''The Leader'' was a radical weekly newspaper, published in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

from 1850 to 1860 at a price of 6''d''.

Founders

George Henry Lewes and Thornton Leigh Hunt founded ''The Leader'' in 1850. They had financial backing from

Edmund Larken Edmund Roberts Larken (1809–1895) was an English cleric and Christian socialist, a patron of radical causes and author on social matters. Along with other unconventional views, he was noted as possibly the first parish priest of his time to wear ...

, who was an unconventional clergyman looking for a vehicle for "Christian liberal" views. Others involved were

George Dawson George Dawson may refer to: Politicians * George Dawson (Northern Ireland politician) (1961–2007), Northern Ireland politician * George Walker Wesley Dawson (1858–1936), Canadian politician * George Oscar Dawson (1825–1865), Georgia polit ...

and

Richard Congreve Richard Congreve (4 September 1818 – 5 July 1899) was the first English philosopher to openly espouse the Religion of Humanity, the godless form of religious humanism that was introduced by Auguste Comte, as a distinct form of positivism. Cong ...

. After a year Larken and Holyoake took over the rest of the shares.The Carlyle Letters, ''TC to Joseph Neuburg; 2 February 1852''; footnote 2. DOI: 10.1215/lt-18520202-TC-JN-01 CL 27:25-28

Contributors

Lewes contributed theatre criticism under the pseudonym 'Vivian'. Later editors appear to have included Edward Frederick Smyth Pigott (proprietor from the end of 1851 to 1860) and Frederick Guest Tomlins. Contributors included Thomas Spencer Baynes, Wilkie Collins,e.g. Wilkie Collins
"A Plea for Sunday Reform"
''The Leader'', 27 September 1851. For identification of other contributions by Collins, see Kirk Beetz, ''Victorian Periodicals Review'' 15:1, Spring 1982, pp. 20–29

George Eliot Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively Mary Anne or Marian), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wrot ...

, Andrew Halliday, the future theatre manager John Hollingshead (1827–1904), the future politician James Mackenzie Maclean (1835–1906), the future anthropologist

John McLennan ''For other people with the same or similar name see John McLennan (disambiguation) .'' John McLennan (February 26, 1821 – December 18, 1893) was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Glengarry as a Liberal-Conservative ...

Gerald Massey Gerald Massey (; 29 May 1828 – 29 October 1907) was an English poet and writer on Spiritualism and Ancient Egypt. Early life Massey was born near Tring, Hertfordshire in England to poor parents. When little more than a child, he was made to ...

, the art critic Henry Merritt (1822–1877),

Edmund Ollier Edmund Ollier (1827–1886) was an English journalist and author. Life The son of Charles Ollier, he knew Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb, Leigh Hunt and Benjamin Haydon as a child. He was privately educated and began to write. After some years he was a ...

(1826–1886),

Herbert Spencer Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English philosopher, psychologist, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist famous for his hypothesis of social Darwinism. Spencer originated the expression " survival of the f ...

, and the political journalist

Edward Michael Whitty Edward Michael Whitty (1827–1860) was an English journalist, known for biting parliamentary reporting, and credited for popularising the concept of the " governing classes". Life The son of Michael James Whitty, was born in London, and was edu ...

(1827–1860). The paper carried correspondence from William Edward Forster (proposing state farms and workshops) and

Barbara Bodichon Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon (born Barbara Leigh Smith; 8 April 1827 – 11 June 1891) was an English educationalist and artist, and a leading mid-19th-century feminist and women's rights activist. She published her influential ''Brief Summary ...

(on prostitution).

References

External links

Shapshot:Leader
a

*Laurel Brake
Town and Country'? : the ''Northern Star'', ''The Leader'' and multiple editions"
*The complete run of ''The Leader'' is available at th
Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (NCSE)
(NCSE) Defunct newspapers published in the United Kingdom Defunct weekly newspapers Publications established in 1850 Publications disestablished in 1860 1850 establishments in the United Kingdom {{UK-newspaper-stub