[I have linked several brief excerpts from John Evelyn Barlas, A Critical Biography to my review of that book, so readers can have examples of the author's work. — George P. Landow]

Anarchistic theory had been eloquently advanced in England as early as William Godwin, and self-acknowledged Anarchism took up residence there as numerous adherents fled the Continent following the failed revolutions of 1848, But not until the mid-1880s did a credible movement bearing the title emerge in England, Anarchist propaganda with an Individualist leaning, based on Proudhons writings, probably entered England via America in the pages of Benjamin Tucker s newspaper, Liberty. Largely under its influence, Henry Seymour established relationships with Anarchists at home and on the Continent and, in March 1885, he began publishing his own journal, the Anarchist, which by the end of the year may have had a circulation of approximately 1,000 It soon became a recognized brand name among the Anarchists in the SL, and it even reached the sedate parlors of some Fabians. The nascent movement gathered force when Kropotkin, who had visited England in 1876, took up permanent residence in exile in March 1886, with encouragement from Mrs. Charlotte Wilson, who had become an Anarchist by 1884. She took an interest in Seymour and the Anarchist. [94]

Bibliography

Cohen, Philip. John Evelyn Barlas, A Critical Biography: Poetry, Anarchism, and Mental Illness in Late-Victorian Britain. Rivendale Press, 2012. [review]


Last modified 5 December 2012