Page 4 - HGS Suburb News 132 - Autumn 2017
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
After various other academic appointments, in 1846 Maurice
was elected Chaplin of Lincoln’s Inn and resigned from his duties
Frederick Denison Maurice at Guy’s hospital. His sermons were popular with young barristers
and were constantly well attended. His hearers included Thomas
and the Christian Socialists Hughes and John Malcolm Forbes Ludlow (1821-1911) who
soon both became involved with the Christian Socialist
How much attention do you give to movement. He was already friends with the theologian, poet
the origins of the street name and writer Charles Kingsley (1819-1875 – best known for his
that you live in? Do you live book ‘The Water Babies’) whom he had met in 1844. Together
in Kinglsey Way or Close, with other members of staff at Kings College London they
Maurice Walk, Ludlow Way, founded Queen’s College for the higher education of women
Holyoake Walk, Denison -something I am sure Henrietta Barnett would have approved of.
Close, Neale Close, The mid 19th century saw much disquiet amongst the working
Vivian Way or Gurney classes both in Europe and in the United Kingdom. The Chartist
Drive and wonder about movement formed in the United Kingdom existed from 1838 to
the name? 1857. It took its name from the People’s Charter of 1838 and
These streets are named was a national protest movement. Support for the movement
after prominent Christian came to a peak on 10 April 1848 when petitions signed by
Socialists and people millions of working people were presented to the House of
instrumental in the co- Commons after a demonstration on Kennington common.
partnership movement. The Kingsley and Ludlow were both sympathetic to their cause
term Christian Socialist was and present at the demonstration. The Chartists used the scale With Ludlow he set up co-operative societies inspired by
coined by the curate C.B. of support, which these petitions and the accompanying mass what Ludlow had learned of French associations and Christian
Dunn of Cumberworth meetings demonstrated, to put pressure on politicians to communism from a recent trip to Paris. They were subsidized by
and John Sabire of concede manhood suffrage. Kingsley realized that the Charter Edward Vansittart Neale (1810-1892) and helped by the
Birmingham in would not go far enough to secure genuine freedom and reform subscriptions of middle-class sympathisers.
time for Frederick and that politics and religion needed to be re-united. Unfortunately the Christian Socialist Co-partnership
Denison Maurice (above), Charles Kingsley and John Ludlow to Maurice saw the need for society’s moral and social workshops were not profitable, which brought about friction
form the first Christian Socialist movement. Inspired by poets regeneration because of the “spiritual destination” of the times. amongst the founders. Neale also founded the first co-operative
and philosophers such as William Blake and Samuel Coleridge Ludlow had first- hand experience of socialist and revolutionary store in London, and advanced capital for two builders’
and prompted by social unrest, the aim was to rescue groups when living in Paris and was far more practical than associations, both of which failed. In 1851, he started his own
Christianity by being opposed to the view of the Bible being Maurice, understanding the requirements of effective political initiative, the Central Co-operative Agency, similar to the later
divinely dictated. On the contrary it was held to be a breathing action. Thomas Hughes, the author of Tom Brown’s School Days Co-operative Wholesale Society. Maurice was more interested in
organism and they claimed that Christianity had the legitimate and Edward Vansittart Neale (1810-1892) also followed the education, Kingsley did not gain approval for his outspokenness
authority to speak out on political and economical matters and movement, and they all looked to Maurice as their spiritual with his fellow churchmen, and Maurice himself was eventually
re-asserted a faith bound into human life experiences but the leader. With Ludlow he edited a newspaper, ‘Politics for the dismissed from his post at Kings College London for not
first Christian Socialist Movement was short lived but had a People’, which was first published on 6 May 1848 and rose to a disowning Kingsley’s utterances. By 1854 the Christian Socialist
renewal of interest in the latter half of the 19th century circulation of about 2000 copies movement was over.
particularly in terms of co-partnership movements. The term Christian Socialist was officially taken up by Maurice continued to write theological essays and to be
Interestingly, at Brentham Garden Suburb founded in 1901, Maurice for his movement in 1850, which he declared Chaplain at Lincoln’s Inn. He continued to express his concern
several of the street names almost mirror some in Hampstead committed him “to the conflict we must engage in sooner or for the education of the working classes and in February 1854
Garden Suburb with a Denison Road, Ludlow Road, Holyoake later with the unsocial Christians and the unchristian socialists.” drew up a scheme for a working men’s college which opened
Walk (and Holyoake House), Brunner Road and Neville Road, so Maurice himself believed hierarchy was essential to society. He on 31 October 1854 in Red Lion Square, London with 120
the Brentham names must have been the inspiration for naming disliked competition as unchristian and wished to see it replaced students and Maurice as its principal. It was a product of Christian
these roads in the later developments in the Suburb. In this by co-operation, as expressive Christian brotherhood. socialism and an expression of its ideals. He was assisted with
article there is only space to concentrate on the founders of the teaching by notables such as Vansittart Neale, Tom Hughes,
movement but I am grateful to the Brentham Society for John Ruskin and the painter and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
permitting the reproduction of images from Aileen Reed’s, In the 1860’s he was elected to an academic theological
Brentham, A history of a pioneer garden suburb 1901-2001. professorship at Cambridge, but later, due to ill health, he had
John Frederick Denison Maurice (1805-1872) is one of two to give up being the principal at the Working Men’s College. He
individuals to have two roads named after them using two continued to write widely and accepted the offer at St Edward’s
different names. Denison Close and Maurice Walk got their Cambridge for pastoral work at Trinity Hall. This he resigned
names from Maurice, while Arthur Winnington-Ingram, who from on 30 March 1872 and died two days later.
was Bishop of London when the Suburb was being built, gave Although it was suggested that he should be buried in
his names to Winnington Road and Ingram Avenue. Westminster Abbey, his family’s view was that he would not have
Frederick Denison Maurice had a varied legal and controversial wished it and he is interred in the family vault in Highgate Cemetery.
theological career. He was the fifth child and only son of Michael The Christian Socialist movement may have failed in its aims
Maurice and his wife Priscilla. His father had been disowned by in the earlier part of the century, but there was a revival in
his own father for changing his theological viewpoint when he interest in co-partnership organisations in the 1880s. With Henry
was preparing for the dissenting ministry, but then deciding to Vivian (1868 –1930) as secretary of the Labour Co-Partnership
become a Unitarian preacher. Association, and the idea that co-partnerships could extend to
The family were always having religious disputes and, housing, we can see how the basic ideas of Christian socialism
following the deaths of two of Maurice’s sisters, two of his older could be applied to the housing schemes of the early Suburb.
sisters and his mother changed their religious convictions to the George Jacob Holyoake (1817-1906) was greatly involved in
Calvinistic doctrine. These disputes led to Maurice’s subsequent the movement and often organised Co-operative Festivals. From
guiding principle in his belief in religious unity. 1911 the festival was re-invented as the Co-partnership Festival
After a strict puritanical education, he went to study at and was held that year in Hampstead Garden Suburb. A pageant,
Trinity College and Trinity Hall Cambridge. Whilst at Cambridge, Three Scenes from History, was performed by Suburb resident
and later in London he started various critical thinking Kate Murray, herself a close friend of Sybella Gurney, who was
magazines in which he demonstrated his praise for Coleridge. an activist in the Co-Partnership and Garden City movement.
He also changed his beliefs from the Unitarianism of his Marilyn Greene, Trustee, Garden Suburb Archives
upbringing and resolved on ordination in the Church of England. Picture Credits: By Permission of Brentham Archives and reproduced in Aileen’s
In 1836 he accepted the chaplaincy of Guy’s hospital where he Reed’s Brentham A history of the pioneer garden suburb 1901-2001
also lectured students twice weekly on moral philosophy. Frederick Denison Maurice Founder of the Christian Socialist Movement, Hutton
‘The Kingdom of Christ’, which became one of his most Getty Picture Collection
Seven of the most prominent and early co-operators and co-partners Hutton
significant works, was published in 1838. The book, expounds a Getty Picture Collection
firmly ecclesiastical theology grounded in scripture and tradition. Photos from Hampstead Garden Suburb and of the Holyoake memorial in
It examines in turn the beliefs of a Quaker, an orthodox Highgate Cemetery by Marilyn Greene
protestant, a Unitarian and a rational philosopher, revealing
notable insight and understanding in each case and looks for
signs of a “spiritual and universal kingdom” by which one-
sidedness could be transcended.
The Hampstead
Garden Suburb Archives Trust
exists to preserve the history and culture of the Suburb
Website: www.suburbarchives.com · Contact: 020 8455 8813 or 8455 2877 · Email: suburbarchives@gmail.com
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