Joshua Hobson
Encyclopedia
Joshua Hobson was a British
Chartist
and socialist
who was the first publisher of the Book of Murder
, a pamphlet attacking the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act. In 1838-1844 he was the publisher of the Chartist
newspaper Northern Star
.
, Yorkshire
, there he was apprenticed as a joiner before working as a handloom weaver in nearby Oldham
, Lancashire
.
. He was elected to the first Central Committee of the National Association of United Trades for the Protection of Labour
in 1845.
Hobson was imprisoned for publishing further pamphlets. He was publisher and business manager of the Northern Star
, the campaigning newspaper at the head of Chartism
. This advocated the abolition of the Poor Law Amendment Act and a renewal of the Ten Hours Movement and trade union movement, as well as the six points of the People's Charter.
(
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Chartist
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
and socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
who was the first publisher of the Book of Murder
Book of Murder
The Book of Murder was a piece of anti-Poor Law propaganda presented as the work of one pseudonymous "Marcus", originally published in Britain during the 1830s by Joshua Hobson...
, a pamphlet attacking the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act. In 1838-1844 he was the publisher of the Chartist
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
newspaper Northern Star
Northern Star (chartist newspaper)
The Northern Star and Leeds General Advertiser was a chartist newspaper published in the United Kingdom between 1837 and 1852.-Foundation:Feargus O'Connor, a former Irish MP forging a career in English radical politics, decided to establish a weekly newspaper in 1837...
.
Early life
Hobson was born in 1810 in HuddersfieldHuddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, there he was apprenticed as a joiner before working as a handloom weaver in nearby Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
.
Political activity
Hobson was associated with the Tory radical Richard OastlerRichard Oastler
Richard Oastler was an English labour reformer, "Tory radical", and abolitionist. He fought for the rights of working children in the Factory Act of 1847, and was also a prominent leader of the Factory reform and anti-Poor Law movement.-Career:Born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Oastler was the...
. He was elected to the first Central Committee of the National Association of United Trades for the Protection of Labour
National Association of United Trades for the Protection of Labour
The National Association of United Trades for the Protection of Labour was an early trade union federation in the United Kingdom.No attempt had been made to co-ordinate the activities of trade unions in various industries across the country since the failure of the Grand National Consolidated...
in 1845.
Publishing activity
After publishing the Book of MurderBook of Murder
The Book of Murder was a piece of anti-Poor Law propaganda presented as the work of one pseudonymous "Marcus", originally published in Britain during the 1830s by Joshua Hobson...
Hobson was imprisoned for publishing further pamphlets. He was publisher and business manager of the Northern Star
Northern Star (chartist newspaper)
The Northern Star and Leeds General Advertiser was a chartist newspaper published in the United Kingdom between 1837 and 1852.-Foundation:Feargus O'Connor, a former Irish MP forging a career in English radical politics, decided to establish a weekly newspaper in 1837...
, the campaigning newspaper at the head of Chartism
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
. This advocated the abolition of the Poor Law Amendment Act and a renewal of the Ten Hours Movement and trade union movement, as well as the six points of the People's Charter.
Further reading
- Chase, Malcolm (2007).Chartism: A New History
- Cordery, Simon (1988).'Joshua Hobson', Dictionary of Labour Biography, ed. Joyce Bellamy and John Saville
- Epstein, James (1976).‘Feargus O’Connor and the Northern Star’, International Review of Social History 21
External links
(