Charles Bradlaugh (; 26 September 1833 – 30 January 1891) was an English political activist and

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

. He founded the

National Secular Society The National Secular Society (NSS) is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of it. It was ...

in 1866, 15 years after

George Holyoake George Jacob Holyoake (13 April 1817 – 22 January 1906) was an English secularist, co-operator and newspaper editor. He coined the terms secularism in 1851 and "jingoism" in 1878. He edited a secularist paper, the ''Reasoner'', from 1846 to J ...

had coined the term "secularism" in 1851. In 1880, Bradlaugh was elected as the Liberal MP for

Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England ...

. His attempt to affirm as an atheist ultimately led to his temporary imprisonment, fines for voting in the House of Commons illegally, and a number of by-elections at which Bradlaugh regained his seat on each occasion. He was finally allowed to take an oath in 1886. Eventually, a parliamentary bill which he proposed became law in 1888, which allowed members of both Houses of Parliament to affirm, if they so wished, when being sworn in. The new law resolved the issue for witnesses in civil and criminal court cases.

Early life

Born in

Hoxton Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, England. As a part of Shoreditch, it is often considered to be part of the East End – the historic core of wider East London. It was historically in the county of Middlesex until 1889. It l ...

(an area in the

East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have univ ...

), Bradlaugh was the son of a solicitor's clerk. He left school at the age of eleven and then worked as an office errand-boy and later as a clerk to a coal merchant. After a brief spell as a Sunday school teacher, he became disturbed by discrepancies between the

Thirty-nine Articles The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion (commonly abbreviated as the Thirty-nine Articles or the XXXIX Articles) are the historically defining statements of doctrines and practices of the Church of England with respect to the controversies of the ...

of the Anglican Church and the Bible. When he expressed his concerns, the local vicar, John Graham Packer, accused him of

atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...

and suspended him from teaching. He was thrown out of the family home and was taken in by Eliza Sharples Carlile, the widow of

Richard Carlile Richard Carlile (8 December 1790 – 10 February 1843) was an important agitator for the establishment of universal suffrage and freedom of the press in the United Kingdom. Early life Born in Ashburton, Devon, he was the son of a shoemaker w ...

, who had been imprisoned for printing

Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (born Thomas Pain; – In the contemporary record as noted by Conway, Paine's birth date is given as January 29, 1736–37. Common practice was to use a dash or a slash to separate the old-style year from the new-style year. In th ...

's ''

The Age of Reason ''The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology'' is a work by English and American political activist Thomas Paine, arguing for the philosophical position of deism. It follows in the tradition of 18th-century Briti ...

''. Soon Bradlaugh was introduced to

, who organised Bradlaugh's first public lecture as an atheist. At the age of 17, he published his first pamphlet, ''A Few Words on the Christian Creed''. However, refusing financial support from fellow freethinkers, he enlisted as a soldier with the Seventh Dragoon Guards hoping to serve in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

and make his fortune. Instead he was stationed in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

. In 1853, he was left a legacy by a great-aunt and used it to purchase his discharge from the army.

Activism and journalism

Bradlaugh returned to London in 1853 and took a post as a solicitor's clerk. By this time he was a convinced freethinker and in his free time he became a pamphleteer and writer about "secularist" ideas, adopting the pseudonym " Iconoclast" to protect his employer's reputation. He gradually attained prominence in a number of liberal or radical political groups or societies, including the

Reform League The Reform League was established in 1865 to press for manhood suffrage and the ballot in Great Britain. It collaborated with the more moderate and middle class Reform Union and gave strong support to the abortive Reform Bill 1866 and the succe ...

, Land Law Reformers, and Secularists. He was President of the London Secular Society from 1858. In 1860 he became editor of the secularist newspaper, the '' National Reformer'', and in 1866 co-founded the

, in which

Annie Besant Annie Besant ( Wood; 1 October 1847 – 20 September 1933) was a British socialist, theosophist, freemason, women's rights activist, educationist, writer, orator, political party member and philanthropist. Regarded as a champion of human ...

became his close associate. In 1868, the ''Reformer'' was prosecuted by the British Government for

blasphemy Blasphemy is a speech crime and religious crime usually defined as an utterance that shows contempt, disrespects or insults a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a religio ...

and

sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, esta ...

. Bradlaugh was eventually acquitted on all charges, but fierce controversy continued both in the courts and in the press. A decade later (1876), Bradlaugh and Besant decided to republish the American Charles Knowlton's pamphlet advocating birth control, ''The Fruits of Philosophy, or the Private Companion of Young Married People'', whose previous British publisher, Charles Watts, had already been successfully prosecuted for obscenity. The two activists were both tried in 1877, and

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...

refused to give evidence in their defence, pleading ill-health, but at the time writing to Bradlaugh that his testimony would have been of little use to them because he opposed birth control. They were sentenced to heavy fines and six months' imprisonment, but their conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal on the basis that the prosecution had not set out the precise words which were alleged to be obscene in the indictment. The Malthusian League was founded as a result of the trial to promote birth control. He was a member of a Masonic lodge in Bolton, although he was later to resign due to the nomination of the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

as Grand Master. On 6 March 1881 he spoke at the opening of

Leicester Secular Society Leicester Secular Society is the world's oldest Secular Society. It meets at its headquarters, the Leicester Secular Hall in the centre of Leicester, England, at 75 Humberstone Gate. Founding Founded in 1851, the society is the oldest surviving ...

's new Secular Hall in Humberstone Gate, Leicester. The other speakers were George Jacob Holyoake,

and

Harriet Law Harriet Teresa Law (née Frost, 5 November 1831 – 19 July 1897) was a leading British freethinker in 19th-century London. The daughter of a small farmer, she was raised as a "Strict Baptist" but later converted to atheism. She became a salarie ...

Politics

Bradlaugh was an advocate of trade unionism,

republicanism Republicanism is a political ideology centered on citizenship in a state organized as a republic. Historically, it emphasises the idea of self-rule and ranges from the rule of a representative minority or oligarchy to popular sovereignty. ...

universal suffrage Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political sta ...

, but opposed socialism. His anti-socialism was divisive and many secularists who became socialists left the secularist movement because of its identification with Bradlaugh's liberal

individualism Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology and social outlook that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual. Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and to value independence and self-reli ...

. He was a supporter of

Irish Home Rule The Irish Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1870 to the ...

and backed France during the Franco-Prussian War. He took a strong interest in

Parliament

After defeats in 1868 and 1874, Bradlaugh was elected Member of Parliament for

in 1880. To take his seat and become an active Parliamentarian, he needed to signify his allegiance to the Crown and on 3 May Bradlaugh came to the Table of the House of Commons, bearing a letter to the

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

"begging respectfully to claim to be allowed to affirm" instead of taking the religious

Oath of Allegiance An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to a monarch or a country. In modern republics, oaths are sworn to the country in general, or to the country's constitution. Fo ...

, citing the Evidence Amendment Acts of 1869 and 1870. Speaker

Brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

declared that he had "grave doubts" and asked the House for its judgment.

Lord Frederick Cavendish Lord Frederick Charles Cavendish (30 November 1836 – 6 May 1882) was an English Liberal politician and ''protégé'' of the Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone. Cavendish was appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland in May 1882 but was ...

, for the Government, moved that a Select Committee be set up to decide whether persons entitled to make a solemn affirmation in court were also allowed to affirm instead of taking the Parliamentary oath.

First Select Committee

This Select Committee held only one brief meeting on 12 May 1880. The

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

, Sir

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

, moved that anyone entitled to affirm to give evidence in court was also entitled to affirm instead of taking the Oath in Parliament. Sir

John Holker Sir John Holker (1828 – 24 May 1882) was a British lawyer, politician, and judge. He sat as a Member of Parliament for Preston from 1872 until his death ten years later. He was first Solicitor General and later Attorney General in the ...

, Conservative MP for

Preston Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...

, moved an amendment to reverse this finding, and the committee split down the middle with eight members (seven Conservatives and

Charles Henry Hopwood Charles Henry Hopwood KC (20 July 1829 – 14 October 1904) was a British politician and judge. He was educated at King's College School and at King's College London. He was admitted to the Middle Temple on 2 November 1850 and was Called to th ...

, Liberal MP for

Stockport Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here. Most of the town is withi ...

) supporting the amendment and eight (all Liberals) opposing it; on the casting vote of the chairman Spencer Horatio Walpole the amendment was carried. Bradlaugh was not surprised that the Committee had gone against him, and notified the Speaker that he would attend to take the Oath on 21 May.

Attempts to take the Oath

To explain his actions, Bradlaugh wrote an open letter to ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'' which was published on the morning of 21 May. He said it would have been hypocritical to voluntarily take the oath "including words of idle and meaningless character" without protest when another form of words was available, but now that the Select Committee had ruled he must, he would do so and "regard myself as bound not by the letter of its words, but by the spirit which the affirmation would have conveyed had I been permitted to use it." Bradlaugh's letter was regarded as a direct provocation by his opponents, and when he came to the table, Sir Henry Drummond Wolff rose to object to the administration of the Oath to Bradlaugh. Speaker Brand allowed him to object, and Wolff argued that the Evidence Amendment Acts referred to by Bradlaugh only allowed an affirmation to one who regarded the oath as meaningless, so the House should not allow Bradlaugh to take it. Prime Minister

William Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

, alerted to the fact that a protest was possible, moved to set up a second Select Committee to examine whether it was possible to interfere with a Member wishing to take the oath. Gladstone's amendment was carried by 289 to 214.

Second Select Committee

Charles Bradlaugh, Vanity Fair, 1880-06-12

The Select Committee began deliberating on 1 June 1880, when it considered a paper put in by Sir

Thomas Erskine May Thomas Erskine May, 1st Baron Farnborough, (8 February 1815 – 17 May 1886) was a British constitutional theorist and Clerk of the House of Commons. His seminal work, ''A Treatise upon the Law, Privileges, Proceedings and Usage of Parliame ...

, the Clerk of the House. Sir Thomas found several precedents for Members disabled to sit for refusing to take the Oath, together with Quaker MP

Joseph Pease Joseph Pease may refer to: * Joseph Pease (railway pioneer) (1799–1872), railway owner, first Quaker elected Member of Parliament ** Sir Joseph Pease, 1st Baronet (1828–1903), MP 1865–1903, full name Joseph Whitwell Pease, son of Joseph Pease ...

who was permitted to affirm, and Jewish MPs Baron Lionel de Rothschild and David Salomons who were eventually allowed to take the Oath while omitting the words "on the true faith of a Christian". On the following day, Erskine May and Bradlaugh himself were questioned by the Committee, with Bradlaugh arguing that, should the Committee decide he had no right to affirm, he would take the oath and regard it as binding on his conscience. When the Committee decided its report, it agreed by one vote an amendment declaring that the House could "and, in the opinion of your Committee, ought to" prevent Bradlaugh taking the Oath. It also added (by 12 votes to 9) that it would be possible for an action in the High Court of Justice to test whether an affirmation was genuinely legal, and therefore recommended that if Bradlaugh sought to affirm, he should be allowed to do so in order that such an action be brought to clarify the law. The second Select Committee had effectively reversed the outcome of the first. When it was known that this was the likely outcome of the Select Committee, Bradlaugh's fellow Northampton MP

Henry Labouchère Henry Du Pré Labouchère (9 November 1831 – 15 January 1912) was an English politician, writer, publisher and theatre owner in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. He is now most remembered for the Labouchère Amendment, which for the first t ...

initiated a debate on a motion to allow Bradlaugh to affirm. Sir Hardinge Giffard moved an amendment that Bradlaugh be not permitted to take either the Oath or make an affirmation. After two days of debate, Giffard's amendment was carried by 275 to 230, a defeat which surprised Gladstone. The majority comprised 210 Conservatives, 34 Liberals and 31 Irish Home Rulers; supporting Bradlaugh were 218 Liberals, 10 Home Rulers and 2 Conservatives. On the next day, Bradlaugh came to the Table claiming to take the Oath; in consequence of the previous night's vote the Speaker ordered him to withdraw. Bradlaugh was permitted to address the House from behind the Bar (which was technically outside the Chamber), and treated the occasion as his maiden speech. He based his argument on law, contending that he was not legally disqualified, and asking "as one man against six hundred" for the same justice he would receive in the Courts. Although well received, the speech was too late to reverse the decision, and Henry Labouchère was forced to withdraw a motion to rescind it.

Imprisonment

Charles Bradlaugh MP, drawn by Walter Sickert

At that point Bradlaugh was summoned back to the table to be told the outcome of the debate; having relayed it, the Speaker then ordered him to withdraw. Bradlaugh "respectfully refused" to obey an order of the House which was "against the law". The Conservative leader Sir

Stafford Northcote Stafford Henry Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh (27 October 1818 – 12 January 1887), known as Sir Stafford Northcote, Bt from 1851 to 1885, was a British Conservative politician. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1874 and 1 ...

successfully moved a motion that Bradlaugh be required to withdraw (agreed on a division by 326 to 38, Liberal MPs being unwilling to challenge a motion which sustained the House's legal authority) but Bradlaugh "positively refused to obey". The

Serjeant-at-arms A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin ''serviens'', which means "servant". Historically, ...

was sent for and led Bradlaugh out to the Bar of the House, but Bradlaugh then immediately returned to the table claiming to take the Oath. At this Sir Stafford Northcote moved that Bradlaugh be taken into custody. The House agreed, on a division by 274 votes to 7 and Bradlaugh was taken to the small prison cell located under

Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The officia ...

in the Clock Tower.

Lord Randolph Churchill Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill (13 February 1849 – 24 January 1895) was a British statesman. Churchill was a Tory radical and coined the term ' Tory democracy'. He inspired a generation of party managers, created the National Union ...

roused the Conservatives by leading resistance to Bradlaugh. Bradlaugh later returned to the House, but because Members had to take the oath before being allowed to take their seats, he effectively forfeited his seat in Parliament once he cast a vote in early 1881. His seat fell vacant and a by-election was declared. Bradlaugh was re-elected by Northampton four times in succession as the dispute continued. Supporting Bradlaugh were

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-con ...

, T. P. O'Connor and

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

as well as hundreds of thousands of people who signed a public petition. Opposing his right to sit were the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

, the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Just ...

, and other leading figures in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

and Roman Catholic Church. On at least one occasion, Bradlaugh was escorted from the House by police officers. In 1883 he took his seat and voted three times before being fined £1,500 for voting illegally. A bill allowing him to affirm was defeated in Parliament. In 1886 Bradlaugh was finally allowed to take the oath, and did so at the risk of prosecution under the Parliamentary Oaths Act. Two years later, in 1888, he secured passage of a new Oaths Act, which enshrined into law the right of affirmation for members of both Houses, as well as extending and clarifying the law as it related to witnesses in civil and criminal

trials In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribun ...

(the Evidence Amendment Acts of 1869 and 1870 had proved unsatisfactory, though they had given relief to many who would otherwise have been disadvantaged). Bradlaugh spoke in Parliament about the London matchgirls strike of 1888.

Personal life

His daughter,

Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner (31 March 1858 – 25 August 1935) was a British peace activist, author, atheist and freethinker, and the daughter of Charles Bradlaugh. Early life and teaching She was born Hypatia Bradlaugh, at 3 Hedger's Terrace, H ...

(1858–1935), was a peace activist, author, atheist and freethinker. She was named after Hypatia, the Greek Alexandrine Neoplatonist philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and teacher.

Death

Bradlaugh died on 30 January 1891. His funeral was attended by 3,000 mourners, including a 21-year-old

Mohandas Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

. He is buried in Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey. In 1898, Bradlaugh's daughter Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner wrote a pamphlet in answer to the question that was often addressed to her: whether her father "changed his opinions and became a Christian" before he died. Bonner laid out all the evidence and concluded that her father gave no indication that his opinions had changed in the "smallest" way.

Commemoration

A statue of Bradlaugh is located on a traffic island at Abington Square,

. The statue points west towards the centre of Northampton, the accusing finger periodically missing due to vandalism. In 2014 the statue was cleaned and returned to the stonework. New signs are to be installed in 2015 on the roundabout reading "Charles Bradlaugh MP". Since 2002, an "Annual Commemoration" has taken place beneath the statue at 3 pm on the Sunday closest to his birthday, organised by the Charles Bradlaugh Society. Attendees are invited to speak about Charles Bradlaugh. 2014 saw the addition of the inaugural Bradlaugh Talk with speakers on issues relevant to Bradlaugh. The first speaker was Graham Smith, CEO of Republic. Bradlaugh Fields, a community wildlife park situated to the north of Northampton, was named after Charles Bradlaugh when it opened in 1998. Other landmarks bearing his name include ''The Charles Bradlaugh'' pub, Charles Bradlaugh Hall at the

University of Northampton , mottoeng = Let us not be ignorant , established = 2005 (gained University status) 1975 (Nene College established) , type = Public , endowment = £0.95 m (2015) , chancellor = Richard Coles , vice_chancellor ...

, and Bradlaugh Hall in Lahore, Pakistan. In November 2016 a portrait bust of Charles Bradlaugh was added to the Parliamentary Art Collection. Displayed in the Palace of Westminster, the sculpture was designed by Suzie Zamit (who is the fourth female sculptor to have work represented in the Parliamentary Art Collection) and was donated by the

as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations.

Bibliography

Works by Charles Bradlaugh: * ''Political Essays: A Compilation (1833–1891)'' * ''Half-Hours with the Freethinkers'' 1857 * ''The Credibility and Morality of the Four Gospels'', 1860 * " Who Was Jesus Christ, and What Did He Teach?" 1860 * ''A Few Words About the Devil'' (includes an autobiographical sketch) 1864 * "A Plea for Atheism" (included in ''Theological Essays'') 1864 * ''The Bible: What It Is!'' 1870 * ''The Impeachment of the House of Brunswick'' 1875 * ''The Freethinker's Text-Book, Vol. 1'' 1876 * ''Is The Bible Divine?'' (Debate with Roberts) 1876 * ''Ancient and Modern Celebrated Freethinkers'' (rpt ''Half-Hours with the Freethinkers'') 1877 * * * ''When Were Our Gospels Written?'' 1881 * ''Perpetual Pensions''

881 __NOTOC__ Year 881 ( DCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February 12 – King Charles the Fat, the third son of the late Louis the German, is crowned as Holy Roman Emper ...

International Library of Science & Freethought, Freethought Publishing Company, 28, Stonecutter Street, London E.C. * ''Some Objections to Socialism'' 1884 * ''The Atheistic Platform: 12 Lectures'' by Charles Bradlaugh,

nd others1884 * ''Is There a God?'' 1887 * ''Humanity's Gain from Unbelief'' 1889 * ''Labour and Law'' 1891 * ''The True Story of My Parliamentary Struggle'' 1882 * ''Heresy: Its Utility And Morality. A Plea And A Justification'' 1882 * ''Theological Essays'' ( includes 20 essays) 1895 * ''Man, Whence and How?'' and ''Religion, What and Why?'' (rpt of ''The Freethinker's Text-Book, Vol 1'') 1906

Citations

Bibliography

* Alexander, Nathan G. (2019). ''Race in a Godless World: Atheism, Race, and Civilization, 1850-1914''. New York/Manchester: New York University Press/Manchester University Press. * Alexander, Nathan G
"Atheism and Polygenesis in the Nineteenth Century: Charles Bradlaugh's Racial Anthropology."
''Modern Intellectual History''. (2018) * * Arnstein, Walter L. (1965) ''The Bradlaugh Case: a study in late Victorian opinion and politics.'' Oxford University Press. (2nd ed. with new postscript chapter published as ''The Bradlaugh Case: Atheism, Sex and Politics Among the Late Victorians'', University of Missouri Press, 1983. ) * Besant, Annie. ''Autobiographical Sketches'' (1885) in which Bradlaugh plays a major role. * Besant, Annie. ''An Autobiography'' (1893) in which Chap VI is devoted to Charles Bradlaugh. * Bonner, Hypatia Bradlaugh (1891), ''Catalogue of the Library of the Late Charles Bradlaugh.'' London: Mrs. H. Bradlaugh Bonner * Bonner, Hypatia Bradlaugh (1894). ''Charles Bradlaugh: A Record of His Life and Work, Vol I''. London, T. Fisher Unwin. * Bonner, Hypatia Bradlaugh (1894). ''Charles Bradlaugh: A Record of His Life and Work, With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings, by John M. Robertson, Vol II''. London, T. Fisher Unwin. * ''Champion of Liberty: Charles Bradlaugh (Centenary Volume)'' (1933). London, Watts & Co and Pioneer Press. * Diamond, M. (2003) ''Victorian Sensation'', London, Anthem Press. , pp. 101–110. * Headingly, Adolphe S. (1888). ''The biography of Charles Bradlaugh.'' London: Freethought Publishing Company. * Manvell, Roger (1976). ''Trial of Annie Besant and Charles Bradlaugh.'' London: Elek/Pemberton. * Niblett, Bryan (2011). ''Dare to Stand Alone: The Story of Charles Bradlaugh''. Oxford: kramedart press. * Robertson, J.M. (1920). ''Charles Bradlaugh''. London, Watts & Co. * Tribe, David (1971) ''President Charles Bradlaugh MP''. London, Elek.

External links

Charles Bradlaugh - Harry Furniss Drawing - UK Parliament Living Heritage
* * * *

‘The Cause of Humanity’: Charles Bradlaughnand Freemasonry‘ by Professor Andrew Prescott, PhD, 2003

Charles Bradlaugh writings (Bank of Wisdom)

* ttp://www.alphadeltaplus.20m.com/contact.html Detailed account in page on police in Parliament by Robin Fell
Browse and search the catalogue of the Charles Bradlaugh Collection and Bradlaugh Papers archive, held at the Bishopsgate Institute, London.

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20100201101442/http://www.hackney.gov.uk/ep-charles-bradlaugh.htm Hackney Plaques and Social History: birthplace of Charles Bradlaugh
Omnibus: Charles Bradlaugh
BBC World Service radio programme, broadcast 1991
A bronze bust of Bradlaugh

Northampton based Charles Bradlaugh Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bradlaugh, Charles 1833 births 1891 deaths 7th Dragoon Guards soldiers British atheism activists English republicans British secularists British classical liberals English atheists English humanists Burials at Brookwood Cemetery Freethought writers Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies People from Hoxton People prosecuted for blasphemy UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1885–1886 UK MPs 1886–1892 British birth control activists People associated with Conway Hall Ethical Society English politicians convicted of crimes English social commentators Atheism in the United Kingdom 19th-century atheists Expelled members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

Early life

Activism and journalism

Politics

Parliament

First Select Committee

Attempts to take the Oath

Second Select Committee

Imprisonment

Personal life

Death

Commemoration

Bibliography

See also

Citations

Bibliography

External links