The History of the Fabian Society

ons of the S

cle-The preliminary meetings-The Fellowship of the New Life

k Podmore,[7] whose acquaintance I had made a short time previously. We had become friends through a common interest first in Spiritualism and subsequently in Psychical Research, and it was whilst vainly watching for a ghost in a haunted house at Notting Hill-the house was unoccupied: we had obtaine

lecturer and head of an Ethical Church in New York and St. Louis. Thomas Davidson was about to leave London; and the company he had gathered round him, desirous of fur

continued with scarcely a break, through nine months of every year, up to the present time. The c

the first minute book of the Society in the h

NEW

ctober, 1883. There were present: Miss Ford, Miss Isabella Ford [of Leeds], Mrs. Hinton [widow of James Hinton], Miss Haddon [her sister], Mr., Mrs., and Mi

The New Life,' read by him at a former assemblage, and after it of the Draf

sed that it would not be possible to establish here in England any independent community. What could be done perhaps would be for a number of persons in sympathy with the main idea to unite for the purpose of common living as far as possible on a communistic basis, realising amongst themselves the higher lif

ence (Wednesday, 7th November). Mr. Podmore consented to ask Miss Owen [afterwards Mrs. Laurence Oliphant] to

as for those present to become thoroughly acquainted with each other. A general introduction of each person

ed, including Hubert Bland, who, I think, had been one of the original Davidson

ggested that resolutions should be passed constituting a society, and, as far as those present were concerned, designating its objects. Some exception was tak

the following resolution

aim shall be the reconstruction of Society in

bb, and, failing Champion, Pease was appointed to draw up and submit proposals, and it was reso

ople, and included Miss Dale Owen, William Clarke, and Fre

heCommittee, including the following resolutio

and comfort of the few at the expense of the suffering of the many and that Society m

r economic aims of the Society and not to its primary spiritual aim, it was agreed that it should stand as No. 3, and

s of the Society, and after several suggestions had been made a new

teen were present. Hubert Bland occupied the chair, and

OWSHIP OF

on of a perfect chara

dination of material

fellowship shall be a single-minded, sincere, an

nce of manual labour and religious communion. Nine names were attached to this project, including those of Percival Chubb, Havelock Ellis, and William Clarke, and it was ann

ing of Percival Chubb. The next entry was made by Fra

Fabian Society, and the minutes of

naburgh Street, on Fri

don, Messrs. J. Hunter Watts, Hughes, Bland, Keddell, Pease,

ook the chai

and confirmed Dr. Gibson moved the series of resolutions

of resolutions, copies of which had been circu

was carried b

Gibson, Chubb, and Estcourt, who

en put forward as substantive re

ety (as Mr. Podmore explained in allusion to the victorio

ge its members to any more definite basis of agreement tha

d unani

ecided to modify the resolution of 7th November, 1883, by inserting the words

mously, viz.: That with the view of learning what practic

ussion, the reading of pape

n's Clubs, etc., in order that such members may in the first place report to the Society on the

llection of articles from current literature, to obtain info

ve Committee, to serve for three months, on the motion of Mr. Pease. A collection w

e is no record of the fact. He was annually re-elected treasurer and a mem

he case. All those present became members, and the relations between the Fabian Society and the Fellowship of the New Life

called "Seedtime,"[9] issued from July, 1889, to February, 1898. The paper contains articles on Ethical Socialism, the Simple Life, Humanitarianism, the Education of Chi

receipts ￡73. During this year, 1892-3, J. Ramsay Macdonald, subsequently M.P. and Secretary and Chairman of the Labour Pa

n Liberal M.P., H.S. Salt of the Humanitarian League, Edward Carpenter, and his brother Captain Carpenter, Herbert Rix, assistant secretary of the Royal Society, Havelock El

oughty Street, Bloomsbury; but close association, especially of persons with the strong and independent opinions of the average socialist, promotes discord, and against

g business, and its concern for the right education for the young found expression in a

that its work was done, the last number of "Seedtime

TNO

nce, 1st class clerk, G.P.O. Author of "Apparitions and Thought Transference," 1

activities in connection with the Social Democratic Federation, the "Labour Elector," et

tish Library of Political Scien

raph by G.C.

BLAND,