Herbert Burrows | |
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Born | 12 June 1845
Redgrave, Suffolk, England |
Died | 14 December 1922
Highbury Park, London, England |
Occupation | Socialist organiser |
Organization(s) | Manhood Suffrage League; National Secular Society; The Rainbow Circle; Conway Hall Ethical Society; Theosophical Society |
Political party | Social Democratic Federation |
Movement | Socialism; trade unionism; secularism; theosophy |
Spouse | Mary Hannah (m. 1869) |
Parent |
|
Herbert Burrows (12 June 1845 – 14 December 1922) was a British socialist activist. [1]
Born in Redgrave, Suffolk, Burrows' father Amos was a former Chartist leader. [1] Burrows educated himself using Cassell's shilling handbooks, becoming a pupil teacher at the age of thirteen; he initially pursued a career in teaching before becoming an excise officer. [2] In 1869, he married Mary Hannah Musk (1845–1889). [1] The couple had a daughter and a son. [1]
From 1872, Burrows studied briefly as a non-collegiate student at the University of Cambridge, but did not take a degree. [1] [2] He worked as a civil servant for the Inland Revenue, [2] including in Norwich, Barnet, Blackburn, and Chatham, [1] a career that lasted until his retirement in 1907. [2]
Burrows moved to London in 1877, where he joined radical clubs including the National Secular Society. [1] [2] He was a founder member of the Aristotelian Society in 1880, joined the Social and Political Education League and became Vice President of the Manhood Suffrage League. [1] In 1881, with Henry Hyndman, he formed the Democratic Federation, and became its treasurer in 1883. [1]
Burrows supported the Federation's commitment to socialism in 1884, when it was renamed the Social Democratic Federation (SDF). [1] Often writing under the pseudonym C.V., he contributed articles to its newspaper, Justice. [1] He represented the group on the executive of the Law and Liberty League. [1]
With Annie Besant—whom he had met through his connection with Bradlaugh and the National Secular Society—Burrows was a key organiser of the Bryant & May matchgirls' strike of 1888, [2] and afterwards became the treasurer of the Union of Women Matchmakers, then the largest women's trade union in England. [1] Burrows actively promoted unionisation among workers, and the success of the matchgirls' strike helped to galvanise the trade union movement. [1] He maintained an active role in the Women's Trade Union League and the Women's Industrial Council until 1917. [1]
Burrows also became a prominent member of South Place Ethical Society, [2] the Rainbow Circle, [3] the Theosophical Society, the International Arbitration and Peace Association and the International Arbitration League. [1] From 1907 until 1922, Burrows was Appointed Lecturer to the South Place Ethical Society, now Conway Hall Ethical Society. [4] He was a teetotaller, vegetarian, and lifelong pacifist. [1]
Burrows stood for Parliament unsuccessfully in the 1908 Haggerston by-election, [5] and again in Haggerston in 1910. [1] He resigned from the SDF (then the Social Democratic Party) in 1911. [1]
Afflicted by paralysis from 1917, Burrows died at his home in Highbury Park, London on 14 December 1922. [1]
Herbert Burrows | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | 12 June 1845
Redgrave, Suffolk, England |
Died | 14 December 1922
Highbury Park, London, England |
Occupation | Socialist organiser |
Organization(s) | Manhood Suffrage League; National Secular Society; The Rainbow Circle; Conway Hall Ethical Society; Theosophical Society |
Political party | Social Democratic Federation |
Movement | Socialism; trade unionism; secularism; theosophy |
Spouse | Mary Hannah (m. 1869) |
Parent |
|
Herbert Burrows (12 June 1845 – 14 December 1922) was a British socialist activist. [1]
Born in Redgrave, Suffolk, Burrows' father Amos was a former Chartist leader. [1] Burrows educated himself using Cassell's shilling handbooks, becoming a pupil teacher at the age of thirteen; he initially pursued a career in teaching before becoming an excise officer. [2] In 1869, he married Mary Hannah Musk (1845–1889). [1] The couple had a daughter and a son. [1]
From 1872, Burrows studied briefly as a non-collegiate student at the University of Cambridge, but did not take a degree. [1] [2] He worked as a civil servant for the Inland Revenue, [2] including in Norwich, Barnet, Blackburn, and Chatham, [1] a career that lasted until his retirement in 1907. [2]
Burrows moved to London in 1877, where he joined radical clubs including the National Secular Society. [1] [2] He was a founder member of the Aristotelian Society in 1880, joined the Social and Political Education League and became Vice President of the Manhood Suffrage League. [1] In 1881, with Henry Hyndman, he formed the Democratic Federation, and became its treasurer in 1883. [1]
Burrows supported the Federation's commitment to socialism in 1884, when it was renamed the Social Democratic Federation (SDF). [1] Often writing under the pseudonym C.V., he contributed articles to its newspaper, Justice. [1] He represented the group on the executive of the Law and Liberty League. [1]
With Annie Besant—whom he had met through his connection with Bradlaugh and the National Secular Society—Burrows was a key organiser of the Bryant & May matchgirls' strike of 1888, [2] and afterwards became the treasurer of the Union of Women Matchmakers, then the largest women's trade union in England. [1] Burrows actively promoted unionisation among workers, and the success of the matchgirls' strike helped to galvanise the trade union movement. [1] He maintained an active role in the Women's Trade Union League and the Women's Industrial Council until 1917. [1]
Burrows also became a prominent member of South Place Ethical Society, [2] the Rainbow Circle, [3] the Theosophical Society, the International Arbitration and Peace Association and the International Arbitration League. [1] From 1907 until 1922, Burrows was Appointed Lecturer to the South Place Ethical Society, now Conway Hall Ethical Society. [4] He was a teetotaller, vegetarian, and lifelong pacifist. [1]
Burrows stood for Parliament unsuccessfully in the 1908 Haggerston by-election, [5] and again in Haggerston in 1910. [1] He resigned from the SDF (then the Social Democratic Party) in 1911. [1]
Afflicted by paralysis from 1917, Burrows died at his home in Highbury Park, London on 14 December 1922. [1]