Cecil Chesterton
Encyclopedia
Cecil Edward Chesterton was an English
journalist
and political commentator, known particularly for his role as editor of The New Witness from 1912 to 1916, and in relation to its coverage of the Marconi scandal
.
, and a close associate of Hilaire Belloc
. While the ideas of distributism
came from all three, and Arthur Penty
, he was the most ideological and combative by temperament. His death, according to his wife, removed the theorist of the movement.
He was born in Kensington
, London, and educated at St Paul's School, and the Slade School of Art. In 1901 he joined the Fabian Society
, with which he was closely involved for about six years. From 1907 he wrote for A. R. Orage's The New Age
. In 1908 he published an anonymous biography of his better-known brother, G. K. Chesterton, a Criticism, but his authorship was quickly discovered.
He had been one of the 'Anti-Puritan League' of the 1890s, with Stewart Headlam
(who stood bail
for Oscar Wilde
), Edgar Jepson
and his brother; and then a member of Henry Holland
's Christian Social Union
. While Chesterton was writing from a socialist point of view for Orage, he was also moving to an Anglo-Catholic religious stance. In 1911 he started editorial work for Belloc, with whom he wrote in The Party System, a criticism of party politics
. In 1912 he formally became a Roman Catholic.
That same year he bought Belloc's failing weekly Eye-Witness, and renamed it The New Witness, editing it for four years before enlisting in the army, and turning it into a scandal sheet
. His persistent attacks on prominent political figures involved in the Marconi scandal
(such as Lloyd George), and his public defence of his position in terms of a 'Jewish problem', have left him with a reputation as an anti-Semite. He was successfully brought to court by Godfrey Isaacs, one of those attacked, although the damages awarded were nominal. A government investigation revealed that high government officials had engaged in insider trading
in the stock of Marconi's American subsidiary, but the quantity of stocks they were known to have purchased was relatively small.
In 1916 he married Ada Elizabeth Jones (1888-1962), later known as a writer, after a long courtship. He joined the Highland Light Infantry
as a private soldier. Ada took over the paper, which was also supported by G. K. Chesterton, and eventually in 1925 it was renamed G. K.'s Weekly
.
He was three times wounded fighting in France
, and died there in a hospital of nephritis
on December 6, 1918. Although sick, he had refused to leave his post until the Armistice
. On December 13, G. K. Chesterton would report his death in the New Witness, noting that "He lived long enough to march to the victory which was for him a supreme vision of liberty and the light."
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and political commentator, known particularly for his role as editor of The New Witness from 1912 to 1916, and in relation to its coverage of the Marconi scandal
Marconi scandal
The Marconi scandal was a British political scandal that broke in the summer of 1912. It centred on allegations that highly-placed members of the Liberal government, under H. H...
.
Life
He was the younger brother of G. K. ChestertonG. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
, and a close associate of Hilaire Belloc
Hilaire Belloc
Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc was an Anglo-French writer and historian who became a naturalised British subject in 1902. He was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. He was known as a writer, orator, poet, satirist, man of letters and political activist...
. While the ideas of distributism
Distributism
Distributism is a third-way economic philosophy formulated by such Catholic thinkers as G. K...
came from all three, and Arthur Penty
Arthur Penty
Arthur Joseph Penty was a British architect, and writer on Guild socialism and distributism. He was first a Fabian socialist, and follower of Victorian thinkers William Morris and John Ruskin...
, he was the most ideological and combative by temperament. His death, according to his wife, removed the theorist of the movement.
He was born in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London, and educated at St Paul's School, and the Slade School of Art. In 1901 he joined the Fabian Society
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
, with which he was closely involved for about six years. From 1907 he wrote for A. R. Orage's The New Age
The New Age
The New Age was a British literary magazine, noted for its wide influence under the editorship of A. R. Orage from 1907 to 1922. It began life in 1894 as a publication of the Christian Socialist movement; but in 1907 as a radical weekly edited by Joseph Clayton, it was struggling...
. In 1908 he published an anonymous biography of his better-known brother, G. K. Chesterton, a Criticism, but his authorship was quickly discovered.
He had been one of the 'Anti-Puritan League' of the 1890s, with Stewart Headlam
Stewart Headlam
Stewart Duckworth Headlam was a priest of the Church of England who was involved in frequent controversy in the final decades of the nineteenth century. Headlam was a pioneer and publicist of Christian socialism, on which he wrote a pamphlet for the Fabian Society. He is noted for his role as the...
(who stood bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
for Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
), Edgar Jepson
Edgar Jepson
Edgar Alfred Jepson was an English writer, principally of mainstream adventure and detective fiction, but also of some supernatural and fantasy stories that are better remembered. He used a pseudonym R...
and his brother; and then a member of Henry Holland
Sir Henry Holland, 1st Baronet
Sir Henry Holland, 1st Baronet FRS, DCL , was a British physician and travel writer.-Private Life:Born in Knutsford, Cheshire, Holland was the son of the physician Peter Holland and his wife Mary Willets. Peter's sister Elizabeth was the mother of the novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, and Mary was the...
's Christian Social Union
Christian Social Union
Christian Social Union may refer to:*Christian Social Union of Bavaria, a political party in Bavaria, Germany*Christian Social Union , a nineteenth and early twentieth-century organization within the Church of England...
. While Chesterton was writing from a socialist point of view for Orage, he was also moving to an Anglo-Catholic religious stance. In 1911 he started editorial work for Belloc, with whom he wrote in The Party System, a criticism of party politics
Party Politics
Party Politics is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers in the field of Political Science. The journal's editors are David M Farrell and Paul Webb...
. In 1912 he formally became a Roman Catholic.
That same year he bought Belloc's failing weekly Eye-Witness, and renamed it The New Witness, editing it for four years before enlisting in the army, and turning it into a scandal sheet
Scandal Sheet
Scandal Sheet is a black-and-white film noir directed by Phil Karlson. The film is based on the novel The Dark Page by Samuel Fuller, who himself was a newspaper reporter before his career in film...
. His persistent attacks on prominent political figures involved in the Marconi scandal
Marconi scandal
The Marconi scandal was a British political scandal that broke in the summer of 1912. It centred on allegations that highly-placed members of the Liberal government, under H. H...
(such as Lloyd George), and his public defence of his position in terms of a 'Jewish problem', have left him with a reputation as an anti-Semite. He was successfully brought to court by Godfrey Isaacs, one of those attacked, although the damages awarded were nominal. A government investigation revealed that high government officials had engaged in insider trading
Insider trading
Insider trading is the trading of a corporation's stock or other securities by individuals with potential access to non-public information about the company...
in the stock of Marconi's American subsidiary, but the quantity of stocks they were known to have purchased was relatively small.
In 1916 he married Ada Elizabeth Jones (1888-1962), later known as a writer, after a long courtship. He joined the Highland Light Infantry
Highland Light Infantry
The Highland Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. In 1923 the regimental title was expanded to the Highland Light Infantry ...
as a private soldier. Ada took over the paper, which was also supported by G. K. Chesterton, and eventually in 1925 it was renamed G. K.'s Weekly
G. K.'s Weekly
G. K.'s Weekly was a British publication founded in 1925 by G. K. Chesterton, continuing until his death in 1936. It contained much of his later journalism, and extracts from it were published as The Outline of Sanity....
.
He was three times wounded fighting in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and died there in a hospital of nephritis
Nephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of the nephrons in the kidneys. The word "nephritis" was imported from Latin, which took it from Greek: νεφρίτιδα. The word comes from the Greek νεφρός - nephro- meaning "of the kidney" and -itis meaning "inflammation"....
on December 6, 1918. Although sick, he had refused to leave his post until the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
. On December 13, G. K. Chesterton would report his death in the New Witness, noting that "He lived long enough to march to the victory which was for him a supreme vision of liberty and the light."
Works
- Gladstonian Ghosts (1905)
- G.K. Chesterton: a Criticism (1908)
- Party and People (1910)
- The Party System with Hilaire Belloc (1911)
- The Story of Nell Gwyn (1911)
- The Prussian hath said in his Heart (1914)
- The Perils of Peace (1916)
- A History of the United States (1919)