1866 - 1936

One of the most famous readers of the Victorian era was William John Warner, who was best known by the name of "Cheiro". He was born in Bray, Ireland (just south of Dublin) to a French woman with some Greek blood. William's mother had married a man who Cheiro called "Count William de Hamon", but the name on Cheiro's birth certificate was Warner. Cheiro claimed to be the son of a Greek Nobleman, but many historians believe that he was really Romany (Gypsy).

Cheiro was described as a "charming, fascinating Irishman with a vivid imagination." After moving to England, he worked as a stage hand. He was known for telling many stories, one of which was the story of his being kidnapped as a child by Gypsies, who wanted to exploit his clairvoyant gifts.

Cheiro claimed that he discovered a rare book, written on human skin, about palmistry, and that he then further studied in Egypt and India to perfect his knowledge of palmistry. He opened a salon on New Bond Street in London, a fashionable district, and soon became the leading palmist of his time.

Cheiro claimed to have had a love affair with the fabulous spy Mata Hari, to have done work on behalf of the British Intelligence Service, to have had an encounter with the Russian Czar in 1904 and a battle of wills with the Russian monk Rasputin. Although none of these claims could be substantiated, they further added to Cheiro's growing reputation.

Cheiro traveled all over the world, performing readings for many famous people. Among his clients were British Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, U. S. President Grover Cleveland, Kings Edward VII and Edward VIII of England, General Horatio Herbert Kitchener, Leopold of Belgium, the Shah of Persia, Mark Twain, Sarah Bernhardt and Oscar Wilde.

Having an interest in the movie business, Cheiro moved to Hollywood in 1930 to work in the movie industry. He wrote some screenplays that were never produced. Although his popularity had waned, Cheiro was still performing readings until his death in Hollywood on October 8th, 1936.

During his career, Cheiro wrote a number of books on palmistry, many of which are still in print today. They include When Were You Born?; Palmistry, the Language of the Hand (first self-published in 1897); Cheiro's Book of Numbers; Cheiro's Book of World Predictions; and Cheiro's Palmistry for All. He also wrote a book on Astrology entitled You and Your Stars.

Cheiro did much to popularize the art of palmistry, and his adventures, whether real or fictitious, certainly make for a great story.

Sources: www.solsticepoint.com
www.johnsaintgermain.com
www.suite101.com
www.randi.org