: https://heritage.bedfordschool.org.uk/
Thank you to The Panacea Society for sharing the photographs of the Ivan rowing and also sitting on the window ledge of No 12 Albany Road.
Channel 4 made a fascinating documentary in 2002 called ‘The Panacea Society – Maidens of the Lost Ark (Bedford)’ that is a fascinating watch and well worth seeing. Follow link here.