Robert Barltrop
Encyclopedia
Robert Barltrop was an English
socialist
activist, essayist, and biographer.
Barltrop grew up in the East End
of London
, descended from a long line of blacksmiths, although his father was a horse fodder dealer; he won a scholarship to the Sir George Monoux Grammar School in Walthamstow
, now Sir George Monoux College
. During World War II
, he served with the Royal Air Force
, but was invalided out with tuberculosis before seeing active service.
He was for many years a member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain
. He had various careers and at different times was a professional boxer, a labourer, a strip cartoonist, a schoolteacher and a sign-painter. Barltrop also published widely and his books include: The Monument: Story of the Socialist Party of Great Britain (1975), Jack London
: The Man, the Writer, the Rebel (1977), Muvver Tongue with Jim Wolveridge (1980), A Funny Age (Growing up in North East London between the Wars) (1985) and Yes Mush: A Cockney Dictionary: The Cockney Language and Its World (intended to be published in 2004, but in fact unfinished at the end of his life).
He was a regular contributor to the Newham Recorder
newspaper, producing some 1200 illustrated weekly articles for them during a 24-year period up to his death, and contributing also to other Recorder titles.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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,...
activist, essayist, and biographer.
Barltrop grew up in the East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, descended from a long line of blacksmiths, although his father was a horse fodder dealer; he won a scholarship to the Sir George Monoux Grammar School in Walthamstow
Walthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, now Sir George Monoux College
Sir George Monoux College
Sir George Monoux College is a sixth form college located in Walthamstow, East London.-Brief history:Sir George Monoux, the founder of the College, was born in or before 1465. In 1506 he was a Warden of the Drapers Company, in 1509 he became the Sheriff of London and later in 1514 he became Lord...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, but was invalided out with tuberculosis before seeing active service.
He was for many years a member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain
Socialist Party of Great Britain
The Socialist Party of Great Britain , is a small Marxist political party within the impossibilist tradition. It is best known for its advocacy of using the ballot box for revolutionary purposes; opposition to reformism; and its early adoption of the theory of state capitalism to describe the...
. He had various careers and at different times was a professional boxer, a labourer, a strip cartoonist, a schoolteacher and a sign-painter. Barltrop also published widely and his books include: The Monument: Story of the Socialist Party of Great Britain (1975), Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
: The Man, the Writer, the Rebel (1977), Muvver Tongue with Jim Wolveridge (1980), A Funny Age (Growing up in North East London between the Wars) (1985) and Yes Mush: A Cockney Dictionary: The Cockney Language and Its World (intended to be published in 2004, but in fact unfinished at the end of his life).
He was a regular contributor to the Newham Recorder
Newham Recorder
The Newham Recorder is a local weekly newspaper distributed in the London Borough of Newham. It is published weekly, on a Wednesday, in the tabloid format by Archant, the UK's largest independently-owned regional media business....
newspaper, producing some 1200 illustrated weekly articles for them during a 24-year period up to his death, and contributing also to other Recorder titles.