Laurence Housman and social reform

Laurence Housman

Housman and Social Reform

Extracts from various sources that throw light on Housman's work in social reform.

The British Society for the Study of Sex Psychology

International Journal of Ethics, Vol 28 1917/18

The founders of the B.S.S.S.P. soon realised that their investigations could not be confined to one type of abnormal sexuality, but must cover a wide and diverse field of psychology, and must take into consideration the influence of atavistic superstitions, and economic conditions.

Among the pioneers and pillars of the Society certain names must receive special mention. The formal institution of the Society, which occurred in April, 1914, and its establishment on a workable basis are very largely due to the prestige and inspiration of Edward Carpenter and the indefatigable activity and versatile talents of Laurence Housman. The position of these two pioneers in the intellectual world, and their close connection with the democratic and feminist movements, have been invaluable assets. Both are still active members of the Executive Committee of the Society and Laurence Housman has contributed largely to its literature.

Associated with them in the foundation of B.S.S.P. and also at present members of its Executive, are George Ives, an authority on the reform of our criminal law, and author of that psychological and historical classic "A History of Penal Methods"; and Bertram Lloyd, one of the ablest and most active of the younger Socialists and humanitarians. These four men were certainly the cornerstones of the Society.

Other members of the Society now include the chief exponents of the psycho-analytic doctrine in England; the leaders of the birth-control movement and the founder of the movement for Divorce Law Reform; several eminent eugenists and educational specialists; and an increasing number of medical men and women. It is interesting to note that the first medical members of the Society were women.

Women's Suffrage

In 1907, several left-wing writers, including Henry Nevinson, Laurence Housman and Henry Brailsford formed the Men's League for Women's Suffrage and three years later the Men's Political Union for Women's Enfranchisement was established. At a by-election in Wimbledon in 1907 Bertrand Russell, stood as the Suffragist candidate.

3 JUNE 1911

"Woman Suffrage Meeting at Ramsgate...at the Conregational Hall on May 28th. Mr Laurence Housman and Mr Oak-Rhind presided.

Mr Housman pointed out that women had in the past more rights but she had gradually lost them. Regarding the Anti-Suffragists view that women were represented already, through their husbands, he said that where they differed the woman was not represented. Mr Housman continued that women had a right to the full development of their faculties and to apply those faculties and choose her own career. By present economic conditions women were forced into marriage, he said, and that was not for the benefit of the race. He also spoke of women's inequality in law, education and equal pay.

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Evelyn Sharp believed that the role played by the Men's League for Women's Suffrage was very important in the struggle for the vote.

It is impossible to rate too highly the sacrifices that they (Henry Nevinson and Laurence Housman) and H. N. Brailsford, F. W. Pethick Lawrence, Harold Laski, Israel Zangwill, Gerald Gould, George Landsbury, and many others made to keep our movement free from the suggestion of a sex war.

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The Suffrage Atelier

Formed in 1907 by Mary Lowndes, a renowned stained glass maker, the Artists Suffrage League was one of the first suffrage associations to be organised by profession. As well as designing banners for the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, it also produced postcards and illustrated pamphlets promoting the campaign for women's enfranchisement in Britain and North America. Artists associated with the League include Emily Ford, Laurence Housman and Cicely Hamilton.

The Suffrage Atelier was founded in 1909 by Clemence and Laurence Houseman as 'An Arts and Crafts Society Working for the Enfranchisement of Women'. Unlike the League, the Atelier encouraged non-professional artists to submit work and paid them a small percentage of any profits made from work sold. The Atelier is most closely with associated with the Women's Freedom League and the Women's Social and Political Union and its members included Catherine Courtauld and Edith Craig.

The Library's entire collection of suffrage banners, along with associated artwork, has now been digitised and is available for research on AHDS Visual Arts searchable database. (Information from The Women's Library.)

THE ORDER OF CHAERONA

(From Cassell’s Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Spirit & Folklore, p. 257)

Deriving its name from the last battle fought by the Sacred Band of Thebes in 338 BCE, this clandestine British homosexual spiritual organization was founded in the 1890’s by George Cecil Ives (1867-1950), a criminologist, poet, essayist, and early homosexual rights activist (co-founder of the British Sexological Society). A friend of Oscar Wilde and Edward Carpenter, Ives used texts by them as well as by Walt Whitman the construction of initiation ceremonies and other rights. Ives also employed passages of his own work in these rites, some of which appear in “A Book of Chains” (1897), “Eros’ Throne” (1900) and “The Greco-Roman View of Youth” (1926).

The primary goal of the Order was to form a global chain of lovers, building upon the Platonic ideal of the “army of lovers” first realized by the Theban Band.

The “bibles” of what amounted to a homosexual-centered (or proto-Gay/Queer Spiritual) faith included Ives’ own books of ritual as well as the Greek Anthology and Whitman’s ”Leaves of Grass” (1855). The god of the Order was Eros, that “gay, capricious angel of night” with “vast wings” of Ives’ poem “With Whom, then, Should I Sleep?”(1896).

The messiah, or prophet of the faith was Whitman, the disciples or saints Wilde and Carpenter, the missionaries Ives and the other members of the Order.

Another prominent member of the Order was Laurence Housman, the brother of poet A.E. Housman (1859-1936).