Henry Harvey Vivian
Encyclopedia
Henry Harvey Vivian was an English trade unionist, Lib–Lab
, later
Liberal Party
politician and campaigner for industrial democracy
and co-partnership, especially noted for his work in co-partnership housing
.
, Devon
, not far from Dartmoor
, the son of William Henry Vivian, a carpenter. He was educated at the local Church of England or 'national' school
and following a period as an apprentice to a local carpenter
, he moved to London for work. In August 1894, he married Harriett Helen Sturgeon, the daughter of an Inland Revenue
supervisor. Together with their daughter they lived in Burgoyne Road, Harringay
.
Vivian's spiritual beliefs appear to have been very much in line with his political ones. John Burns
, on opening a new recreation ground at Brentham
in June 1908, described him as a practical mystic
Society of Carpenters and Joiners.
, a campaigning secretary of the Labour Co-partnership Association, chairman of the Co-partnership Tenants’ Housing Council and of Co-partnership Tenants Ltd. He also co-founded and edited the journal Labour Co-partnership.
in the Pitshanger
area of Ealing
following the philosophy of the garden city movement
promoted by Ebenezer Howard
. Brentham featured a social institute, library, tennis courts and a bowling green. In addition the houses were designed with large gardens and the house attracted interest from British and foreign urban planners. He was chairman on the project's management body, Ealing Tenants Ltd from its inception in 1901. Although he resigned the chairmanship in 1911, he remained on the committee until his death. At the invitation of the Governor-General, Vivian made a tour of Canada in 1910 to promote similar schemes and lecture on town planning, housing conditions, sanitation
and public health
. Co-Partnership Tenants Ltd went on to play an important role in the development of the garden city of Letchworth
and of Hampstead Garden Suburb
.
Liberal not a socialist. While he did not believe in votes for women, as his support for co-partnership demonstrated, he believed in the Liberal virtues of self-reliance, self-help and freedom from state interference. But his origins and trade union history meant he was first elected to Parliament at the 1906 general election
as a Lib–Lab candidate for Birkenhead
, in Cheshire. Vivian later tried to distance himself from the Lib-Lab description, wishing to be regarded as an orthodox Liberal. He and his Lib-Lab colleague, Burnley
MP Frederick Maddison
became increasingly estranged from the official Labour Party
in Parliament and they opposed the movement of Lib–Lab MPs into the Labour Party in 1908. They voted against what they saw as socialist measures such as the Unemployed Workmen Bill which placed a duty on local committees to provide work or relief for the unemployed. Vivian held his Birkenhead
seat at the general election of January 1910, albeit by the narrow margin of 144 votes. In December 1910 however, when he was subject to attacks from the left accusing him of being ‘the workers’ enemy’ and urging socialists to vote against him, he lost to the Unionists
.
in 1911 when the Liberal MP for South Somerset
, Sir Edward Strachey
, was given a peerage, causing a by-election
. Vivian, now having abandoned his connection with Labour, was adopted as Liberal candidate. South Somerset had been a Liberal seat since its creation in 1885
and Strachey had been MP for the constituency since 1892
but the size of his majorities had been decreasing since 1906 and the Conservative candidate in the by-election, Aubrey Herbert
, had the advantage of being known in the area, having been the candidate in both the general elections of 1910. The election seems to have fought mostly on the issue of the National Insurance Act
. On 13 November, in a portent of things to come, the Unionists won a Liberal seat in a by-election at Oldham
. Herbert entered polling day in a mood of great optimism and duly emerged as the new MP with a majority of 148 votes over Vivian.
in 1917. At the 1918 general election
he faced a four-cornered contest there standing as an Independent Asquithian
Liberal but was not successful. He next fought Northampton
at the 1922 general election
again as an Independent Liberal in a three-cornered contest with a Lloyd George
National Liberal
and Labour
. The National Liberal topped the poll and Vivian lost his deposit
.
the two wings of the Liberal Party had re-united and Vivian was chosen as candidate for Totnes
in his home county of Devon. He beat the sitting Tory
MP Samuel Harvey by a majority of 502 votes. However this margin was too narrow to hold against a resurgent Conservative Party at the 1924 election
and Harvey regained the seat. Vivian did not stand for Parliament again but remained interested in Liberal politics as an active member of Hornsey Liberal Association.
on Canals and Waterways. He was a member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Housing and Town Planning and of a Home Office
Departmental Committee on Accidents in Factories and Workshops. After the First World War, Vivian became an enthusiastic supporter of the League of Nations and he was chairman of his local branch of the League of Nations Union
in Hornsey
.
.
Liberal-Labour (UK)
The Liberal–Labour movement refers to the practice of local Liberal associations accepting and supporting candidates who were financially maintained by trade unions...
, later
Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician and campaigner for industrial democracy
Industrial democracy
Industrial democracy is an arrangement which involves workers making decisions, sharing responsibility and authority in the workplace. While in participative management organizational designs workers are listened to and take part in the decision-making process, in organizations employing industrial...
and co-partnership, especially noted for his work in co-partnership housing
Co-partnership housing movement
Housing co-partnership was a social movement that developed alongside the garden city movement in Britain between 1900 and 1914 and which financed and built most of the suburbs and villages associated with that movement...
.
Biography
Vivian was born in CornwoodCornwood
Cornwood is a village and civil parish in the South Hams in Devon, England. It has a population of 988.- Religion :The Church of St Michael's is Cornwood's parish church....
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, not far from Dartmoor
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
, the son of William Henry Vivian, a carpenter. He was educated at the local Church of England or 'national' school
National Society for Promoting Religious Education
The National Society for Promoting Religious Education, often just referred to as the National Society, is a Church of England body in England and Wales for the promotion of church schools and Christian education....
and following a period as an apprentice to a local carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, he moved to London for work. In August 1894, he married Harriett Helen Sturgeon, the daughter of an Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
supervisor. Together with their daughter they lived in Burgoyne Road, Harringay
Harringay
Harringay is a residential area of North London, part of the London Borough of Haringey, United Kingdom. It is centred on the section of Green Lanes running between the northern boundary of Finsbury Park up to the southern boundary of Duckett's Common, not far from Turnpike Lane.-Location:The...
.
Vivian's spiritual beliefs appear to have been very much in line with his political ones. John Burns
John Burns
John Elliot Burns was an English trade unionist and politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly associated with London politics. He was a socialist and then a Liberal Member of Parliament and Minister. He was anti-alcohol and a keen sportsman...
, on opening a new recreation ground at Brentham
Brentham Garden Suburb
Brentham Garden Suburb near Pitshanger in Ealing was the first garden suburb in London to be built in cooperative principles, predating the larger and better-known Hampstead Garden Suburb by some years...
in June 1908, described him as a practical mystic
Practical Mysticism
The ideas of Practical Mysticsim were embodied in the eponymous 1915 work of Evelyn Underhill. In that work Underhill sets out her belief spiritual life is part of our human nature and as such is available to every human being...
Trade unionist
Like his father, Vivian was a carpenter by trade and became an active trade union organiser. He was for a time President of the PimlicoPimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
Society of Carpenters and Joiners.
Co-partnership
He was a strong believer in the ideals of the cooperative movement being a member of the Central Board of the Cooperative Congress for the London region and of co-partnership in industry and society which he believed made industrial harmony more likely as employees gained a direct stake in the ownership and success (through profit-sharing) of the companies for which they worked. He was a leader in the co-partnership housing movementCo-partnership housing movement
Housing co-partnership was a social movement that developed alongside the garden city movement in Britain between 1900 and 1914 and which financed and built most of the suburbs and villages associated with that movement...
, a campaigning secretary of the Labour Co-partnership Association, chairman of the Co-partnership Tenants’ Housing Council and of Co-partnership Tenants Ltd. He also co-founded and edited the journal Labour Co-partnership.
Urban planner
Vivian set up a company called General Builders Ltd., a practical venture into co-partnership with the aim of providing its members with work and accommodation. One of Vivian’s most enduring achievements was the building of the Brentham Garden SuburbBrentham Garden Suburb
Brentham Garden Suburb near Pitshanger in Ealing was the first garden suburb in London to be built in cooperative principles, predating the larger and better-known Hampstead Garden Suburb by some years...
in the Pitshanger
Pitshanger Village
Pitshanger Village is a small but busy local centre, centred around the shops in Pitshanger Lane, located about 1 mile north of Ealing Broadway in West London. It contains numerous small shops, several cafes, two pubs, two churches, a school, and a park , and is often taken to also include parts of...
area of Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
following the philosophy of the garden city movement
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...
promoted by Ebenezer Howard
Ebenezer Howard
Sir Ebenezer Howard is known for his publication Garden Cities of To-morrow , the description of a utopian city in which people live harmoniously together with nature. The publication resulted in the founding of the garden city movement, that realized several Garden Cities in Great Britain at the...
. Brentham featured a social institute, library, tennis courts and a bowling green. In addition the houses were designed with large gardens and the house attracted interest from British and foreign urban planners. He was chairman on the project's management body, Ealing Tenants Ltd from its inception in 1901. Although he resigned the chairmanship in 1911, he remained on the committee until his death. At the invitation of the Governor-General, Vivian made a tour of Canada in 1910 to promote similar schemes and lecture on town planning, housing conditions, sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
and public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
. Co-Partnership Tenants Ltd went on to play an important role in the development of the garden city of Letchworth
Letchworth
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The town's name is taken from one of the three villages it surrounded - all of which featured in the Domesday Book. The land used was first purchased by Quakers who had intended to farm the...
and of Hampstead Garden Suburb
Hampstead Garden Suburb
-Notable Residents :*Theo Adams*Martin Bell*Sir Victor Blank*Katie Boyle*Constantine, the last King of Greece*Greg Davies*Richard & Judy Finnigan*David Matthews*Michael Ridpath*Claudia Roden*Jonathan Ross*Sir Donald Sinden*Marc Sinden...
.
Lib–Lab
Despite his working class and trade union background, Vivian was a Free TradeFree trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
Liberal not a socialist. While he did not believe in votes for women, as his support for co-partnership demonstrated, he believed in the Liberal virtues of self-reliance, self-help and freedom from state interference. But his origins and trade union history meant he was first elected to Parliament at the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
as a Lib–Lab candidate for Birkenhead
Birkenhead (UK Parliament constituency)
Birkenhead is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
, in Cheshire. Vivian later tried to distance himself from the Lib-Lab description, wishing to be regarded as an orthodox Liberal. He and his Lib-Lab colleague, Burnley
Burnley (UK Parliament constituency)
Burnley is a borough constituency centred on the town of Burnley in Lancashire, which is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
MP Frederick Maddison
Frederick Maddison
Frederick Maddison was a British trade unionist and politician.Born in Boston, Lincolnshire, Maddison studied in Kingston upon Hull before becoming a compositor. He joined the Typographical Association and soon rose in prominence, becoming President of the Trades Union Congress in 1886...
became increasingly estranged from the official Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in Parliament and they opposed the movement of Lib–Lab MPs into the Labour Party in 1908. They voted against what they saw as socialist measures such as the Unemployed Workmen Bill which placed a duty on local committees to provide work or relief for the unemployed. Vivian held his Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
seat at the general election of January 1910, albeit by the narrow margin of 144 votes. In December 1910 however, when he was subject to attacks from the left accusing him of being ‘the workers’ enemy’ and urging socialists to vote against him, he lost to the Unionists
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
South Somerset by-election,1911
Vivian got a chance to re-enter the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in 1911 when the Liberal MP for South Somerset
South Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)
South Somerset was a county constituency in the county of Somerset, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system....
, Sir Edward Strachey
Edward Strachey, 1st Baron Strachie
Edward Strachey, 1st Baron Strachie PC , known as Sir Edward Strachey, Bt, between 1901 and 1911, was a British Liberal politician. He was a member of the Liberal administrations of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman and H. H...
, was given a peerage, causing a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
. Vivian, now having abandoned his connection with Labour, was adopted as Liberal candidate. South Somerset had been a Liberal seat since its creation in 1885
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
and Strachey had been MP for the constituency since 1892
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
but the size of his majorities had been decreasing since 1906 and the Conservative candidate in the by-election, Aubrey Herbert
Aubrey Herbert
Aubrey Nigel Henry Molyneux Herbert was a British diplomat, traveller and intelligence officer associated with Albanian independence. Twice he was offered the throne of Albania...
, had the advantage of being known in the area, having been the candidate in both the general elections of 1910. The election seems to have fought mostly on the issue of the National Insurance Act
National Insurance Act 1911
The National Insurance Act 1911 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act is often regarded as one of the foundations of modern social welfare in the United Kingdom and forms part of the wider social welfare reforms of the Liberal Government of 1906-1914...
. On 13 November, in a portent of things to come, the Unionists won a Liberal seat in a by-election at Oldham
Oldham (UK Parliament constituency)
Oldham was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Oldham, England. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. Herbert entered polling day in a mood of great optimism and duly emerged as the new MP with a majority of 148 votes over Vivian.
1918–1922
Vivian had no wish to end his political career and was adopted as Liberal candidate for the new north London constituency of EdmontonEdmonton (UK Parliament constituency)
Edmonton is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
in 1917. At the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
he faced a four-cornered contest there standing as an Independent Asquithian
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
Liberal but was not successful. He next fought Northampton
Northampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Northampton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Northampton which existed until 1974.It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was reduced to one member for the 1918 general election...
at the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
again as an Independent Liberal in a three-cornered contest with a Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
and Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. The National Liberal topped the poll and Vivian lost his deposit
Deposit (politics)
A deposit is a sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand for election to certain political offices, particularly seats in legislatures.-United Kingdom:...
.
1923–1924
By the time of the 1923 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
the two wings of the Liberal Party had re-united and Vivian was chosen as candidate for Totnes
Totnes (UK Parliament constituency)
Totnes is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , using the first-past-the-post voting system....
in his home county of Devon. He beat the sitting Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
MP Samuel Harvey by a majority of 502 votes. However this margin was too narrow to hold against a resurgent Conservative Party at the 1924 election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
and Harvey regained the seat. Vivian did not stand for Parliament again but remained interested in Liberal politics as an active member of Hornsey Liberal Association.
Political and public appointments
In 1906 Vivian was appointed a member of the Royal CommissionRoyal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
on Canals and Waterways. He was a member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Housing and Town Planning and of a Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
Departmental Committee on Accidents in Factories and Workshops. After the First World War, Vivian became an enthusiastic supporter of the League of Nations and he was chairman of his local branch of the League of Nations Union
League of Nations Union
The League of Nations Union was an organization formed in the United Kingdom to promote international justice, collective security and a permanent peace between nations based upon the ideals of the League of Nations. The League of Nations was established by the Great Powers as part of the Paris...
in Hornsey
Hornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
.
Death
Vivian died on 30 May 1930 aged 62 years at his home, The Limes, Crouch End Hill in HornseyHornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
.
Publications
- How Co-operative Production May be Successfully Applied to the Building Trades – Labour Association for Promoting Co-operative Production Based on the Co-partnership of the Workers (undated)
- Some Aspects of the Co-operative Movement – Labour Association for Promoting Co-operative Production Based on the Co-partnership of the Workers (undated)
- The Efficient Organisation of Industry – - Labour Association for Promoting Co-operative Production Based on the Co-partnership of the Workers (undated)
- What Co-operative Production is Doing – Labour Association for Promoting Co-operative Production Based on the Co-partnership of the Workers, 1897
- Partnership of Capital and Labour as a solution of the Conflict between them – Labour Association for Promoting Co-operative Production Based on the Co-partnership of the Workers, 1898
- Co-operative Stores and Labour Co-partnership – Labour Association for Promoting Co-operative Production Based on the Co-partnership of the Workers (Great Britain), 1899
- Co-operative Production – Labour Co-partnership Association, 1899
- Co-operation and Trade Unionism – Labour Co-partnership Association, 1902
- Industrial Democracy – Labour Co-partnership Association, 1902
- Co-operators and preferential tariffs – Liberal Publications Dept., London 1903
- Co-partnership – The Labour Co-partnership Association, 1906
- A New Chapter in the History of Co-operation and Labour: The North Wales Quarries Ltd. – Co-operative Union, Ltd., 1906
- The Pioneer Co-partnership Village – Ealing Tenants Ltd., 1908
- Co-Partnership in Housing – Co-Partnership Tenants, London 1910
- Problems of Finance: with special reference to the co-partnership movement – Co-partnership publishers, London 1912
- Some Experiments in Community Making – Co-partnership publishers, London 1912
- Co-partnership in practice – Labour Co-partnership Association, 1912
- How to Apply Town Planning to Calgary – 1912