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The British Prohibitionists 1853–1872

A Biographical Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2008

Brian Harrison
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In his famous study of attitudes to the state in nineteenth-century England, Dicey described the period 1825–70 as “the period of Benthamism or Individualism”. Evangelicalism and Benthamism, he argued later, “represented the development in widely different spheres of the same fundamental principle, namely, the principle of individualism”. Only later did laissez faire fall into eclipse: “somewhere between 1868 and 1900 … changes took place which brought into prominence the authoritative side of Benthamite liberalism.” Dicey's interpretation has come under sustained attack during the last twenty years, and historians now pay more attention to the continuing momentum of state intervention from the 1830s, and to the collectivist aspect of Bentham's teaching. Yet Dicey's critics have ignored a movement which in some ways lends more support to their case than any other mid-Victorian development, and which draws attention to hitherto unappreciated virtues and defects of Dicey's account.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Review of Social History , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , December 1970 , pp. 375 - 467
Copyright
Copyright © Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis 1970

References

page 375 note 1 Dicey, A. V., Lectures on the Relation between Law and Public Opinion in England during the Nineteenth Century (1905), pp. 63, 399, 309.Google Scholar

page 376 note 1 Newman, F. W., in Alliance News, 16 06 1866, p. 190Google Scholar; Newman, F. W., Lecture on the Action and Reaction between Churches and the Civil Government (1860), p. 4;Google Scholar Pope, Alliance News, 28 Oct. 1865, p. 337; the organic metaphor is from Alliance Weekly News, 7 Nov. 1857.

page 376 note 2 Alliance News, 24 May 1873, p. 330; cf. ibid., 17 May 1873, p. 309; for Green, see ibid., 1 Apr. 1882, p. 193. Green's lecture is reprinted in ibid., 29 Jan. 1881, pp. 66–68.

page 378 note 1 For interesting recent examples of systematic biographical analysis, see W. F. Mandle, “The Leadership of the British Union of Fascists”, in: Australian Journal of Politics and History XII, No 3 (Dec. 1966); S. Budd, “The Loss of Faith. Reasons for Unbelief among Members of the Secular Movement in England, 1850–1950”, in: Past and Present, No 36 (Apr. 1967). I gratefully acknowledge here the generous help I have received from many British public libraries – especially from the central public libraries in Cardiff, Darlington, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. Without their help, this article could not have been written. W. H. Chaloner of Manchester University was kind enough to help me with information on Manchester prohibitionists. The history and structure of the United Kingdom Alliance up to 1872 are fully discussed in my forthcoming book Drink and the Victorians, Chapters 9–11, 16.

page 379 note 1 For successful North-South moves, see Nos 1, 66, 87, 140; for successful South-North moves, see Nos 52, 109, 175, 182, 200–202. For Scotsmen moving South, see Nos 27, 41, 71, 89, 93, 169.

page 380 note 1 Quotations from UKA, 5th Annual Report 1857, p. 11; J. R. Taylor, The Past, Present, and Future of the London Auxiliary of the United Kingdom Alliance (1867), pp. 14, 16, 37; Cobden, quo. in J. Morley, Life of Richard Cobden (11th ed., 1903), p. 279.

page 382 note 1 Jones, in People's Paper, 28 Aug. 1852, p. 1; W. Bagehot, Lord Palmerston at Bradford, in his Collected Works (Ed. N. St. J. Stevas) III (1968), p. 281.

page 382 note 2 For business trips abroad, see Appendix, Nos 24, 27, 75, 96, 134, 136, 148, 178, 190, 198, 204, 231. For shipping connexions, see Nos 30–34, 98, 150, 200– 202, 204, 210, 211, 220, 222.

page 384 note 1 G. W. E. Russell, Sir Wilfrid Lawson. A Memoir (1909), p. 74; cf. 3 Hansard 196, c. 645–6 (12 May 1869); 3 Hansard 278, c.1283 (27 Apr. 1883).

page 385 note 1 For the thirteen landowners, see Appendix, Nos 6, 7, 11, 12, 35, 37, 47, 136, 140,162, 229, 230, 234. For the knighthoods, see P. T. Winskill, The Temperance Movement and its Workers (1892), IV, p. 42.

page 385 note 2 Wilks, in Weekly Record, 28 June 1862, p. 273.

page 386 note 1 There were 36 teetotal MPs in 1885; see A. A. Reade, The House of Commons on Stimulants (1885), p. 8.

page 386 note 2 Lord Beeching quo. in Listener, 15 May 1969, p. 682; W. Lawson, Wit and Wisdom (2nd ed. 1886), p. 58; British Museum, Additional Mss 43649 (Cobden Papers), ff. 150–151: Cobden to Bright, 1 Oct. 1849.

page 386 note 3 For railway promoters, see Appendix, Nos 19, 21, 55, 70, 96, 98, 109, 125, 158, 199, 200, 201, 218, 224. For self-help careers, see Nos 25, 46, 48, 57, 76, 77, 93, 101, 109, 111, 122, 125, 130, 134, 210.

page 388 note 1 For Twelvetrees, see H. Mayhew, The Shops and Companies of London, VI (Aug. 1865), p. 191; cf. Bernhard Samuelson, in B. H. Harrison and B. S. Trinder, Drink and Sobriety in an Early Victorian Country Town. Banbury 1830–1860 [English Historical Review, Supplement, 1969], pp. 34–36.

page 388 note 2 For men of integrity, see Appendix, Nos 45, 67, 72, 82, 156, 173, 182, 197, 208, 219.

page 389 note 1 For benevolent employers, see Appendix, Nos 14, 33, 46, 57, 69, 98, 122, 152, 156, 204, 211, 219.

page 389 note 2 J. Pearce (Ed.), Joseph Livesey as Reformer and Teacher (2nd ed., 1887), pp. 31, 40. See also Mill, J. S., Representative Government (Everyman ed., 1960), pp. 208–9.Google Scholar For co-partnership schemes, see Appendix, Nos 48, 69, 76, 77, 122, 206.

page 390 note 1 Quotation from R. C. K. Ensor, England 1870–1914 (1936), p. 409; see also National Temperance League, Annual Report 1892–3, p. 24.

page 390 note 2 Anon., Inquiry into the Causes of the Present Long-Continued Depression in the Cotton Trade (3rd ed., 1869), p. 12; cf. Winskill, P. T., The Temperance Movement and its Workers (1892), I, p. 70.Google Scholar

page 390 note 3 James Clark, in Alliance News, 21 Oct. 1871, p. 667; Hoyle, ibid., p. 666. For Pope, see Alliance Weekly News, 4 Apr. 1857 (Supplement). For the Peases, see Select Committee of the House of Lords on Intemperance [Pari. Papers, 1877, (418) XI], Q. 8490.

page 391 note 1 Bradley's letter is in Alliance House, UKA Executive Committee Ms. Minute Book 1871–73, entry for 6 Sept. 1871; Pope, in Alliance News, 21 Oct. 1871, p. 666; cf. the “Fighting Fivers” advertisement in New Statesman, 27 June 1969, p. 899.

page 391 note 2 Economist, 7 July 1855, p. 728; Alliance Weekly News, 7 May 1859, p. 781. For Ernest Jones' funeral, see Wilson, Benjamin, The Struggles of an Old Chartist (Halifax, n.d.), p. 35.Google Scholar

page 392 note 1 Churchill, in Alliance News, 2 Apr. 1870, p. 109.

page 392 note 2 National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, Combe Mss 7365, f. 89: Lovett to Combe, 25 Nov. 1857. For more on the temperance zeal of beleaguered labour aristocrats, see my “Pubs in Victorian Towns”, in: M. Wolff and H. J. Dyos (Eds), The Victorian City (forthcoming).

page 393 note 1 Lovett, in Bee-Hive, 18 July 1868, p. 1; J. M. McKerrow, Memoir of William McKerrow, D.D. (1881), p. 259. For Brazier, see Alliance News, 30 July 1870, p. 246; Brazier is discussed at some length in B. H. Harrison and B. S. Trinder, op. cit., pp. 11, 45–46.

page 394 note 1 For the meetings, see University College, London, Brougham Mss: Pope to Brougham, 14 Oct. 1859. For opinion polls, see H. Cantril, Gauging Public Opinion (Princeton, 1944), p. 3; L. W. Doob, Public Opinion and Propaganda (New York, 1948), p. 151; I am most grateful to Dr D. E. Butler, Nuffield College, Oxford, for help on this point. For Roebuck, see 3 Hansard 171, c. 311 (3 June 1863).

page 394 note 2 Quotation from Card, in Select Committee of the House of Commons on Public Houses, Q. 1954; Pope, letter to Stanley, 26 Sept. 1856, printed in The Stanley-Pope Discussion (Manchester, n.d.).

page 394 note 3 Alliance News, 13 June 1863, p. 188.

page 395 note 1 W. Bagehot, The Death of Lord Brougham, in his Collected Works, III (1968), p. 196; Lawson, in Alliance News, 22 Apr. 1865, p. 125; cf. Matthew Arnold, Culture and Anarchy (Ed. J. Dover Wilson, Cambridge, 1950), p. 135. For Coop, see Appendix, No 112. For repressed tempers, see Nos 14, 67, 110, 112, 182.

page 396 note 1 For Lawson, see G. W. E. Russell, op.cit., p. 261.

page 396 note 2 J. S. Mill, quo. in J. M. Robson, The Improvement of Mankind (1968), p. 269. For eccentrics, see Appendix, Nos 14, 37, 42, 53, 112, 136, 171, 195.

page 396 note 3 Viscount Gladstone, After Thirty Years (1928), p. 56; for athletes, see Appendix, Nos 78,124.

page 397 note 1 Quotation from W. H. Mills, The Manchester Reform Club. 1871–1921 (Manchester, 1922), p. 11. For puritans, see Appendix, Nos 38, 77, 152, 161, 204, 219. For retiring natures, see Nos 33, 54, 61, 76, 152, 153, 168, 182. See also Nos 103, 110. For cheerful puritans, see Nos 7, 53, 57, 97, 174.

page 398 note 1 Southport Visiter, 5 July 1887; for key local personalities, see Appendix, Nos 12, 18, 19, 24, 25, 27, 29, 46, 48, 57, 69, 75, 81, 83, 89, 93, 95, 103, 109, 136, 143, 150, 158, 161, 167, 185, 189, 191, 197, 200, 201, 202, 210, 224, 225, 227, 229.

page 398 note 2 For intellectuals, see Appendix, Nos 2, 27, 29, 33, 38, 42, 53, 55, 67, 73, 89, 90, 93, 95, 122, 123, 136, 141, 144, 148, 168, 169, 173, 174, 185, 186, 198, 206, 210, 214, 222, 225, 229. For mechanics' institutes, see Nos 22, 23, 48, 52, 93, 158, 186, 197. For local antiquarians, see Nos 2, 185, 186. For promoters of music, see Nos 28, 222; for patrons of art, see Nos 2, 29, 136, 224.

page 399 note 1 For theologians, see Nos 29, 33, 38, 90.

page 399 note 2 Quotations from G. W. E. Russell, Basil Wilberforce. A Memoir (1917), p. 55; cf. A. W. Hutton, Cardinal Manning (1892), p. 248; R. M. Macleod, “Law, Medicine and Public Opinion: the Resistance to Compulsory Health Legislation 1870–1907”, in: Public Law, 1967, pp. 195, 121. For F. W. Newman quotation, see Boston Public Library, Newman-Sargant Collection: Newman to Sargant, 11 Feb. 1876 (microfilm copy). For vegetarians, see Appendix, Nos 42, 59, 81, 148, 206, 226. For non-smokers, see Nos 37, 42, 46, 57, 67, 81. 92, 93, 150. For air pollution, see Nos 93, 154.

page 400 note 1 Blatchford, in Alliance News, 14 Aug. 1902, p. 522.

page 402 note 1 For the British Temperance League, see Nos 18, 48, 103, 160, 198. For the Sunday Closing Association, see Nos 21, 75, 99, 160. For the Scottish Temperance League, see Nos 219, 224. For the National Temperance League, see Nos 143, 150. For the Church of England Temperance Society, see Nos 99, 149. For the Band of Hope, see Nos 13, 127, 138, 146, 150, 165, 192.

page 402 note 2 Sylvia Pankhurst, The Life of Emmeline Pankhurst (1935), p. 25; cf. G. B. Shaw, Epistle Dedicatory to A. B. Walkley, in his Man and Superman (Constable ed. 1930), p. xv. For the American civil war, see W. Farish, Autobiography (privately printed, 1889), pp. 117–118; cf. Meliora, IV, No 16, p. 384; V, No 18, p. 192; and Appendix, Nos 82, 102; but see also No 211. For prostitute reclaimers, see Nos 24, 29, 38, 96. For Josephine Butler's supporters, see Nos 7, 24, 29, 38, 42, 93, 95, 123, 164, 181, 206.

page 403 note 1 See Appendix, Nos 3, 5, 8, 9, 36, 59, 62, 64, 110, 118, 142, 151, 159, 166, 203, 207.

page 403 note 2 UKA, Address to the Ladies of Great Britain and Ireland (1854), p. 2. In calculating women's donations from the subscription-lists, it has been assumed that the only female donors are those whose names are prefixed by “Mrs.” or “Miss”.

page 404 note 1 Newman, quo. in I. G. Sieveking, Memoir … of Francis W. Newman (1909), p. 139. For tract distributors, see Nos 34, 52, 78, 118, 121, 150, 160, 169, 204. For counter-attractions to the public-house, see Nos 11, 52, 61, 90, 107, 109, 130, 146, 149, 153.

page 404 note 2 For opponents of Home Rule, see Nos 21, 28, 98, 125, 204, 214; for Home Rulers, see Nos 7, 152, 175; cf. R. C. K. Ensor, “The Evolution of Joseph Chamberlain”, in: Spectator, 3 July 1936, p. 7.

page 405 note 1 For housing reformers, see Nos 46, 52, 119, 123, 137, 152, 178, 200, 204; for water reformers, see Nos 48, 98; for sanitary reformers, Nos 58, 93, 138, 185, 214, 229; for hospitals, Nos 28, 48, 107, 123, 154, 165, 171, 175, 178, 182, 185, 191; for factory hours, Nos 46, 55, 73, 125, 219.

page 405 note 2 H. J. Hanham, “The General Election of 1868. A Study in the Bases of Mid-Victorian Politics” (Cambridge unpublished Ph.D. thesis, 1953), p. III–6. For examples, see Appendix, Nos 41, 45, 61, 143, 175, 178, 181, 197.

page 406 note 1 E. Edwards, Personal Recollections of Birmingham (Birmingham, 1877), p. 122; for the Conservative prohibitionists, see Nos 24, 54, 73, 75, 151, 156, 185, 234.

page 407 note 1 Josephine Butler quo. in my article “Philanthropy and the Victorians”, in: Victorian Studies, June 1966, p. 362. For family tragedies, see Appendix, Nos 5 and 90, 67, 110, 144, 156.

page 408 note 1 A. Townson, Benjamin Townson (n.d.), p. 79; cf. W. L. Burn, The Age of Equipoise (1964), p. 7. For prominent laymen, see Appendix, Nos 19, 29, 35, 38, 48, 54, 55, 75, 82, 107, 110, 127, 150, 152, 161, 167, 168, 169, 173, 175, 182, 195, 202, 205.

page 408 note 2 On Cadbury, see B. H. Harrison and B. S. Trinder, op.cit. pp. 37-38. For Quakers, see The Friend, July 1853, p. 112; Nov. 1854, p. 207; Aug. 1855, p. 147; Apr. 1857, p. 70; 1 Oct. 1865, p. 215; 1 Feb. 1866, p. 35; but see ibid., Jan. 1854, p. 12, and July 1855, p. 128.

page 408 note 3 For relationships, see Nos 5 and 90; 7, 8 and 9; 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23; 32, 33 and 34; 35 and 36; 59 and 81; 61, 138, 152, 153 and 154; 88 and 89; 92 and 93; 98, 99 and 100; 142 and 144; 164, 165 and 166; 189 and 190; 200, 201 and 202; 207, 208, 209 and 210.

page 409 note 1 For Manning's motives, see B. H. Harrison and A. E. Dingle, “Cardinal Manning as Temperance Reformer”, in: Historical Journal, 1969. For anti-Catholics, see Appendix, Nos 24, 75; but see also the unsectarian prohibitionists: Nos21,81,136,147,152, 206, 232.

page 410 note 1 For conversions to dissent, see Appendix, Nos 14, 37, 42, 90, 111, 161. For naturalized Englishmen, see Nos 95, 155, 157, 203. The Anglicans in the sample are Nos 7, 24, 27, 31, 73, 75, 80, 99, 124, 136, 149, 156, 185, 192.

page 411 note 1 J. G. Shaw, Life of William Gregson. Temperance Advocate (Blackburn, 1891), pp. 172–3.

page 412 note 1 For personal charity, see Nos 18, 34, 41, 78, 90, 102, 137, 138, 139, 143, 150, 160, 161, 204, 224. For sacrifice of business profits, see Nos 37, 138, 152, 160, 191, 204, 206. See also the many conscientious refusals of office in the sample: Nos 7, 19, 42, 61, 97, 152, 153, 181, 185, 204, 210.

page 412 note 2 A. V. Dicey, Law and Opinion, p. 400.

page 413 note 1 Quotations from F. R. Lees, Alliance Prize Essay (3rd ed., 1857), pp. 20, 19; W. Wilks, The Two Last Speeches … (UKA 1864), p. 9.

page 413 note 2 Alliance News, 7 Sept. 1872, p. 648.

page 413 note 3 Economist, 21 June 1856, p. 673; 15 Mar. 1856, pp. 280–281; 29 Mar. 1856, p. 336; People's Paper, 30 Sept. 1854; J. Clay, “On the Effect of Good or Bad Times on Committals to Prison”, in: Journal of the Statistical Society of London, XVIII (Mar. 1855), p. 74.

page 414 note 1 Sussex County Record Office, Cobden Mss, No 20: Cobden to Rev. W. R. Arthy, 7 Feb. 1854; Samuel Pope, in The Alliance, 30 May 1855, p. 397.

page 414 note 2 UKA, 10th Annual Report 1862, p. 3.

page 414 note 3 Alliance Weekly News, 7 Sept. 1861, p. 1265: Brougham Mss, Pope to Brougham, 14 Oct. 1859; cf. Transactions of the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science, 1859 (1860), p. 34; see also B. Rodgers, “The Social Science Association 1857–1886”, in: Manchester School of Economic and Social Studies, XX (Sept. 1952), p. 305; A. V. Dicey, Law and Opinion, pp. 302–9.

page 415 note 1 A. V. Dicey, op.cit. pp. 175, 173.

page 415 note 2 Ibid., pp. 64, 304, 309.

page 415 note 3 Tait's Magazine, quo. in The Friend, Jan. 1856, p. 15.

page 415 note 4 A. V. Dicey, op.cit., p. 175; UKA Monthly Papers, Liberty and the Liquor Traffic (1859), pp. 4–5.Google Scholar

page 416 note 1 Hill, M. D., quo. in R., and Hill, F., The Recorder of Birmingham (1878), p. 276;Google Scholar cf. Pope, in The Stanley-Pope Discussion, Pope's letter dated 26 Sept. 1856.

page 416 note 2 Quotation from Meliora, II, No 8, p. 345 (c.1861).

page 416 note 3 Quotations from Rev. J. T. Baylee, in Select Committee of the House of Commons on Public Houses, Q. 235; N. Card, ibid., Q. 1954.

page 417 note 1 Broadbent, quo. in Winskill, P. T., Temperance Movement and its Workers, IV, p. 213.Google Scholar

page 417 note 2 Cobden, R., Speeches on Questions of Public Policy (Ed. Bright, J. and Rogers, J. E. T., 1870), I, p. 363Google Scholar; Gooch, G. P., The Life of Lord Courtney (1920), p. 462;Google Scholar see also Young, G. M., Portrait of an Age (1960 paperback ed.), p. 115.Google Scholar

page 417 note 3 Abbreviations: CD Acts = Contagious Diseases Acts; Congr. = Congrega-tionalist; Presb. = Presbyterian.

page 418 note 1 M. D. Hill, quo. in R. and F. Hill, The Recorder of Birmingham (1878), p. 276; cf. Pope, in The Stanley-Pope Discussion, Pope's letter dated 26 Sept. 1856.

page 418 note 2 Quotation from Meliora, II, No 8, p. 345 (c. 1861).

page 418 note 3 Quotations from Rev. J. T. Baylee, in Select Committee of the House of Commons on Public Houses, Q. 235; N. Card, ibid., Q. 1954.

page 419 note 1 Broadbent, quo. in P. T. Winskill, Temperance Movement and its Workers, IV, p. 213.

page 419 note 2 R. Cobden, Speeches on Questions of Public Policy (Ed. J. Bright and J. E. T. Rogers, 1870), I, p. 363; G. P. Gooch, The Life of Lord Courtney (1920), p. 462; see also G. M. Young, Portrait of an Age (1960 paperback ed.), p. 115.

page 419 note 3 Abbreviations: CD Acts = Contagious Diseases Acts; Congr. = Congregationalist; Presb. = Presbyterian.