Ernest Bertram Lloyd (14 May 1881 – 9 June 1944) was an English activist,

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an ideology centered on the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotiona ...

, and

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

. A member of the Lloyd banking family, he was a vocal campaigner for ethical and humanitarian causes, including

animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...

and

rights Rights are law, legal, social, or ethics, ethical principles of freedom or Entitlement (fair division), entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal sy ...

pacifism Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ...

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

, and reforms in

sexual education Sex education, also known as sexual education, sexuality education or sex ed, is the instruction of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, sexual reproduction, safe sex, birth control, sexual healt ...

, and

LGBTQ+ rights LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group i ...

. Lloyd co-founded the

National Society for the Abolition of Cruel Sports The National Society for the Abolition of Cruel Sports (NSACS) was a British animal welfare organisation that campaigned against hunting and other blood sports. It was formed in 1932 as a splinter organisation of the League for the Prohibition ...

and was an active member of the

Humanitarian League The Humanitarian League was a British radical advocacy group formed by Henry S. Salt and others to promote the principle that it is wrong to inflict avoidable suffering on any sentient being. It was based in London and operated between 1891 ...

and the

British Society for the Study of Sex Psychology The British Society for the Study of Sex Psychology (BSSSP) was founded in 1913, "to advance a particularly radical agenda in the field of sex reform, based on the writings of gurus such as dwardCarpenter and avelockEllis." Magnus Hirschfeld, t ...

. A committed

conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he engaged with organisations including the

Union of Democratic Control The Union of Democratic Control was a British advocacy group, pressure group formed in 1914 to press for a more responsive foreign policy. While not a pacifism, pacifist organisation, it was opposed to military influence in government. World Wa ...

No-Conscription Fellowship The No-Conscription Fellowship was a British pacifist organisation which was founded in London by Fenner Brockway and Clifford Allen on 27 November 1914, following a suggestion by Lilla Brockway, after the First World War had failed to reach ...

, and the

Independent Labour Party The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a British political party of the left, established in 1893 at a conference in Bradford, after local and national dissatisfaction with the Liberal Party (UK), Liberals' apparent reluctance to endorse work ...

. Beyond his activism, Lloyd was a translator, editor of humanitarian poetry anthologies, and a dedicated field naturalist who made notable contributions to

ornithology Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...

and

entomology Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

Biography

Early life and education

Lloyd was born in

North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames and the City of London. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshi ...

on 14 May 1881. He was a member of the Lloyd banking family. Lloyd was privately educated at Merchant Taylors' School. He then spent two years in Germany, where he attained fluency in German. Lloyd translated several renowned works of poetry and drama from German to English. On his return to London, Lloyd worked for his family's business for a number of years, but his passions ultimately lay elsewhere.

Activism

Humanitarianism

As a young

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

, Lloyd spent time living and working at

Toynbee Hall Toynbee Hall is a charitable institution that works to address the causes and impacts of poverty in the East End of London and elsewhere. Established in 1884, it is based in Commercial Street, Spitalfields, and was the first university-affili ...

, where he taught English Literature, reflecting his commitment to social service. Lloyd was an active member of the

and was a close associate of its founder

Henry S. Salt Henry Shakespear Stephens Salt (; 20 September 1851 – 19 April 1939) was a British writer and social reformer. He campaigned for social reform in the fields of prisons, schools, economic institutions, and the treatment of animals. He was a n ...

, with whom he shared many intellectual and social interests. Salt dedicated his book ''The Call of the Wildflower'' to "My Friends W. J. Jupp and E. Bertram Lloyd". Lloyd also edited ''The Great Kinship: An Anthology of Humanitarian Poetry'' (1921), which included two poems by Salt. At Salt's funeral, Lloyd read Salt's self-written funeral address.

Sexual diversity, gender equality, and legal reform

Lloyd advocated for

sexual diversity Sexual diversity or gender and sexual diversity (GSD), refers to all the diversities of sex characteristics, sexual orientations and gender identities, without the need to specify each of the identities, behaviors, or characteristics that form ...

and legal reform. In a 1913 article for ''

The New Freewoman ''The New Freewoman'' was a monthly London literary magazine edited by Dora Marsden and owned by Harriet Shaw Weaver. Initially, Rebecca West was in charge of the literary content of the magazine, but after meeting Ezra Pound at one of Violet ...

'', he praised Dr.

Magnus Hirschfeld Magnus Hirschfeld (14 May 1868 – 14 May 1935) was a German physician, Sexology, sexologist and LGBTQ advocate, whose German citizenship was later revoked by the Nazi government.David A. Gerstner, ''Routledge International Encyclopedia of Queer ...

's exhibit on intermediary sexual types as a groundbreaking challenge to rigid gender binaries and societal ignorance. Lloyd criticised the persecution of

homosexuals Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...

and called for greater tolerance, framing gender and sexuality as natural continuums. He later visited Hirschfield's

Institute for Sexual Science An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. Lloyd was a supporter of

, which was also driven by his rejection of traditional gender categories. Lloyd was a key member of the

(BSSSP), founded in 1914 to promote open, rational discussions on sex and sexuality. Collaborating with figures such as

Edward Carpenter Edward Carpenter (29 August 1844 – 28 June 1929) was an English utopian socialist, poet, philosopher, anthologist, an early activist for gay rights and prison reform whilst advocating vegetarianism and taking a stance against vivise ...

and

Laurence Housman Laurence Housman (; 18 July 1865 – 20 February 1959) was an English playwright, writer and illustrator whose career stretched from the 1890s to the 1950s. He studied art in London and worked largely as an illustrator during the first years o ...

, Lloyd supported reforms in

, and divorce laws.

Pacifism

During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Lloyd was a

. At that time, he connected with

Olive Schreiner Olive Schreiner (24 March 1855 – 11 December 1920) was a South African author, anti-war campaigner and intellectual. She is best remembered today for her novel '' The Story of an African Farm'' (1883), which has been highly acclaimed. It dea ...

over their shared stance on

. Lloyd was involved in organisations like the

and the

, fostering a closely connected London pacifist community. Schreiner sought his feedback on her

anti-war An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conf ...

writings. Lloyd was also active in the

. In 1918, Lloyd published his first edited collection of anti-war poems ''Poems Written During the Great War, 1914–1918'', the selected poems critiqued the idealisation and glamour of war. In 1919, he published a further anti-war poetry collection, ''The Paths of Glory''.

Animal welfare and rights

In 1932, Lloyd co-founded the

, where he served as Honorary Secretary for the rest of his life. In 1939, he authored an educational booklet for the Society, titled ''Foxhunters' Philosophy: A Garland from Five Centuries''. Lloyd was also a keen

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

and wrote on the subject.

Naturalist career

Lloyd, while not a specialist, was an enthusiastic and observant field

with a strong focus on birds and dragonflies. He frequently contributed to '' British Birds'', writing about topics such as the

Stone-Curlew The stone-curlews, also known as dikkops or thick-knees, consist of 10 species within the family Burhinidae, and are found throughout the tropical and temperate parts of the world, with two or more species occurring in some areas of Africa, Asia, ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

(1921), the egg-laying habits of

Grassholm Grassholm ( or ) or Grassholm Island is a small uninhabited island situated off the southwestern Pembrokeshire coast in Wales, lying west of Skomer, in the community of Marloes and St Brides. It is the westernmost point in Wales other than th ...

Gannets (1926), and a rare sighting of a

Marsh Warbler The marsh warbler (''Acrocephalus palustris'') is an Old World warbler currently classified in the family Acrocephalidae. It breeds in temperate Europe and the western Palearctic and winters mainly in southeast Africa. It is notable for incorpor ...

in Hertfordshire (1941). He also conducted studies on the birdlife of Texel, Holland. In ''Entomologist'', he reported on a mass emergence of the dragonfly '' Coenagrion puella'' (1941) and documented

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and otherwise by the sea. Haverfordwest is the largest town and ...

dragonflies (1944). Lloyd was also a member of the

British Ornithologists' Union The British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) aims to encourage the study of birds (ornithology) around the world in order to understand their biology and aid their conservation. The BOU was founded in 1858 by Professor Alfred Newton, Henry Baker ...

and a

Fellow of the Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature collec ...

. Lloyd was a key figure in the Hertfordshire Natural History Society during his 20-year membership. He served as editor of the ''Transactions'' from 1935 until his death and contributed numerous articles, including "The Nesting of Garganeys at Elstree" (1931) and "The Distribution of the Grass Snake in Hertfordshire, with Notes on its Behaviour" (1936). Following the death of his friend Charles Oldham, whom he honored in ''British Birds'' and ''The North Western Naturalist'', he edited the Society's bird reports for 1939, 1940, and 1941. Additionally, he was the Society's recorder for mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

Personal life and death

In 1938, Lloyd married Sylvia Colenso (b. 1887) in Cardigan, Wales. She was an accomplished musician, and both her and her husband were music lovers. Lloyd was a passionate athlete in his youth, enjoying rock climbing and scrambling in Wales and the

Lake District The Lake District, also known as ''the Lakes'' or ''Lakeland'', is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is famous for its landscape, including its lakes, coast, and mou ...

. He later became an avid and skilled mountaineer, exploring Norway, the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

and

Swiss Alps The Alps, Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps, represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main Physica ...

, the

Dolomites The Dolomites ( ), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Va ...

, and

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

, often accompanied by his wife. Lloyd cherished the beauty and solitude of Pembroke. Lloyd suffered from poor health near the end of his life. He became a

Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

two days before his death at

Champneys Champneys is an English country house and its associated estate near Tring, Hertfordshire. The mansion is run as a destination spa by a business using "Champneys" as the brand name for a group of spa resorts and day spas. History The earliest ...

, near

Tring Tring is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in a gap passing through the Chiltern Hills, classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from Central London. Tring is linked ...

, on 9 June 1944, aged 63. He self-composed his epitaph, which ended "He cared not a farthing for Heaven or God, / But valued far more an inch of green sod."

Selected publications

* (ed.) *(ed.) * (ed.) * *(ed.) * * * * (edited by James Edgar Dandy and introduction by Sylvia Lloyd) * (with biographical note by Samuel Joseph Looker) *

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lloyd, Bertram 1881 births 1944 deaths 20th-century English educators 20th-century English naturalists Suffragists from London Anti-hunting activists Birdwatchers English animal welfare workers British charity and campaign group workers English animal rights activists English anti-war activists English atheists English book editors English conscientious objectors English entomologists English LGBTQ rights activists English magazine editors English mountain climbers English ornithologists English pacifists English people of Welsh descent English science writers English socialists English vegetarianism activists Fellows of the Linnean Society of London Fellows of the Royal Entomological Society Founders of charities German–English translators Independent Labour Party members

Bertram Bertram may refer to: Places *Bertram, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth, Australia *Bertram, Iowa, United States, a city *Bertram, Texas, United States, a city *Bertram Glacier, Palmer Land, Antarctica Other uses *Bertram (name), a list of peo ...

People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood Vegetarianism writers 20th-century atheists 19th-century atheists