5. The Early Career of Charles Bradlaugh (The origins of secularism & the National Secular Society) Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCBuvFBuwkk&feature=youtu.be 0:00:14.140,0:00:24.859 Charles Hi. Bob Forder. The Early Career of Charles Bradlaugh, 0:01:33.420,0:01:41.060 as one of his brightest youngsters, and 0:00:24.859,0:00:34.940 had appointed him a Sunday school teacher. 26 September 1833 - 30 January 1891 0:01:41.200,0:01:46.170 0:00:35.480,0:00:42.329 Thus encouraged, the young Charles Bradlaugh was the eldest of six Charles began an earnest study of the children born to Charles Bradlaugh, 0:01:46.170,0:01:52.790 0:00:42.329,0:00:49.789 four Gospels, but was disquieted by a solicitor's clerk, and his wife, inconsistencies between them. Elizabeth, a former nursemaid. 0:01:52.790,0:02:01.880 0:00:49.789,0:00:56.500 If these writings were guided by God He was born in Hoxton, East London and shouldn't God be consistent? was educated at her local elementary day school. 0:02:01.920,0:02:06.870 He innocently asked for clarification 0:00:56.500,0:01:01.640 from Packer, and was amazed to receive a At the age of 12 he became an office boy in the company where his father worked. 0:02:06.870,0:02:10.830 hostile response and a three-month 0:01:01.640,0:01:09.240 suspension from his role as a Sunday At this time the family lived in Bethnal Green. The young Charles occasionally heard 0:02:10.830,0:02:19.110 school teacher. Then it got worse. 0:01:09.240,0:01:17.160 Charles sent Packer a copy of Robert Taylor's local radical/free-thinking speakers in Victoria Park, which was nearby. 0:02:19.110,0:02:27.390 “The Diegesis” for comment and at the same 0:01:17.160,0:01:22.020 time announced himself a teetotaler He also attended the local Anglican Sunday School 0:02:27.390,0:02:33.220 - a free-thinking characteristic in those 0:01:22.020,0:01:28.420 days - at St Peter's Church, where the Reverend John Packer was the incumbent. 0:02:33.400,0:02:41.640 Robert Taylor not only styled himself 0:01:28.439,0:01:33.420 “The Devil’s Chaplain”, his Diegesis was an The Reverend Packer had identified 0:02:41.650,0:02:47.080 Shortly afterwards wrote his first pamphlet extraordinary work of scholarship which “A Few Words on the Christian’s Creed”. mercilessly explored Christian origins 0:04:08.820,0:04:13.330 0:02:47.080,0:02:52.920 Despite these youthful achievements, and claimed it to be rooted in myth. Bradlaugh was broke having failed to 0:02:53.020,0:02:58.800 0:04:13.330,0:04:18.790 Packer visited Charles senior. make a living as an independent coal He gave his son three days to change his merchant. Consequently, in December 1850 0:02:58.819,0:03:03.970 mind or leave his job and his home. 0:04:18.790,0:04:24.460 he took the "Queen's shilling", enlisted in 0:03:04.620,0:03:09.540 the 7th Dragoon Guards, and was The young Bradlaugh was never one for compromise, he left home and was offered 0:04:24.460,0:04:31.440 posted to Ireland, where the misery he 0:03:09.540,0:03:20.200 witnessed made a profound impact on him. shelter by Eliza Sharples, Richard Carlile's former partner, and her three children. 0:04:31.440,0:04:39.620 He didn't enjoy army life, and when an aunt 0:03:20.440,0:03:24.880 agreed to buy him out, he was delighted. Bradlaugh spent his time at the Carlile's in fruitful study, 0:04:39.620,0:04:45.950 On his return he took a job as a 0:03:24.880,0:03:30.120 solicitor's clerk, and was married teaching himself French, Hebrew, Greek and Latin. 0:04:45.950,0:04:57.480 to Susannah in June 1855. Three children 0:03:30.580,0:03:36.840 followed - Alice, Hypatia and another Charles. At the age of 17 he made the acquaintance of Austin Holyoake , 0:04:57.480,0:05:01.010 During his period he was learning 0:03:36.840,0:03:43.240 much about law and was G.J Hollyoaks brother. It was he who arranged for George Jacob 0:05:01.010,0:05:05.900 lecturing increasingly frequently on 0:03:43.250,0:03:48.319 freethought subjects. to take the chair of the meeting where Bradlaugh spoke on the 0:05:05.900,0:05:12.480 At first marriage and family life went well, 0:03:48.319,0:03:55.640 but he was to be overcome by tragedy. “Past, Present and Future of Theology” on 16th October 1850. 0:05:12.480,0:05:20.580 Susannah drank heavily. 0:03:55.640,0:03:59.870 She died in 1877, aged just 45. Bradlaugh had just given his first infidel lecture. 0:05:20.580,0:05:29.680 His son Charles had already died aged 10, 0:03:59.870,0:04:08.660 and Alice died in 1888 aged 32. the imposing stature, and the ringing 0:05:29.680,0:05:38.960 eloquence Only Hypatia was to outlive her father, dying in 1935 aged 77. 0:06:54.260,0:07:03.340 of the man fascinated me ... and I became one 0:05:39.340,0:05:45.360 of In 1858 Bradlaugh was invited his humblest but most devoted of his to take on the editorship of the followers". 0:05:45.370,0:05:51.550 0:07:03.340,0:07:09.940 "Investigator", a militant radical paper. Tom Mann was a young trade unionist when That closed, but he was then invited to he first heard Bradlaugh speak. 0:05:51.550,0:05:59.180 0:07:09.940,0:07:15.140 take on the editorship of the This is what he said: “National Reformer”, alongside Joseph Barker. "Charles Bradlaugh was at this period, 0:05:59.180,0:06:08.540 0:07:15.140,0:07:20.660 He was to remain editor, apart from a and I think for fully fifteen years, break from 1863 to 1866, until his death. the foremost platform man in Britain. 0:06:08.860,0:06:14.860 0:07:20.660,0:07:26.760 At this time Bradlaugh was also establishing "When championing an unpopular cause, himself as a platform speaker. it is of advantage to have a powerful physique. 0:06:14.860,0:06:18.720 0:07:26.760,0:07:33.640 Harry Snell, who was to become a Labour MP, Bradlaugh had this; he also had the courage equal to any requirement, 0:06:18.720,0:06:26.180 and later, as Lord Snell, led the 0:07:33.640,0:07:41.040 Labour Party in the Lord's said this: a command of language and power of denunciation 0:06:26.190,0:06:30.300 superior to any other man of his time... "Bradlaugh was already speaking when I arrived, and I remember as clearly as 0:07:41.040,0:07:45.500 "He was a thorough-going republican. 0:06:30.300,0:06:36.240 though it were only yesterday, the 0:07:45.500,0:07:56.500 immediate and compelling impression made "Of course, in theological affairs, he was the iconoclast, the breaker of images." 0:06:36.240,0:06:43.430 upon me by that extraordinary man. 0:07:56.500,0:08:03.200 "I have never been so influenced by a human So, what did Bradlaugh stand for? 0:06:43.430,0:06:47.529 0:08:03.380,0:08:10.060 personality as I was by First and foremost he was an Charles Bradlaugh. atheistic free thinker. 0:06:47.529,0:06:54.260 0:08:10.060,0:08:16.120 "The commanding strength, the massive head, ie it was his belief that Christianity was used by the established church to "In their own land they vegetate and wither 0:08:16.120,0:08:22.270 unnoticed. repress working-class people and keep them in their place. He thought that the 0:09:34.660,0:09:41.200 "Here we pay them highly to marry 0:08:22.270,0:08:28.129 and perpetuate a pauper prince-race. surest route to improving the lot of the working class was to make them free. 0:09:41.200,0:09:48.060 "If they do nothing they are ‘good’. 0:08:28.129,0:08:34.280 If they do ill, loyalty gilds the vice There were many obstacles to that freedom, but religion was at the heart of many of them. 0:09:48.060,0:09:53.940 until it looks like virtue.” 0:08:34.280,0:08:42.860 Related to this, he was a fervent 0:09:54.180,0:10:00.540 advocate of a free press.