Sheffield Socialist Society
Encyclopedia
The Sheffield Socialist Society was an early revolutionary
socialist organisation in Sheffield
, England
.
The Society was founded in 1886 on the initiative of Edward Carpenter
. Carpenter was influenced by Henry Hyndman
's book England for All, and struck up a friendship with William Morris
. He initially intended the Society to become the first regional branch of the Social Democratic Federation
(SDF), but this idea was abandoned when the Socialist League
, led by Morris, split from the SDF, and the Society remained unaffiliated to any national current.
Financed largely by Carpenter, the Society opened a building on Solly Street containing a low-cost café, lodgings and meeting room; it moved the following year to Scotland Street. The Society began organising stalls on Fargate
, with speakers extolling the virtues of socialism, and organised meetings with a wide range of speakers, including Hyndman, Morris, Annie Besant
and Peter Kropotkin
. Initially, the Society grew, with new members including Raymond Unwin
.
Regular disturbances forced the Society to close its café, upon which it launched a successful campaign to increase the relief paid by the Poor Law
Commissioners. It followed this with a campaign against high rents, encouraging non-payment. Following their own policy led to them losing their building, however, and a decline set in as the group failed to respond to rising trade union
militancy.
The Society remained open to all revolutionary socialists, and soon a split opened up between the proponents of non-violence, around Carpenter, and anarchists
in the group. In 1891, the anarchists split from the Society, organising around the publication The Sheffield Anarchist. Carpenter drifted away from the surviving group, which maintained its activity at a lower level. In 1902, some members left to create a branch of the SDF.
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
socialist organisation in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
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...
.
The Society was founded in 1886 on the initiative of Edward Carpenter
Edward Carpenter
Edward Carpenter was an English socialist poet, socialist philosopher, anthologist, and early gay activist....
. Carpenter was influenced by Henry Hyndman
Henry Hyndman
Henry Mayers Hyndman was an English writer and politician, and the founder of the Social Democratic Federation and the National Socialist Party.-Early years:...
's book England for All, and struck up a friendship with William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
. He initially intended the Society to become the first regional branch of the Social Democratic Federation
Social Democratic Federation
The Social Democratic Federation was established as Britain's first organised socialist political party by H. M. Hyndman, and had its first meeting on June 7, 1881. Those joining the SDF included William Morris, George Lansbury and Eleanor Marx. However, Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx's long-term...
(SDF), but this idea was abandoned when the Socialist League
Socialist League (UK, 1885)
The Socialist League was an early revolutionary socialist organisation in the United Kingdom. The organisation began as a dissident offshoot of the Social Democratic Federation of Henry Hyndman at the end of 1884. Never an ideologically harmonious group, by the 1890s the group had turned from...
, led by Morris, split from the SDF, and the Society remained unaffiliated to any national current.
Financed largely by Carpenter, the Society opened a building on Solly Street containing a low-cost café, lodgings and meeting room; it moved the following year to Scotland Street. The Society began organising stalls on Fargate
Fargate
Fargate is a pedestrian precinct and shopping area in Sheffield, England. It runs between Barker's Pool and High Street opposite the cathedral. It was pedestrianised in 1973...
, with speakers extolling the virtues of socialism, and organised meetings with a wide range of speakers, including Hyndman, Morris, Annie Besant
Annie Besant
Annie Besant was a prominent British Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule.She was married at 19 to Frank Besant but separated from him over religious differences. She then became a prominent speaker for the National Secular Society ...
and Peter Kropotkin
Peter Kropotkin
Prince Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin was a Russian zoologist, evolutionary theorist, philosopher, economist, geographer, author and one of the world's foremost anarcho-communists. Kropotkin advocated a communist society free from central government and based on voluntary associations between...
. Initially, the Society grew, with new members including Raymond Unwin
Raymond Unwin
Sir Raymond Unwin was a prominent and influential English engineer, architect and town planner, with an emphasis on improvements in working class housing.-Early years:...
.
Regular disturbances forced the Society to close its café, upon which it launched a successful campaign to increase the relief paid by the Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
Commissioners. It followed this with a campaign against high rents, encouraging non-payment. Following their own policy led to them losing their building, however, and a decline set in as the group failed to respond to rising trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
militancy.
The Society remained open to all revolutionary socialists, and soon a split opened up between the proponents of non-violence, around Carpenter, and anarchists
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
in the group. In 1891, the anarchists split from the Society, organising around the publication The Sheffield Anarchist. Carpenter drifted away from the surviving group, which maintained its activity at a lower level. In 1902, some members left to create a branch of the SDF.