More Farrant Lite than Farrantite

Ramsey Campbell makes very little mention of David Farrant in his essay about Seán Manchester, which is strange in view of the fact that ultimately the source of much enmity communicated about the latter via others, notably Anthony Hogg, springs solely from the utterances of Farrant. What passing reference that is made is purely for use as a brickbat against the subject in question with Farrant receiving a sympathetic treatment in as much as he receives any treatment at all. Such gems as him having "the temerity to found the British Psychic and Occult Society, apparently in opposition to our investigator's British Occult Society, before (according to Manchester's account) he is convicted of interfering with corpses and sent to Blunderstone Prison." Is that what Seán Manchester wrote?

Here is the relevant extract from The Highgate Vampire (British Occult Society, 1985):

"In July 1976, almost exactly halfway through his sentence, Farrant was released on parole from Blunderstone Prison in Suffolk." That is found on page 80 of the first edition, and on page 82 of the same edition: "For the record, David Farrant was found guilty of malicious damage to a memorial, evidenced by chalk symbols on the floor of a mausoleum, and offering indignities to remains of the dead which was the result of being photographed next to a vandalised coffin in the terrace catacombs." He served his sentence in various prisons, Blunderstone being the last. These crimes resulted in two years of Farrant's four years and eight months sentence. In the first edition its author did not feel the other offences (not related directly to Highgate Cemetery) for which Farrant was found guilty, necessary for his narrative. The enlarged second edition, however, does include them.

Another mention is made of Farrant in Campbell's essay: "David Farrant has a last confrontation with him in a wood before they 'each dissolved into the night's shadows in opposite directions'." He is now quoting from Seán Manchester's From Satan To Christ (Holy Grail, 1988), a story about salvation.

The book was ridiculed in Shock Xpress, and both editions of Ramsey Campbell, Probably.

Does Seán Manchester describe a "confrontation"? This is what we actually find on page 73:

"The venue was a mist-shrouded Highgate Wood. He dodged between the trees and when convinced that I was alone made himself available. We strolled along the isolated paths until a seat was found in the middle of the wood. Only words were parried, and they were softly spoken. As night's canopy spread over the desolate spot bebeath the trees where we talked, I could not repress a sense of pity as the nervous Farrant gradually stammered his grievance. ... We spoke for several minutes in that fatal place still haunted by the memory of witchcraft, and indeed once the scene of his own peculiar brand of devilry. Walking slowly towards the exit I think we both sensed that this was our final meeting."

And so it transpired.

A final mention is made of Farrant in the essay: "Seán [Manchester] still has books in him. 1997 saw The Vampire Hunter's Handbook. ... Admittedly, it's the one about David Farrant and an identity crisis. The Handbook's author asks us 'Who knows what went through [Farrant's] mind as he listened to my improvised harmonic structures, accompanied by a perspiring rhythm section in that dimly lit venue for modern jazz aficionados?' Who indeed."

Once again, Campbell carefully omits a crucial piece of information, ie Seán Manchester was totally unaware of David Farrant's presence in the audience. He only learned about it at a later date.

Ramsey Campbell's raison d'être throughout his treatment of Seán Manchester, especially in Ramsey Campbell, Probably, is taking things out of context while omitting a crucial qualifying item which either makes sense of the extract, or completely alters what would be deduced when it is isolated.