Bradlaugh, Charles

Bradlaugh, Charles

▪ British radical
born September 26, 1833, London, England
died January 30, 1891, London
 British radical and atheist, a freethinker in the tradition of Voltaire and Thomas Paine (Paine, Thomas), prominent throughout most of the second half of the 19th century for his championship of individual liberties.

      Son of a poor legal clerk, Bradlaugh served in the British army (1850–53), followed his father's occupation for a time, and then became an antireligious lecturer under the name of Iconoclast. In 1860 he took over the editorship of the periodical National Reformer, which was prosecuted (1868–69) for alleged blasphemy and sedition. From 1874 to about 1885 he was closely associated with Annie Besant (Besant, Annie), an advocate of numerous radical causes. In 1876 the Bristol publisher of Fruits of Philosophy, a birth-control pamphlet by Charles Knowlton, a physician in the United States, was given a light sentence for selling an indecent work. To vindicate their ideas of freedom, Bradlaugh and Besant republished the book in London in 1877 and circulated it aggressively, incurring much more severe penalties. Their indictments were nullified on a technical point, however.

      In 1880 Bradlaugh, campaigning as a radical, was elected to the House of Commons. For more than five years, however, he was denied his seat because he asked to be allowed to affirm rather than to take the religious oath of Parliament. During that period he was reelected three times and later offered to take the oath but was forbidden to do so until finally, in January 1886, permission was granted and he was seated. By that time public opinion had swung in his favour, and Bradlaugh himself, who opposed Socialism, appeared increasingly conservative.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • BRADLAUGH, CHARLES —    a social reformer on secularist lines, born in London; had a chequered career; had for associate in the advocacy of his views Mrs. Annie Besant; elected M.P. for Northampton thrice over, but not allowed to sit till he took the oath, which he… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • BRADLAUGH, Charles — (1833 1891)    Free thinker and follower of Thomas PAINE. Made a name for himself as a lecturer under the title of Iconoclast. Became President of the London SECULAR SOCIETY (1858 1890). From 1860 he ran the National Reformer in defense of free… …   Concise dictionary of Religion

  • Charles Bradlaugh — MP Member of Parliament for Northampton In office 1880–1891 Preceded by …   Wikipedia

  • Charles Bradlaugh — Naissance 26 septembre 1833 Hoxton …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Bradlaugh — Charles Bradlaugh Charles Bradlaugh (* 26. September 1833 in London; † 30. Januar 1891 in London) war ein bedeutender britischer Politiker, Autor und Journalist …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Charles Bradlaugh — (* 26. September 1833 in London; † 30. Januar 1891 in London) war ein britischer Politiker, Autor und Journalist …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Charles Bradlaugh — Charles Bradlaugh. Charles Bradlaugh (26 de septiembre de 1833 – 30 de enero de 1891) fue un activista político y uno de los más famosos ateos ingleses del Siglo XIX. Bibliografía Who Was Jesus Christ, and What Did He Tea …   Wikipedia Español

  • Charles Watts (secularist) — Charles Watts Born 27 February 1835(1835 02 27) Bristol, England Died 16 February 1906(1906 02 16) (aged 70) England Occupation Writer, lecturer, publisher …   Wikipedia

  • Charles Knowlton — Born May 10, 1800 Died February 20, 1850 Nationality …   Wikipedia

  • Charles Albert Watts — Born 27 May 1858(1858 05 27) London, England Died 15 May 1946(1946 05 15) (aged 87) England Occupation Editor, publisher Notable relatives …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”