Socialist League

Wess, Woolf, 1861-1946

A short biography of Jewish anarchist Woolf, aka William, Wess, active in the Socialist League in East London.

“He was the most modest of men” - Rudolf Rocker
Woolf Wess was born to a Jewish family in Vilkomar (or Ukmerge) near Kovno in Lithuania in 1861.

He was the son of a Hasidic master baker and at age of 12 was apprenticed to a shoemaker.

Dave, Victor, 1845-1922

Biography of a Belgian radical, imprisoned in Germany and militant within the proofreaders' union.

Victor Dave
Born Jambes, Belguim 1845. Died Paris, France 1922

Victor Dave was born in Jambes, near Namur in Belgium on February 25th, 1845. Son of a senior judge (President of the Cour des Comptes Belge) he completed his higher education at the Faculty of Letters in Liège and the Free University in Brussels.

Brocher, Gustave, 1850-1931

The story of French priest-turned-anarchist writer, Gustave Brocher.

Gustave Brocher 1850-1931 a.k.a Rehcorb
Born Delle, France 1850. Died France 1930

Barker, Ambrose, 1859-1953

Short biography of East London radical secularist and anarchist, Ambrose Barker, who was active in the Socialist League, Walthamstow Anarchist Group and the London Freedom Group.

Ambrose Barker
Born 1859 Northampton, England. Died 1953 East London, England

Bell, Tom, 1867-1942

A short biography of leading Scottish anarchist Tom Bell, a marine engineer and propagandist who travelled the world, finally settling in the US.

Thomas Hastie Bell was born in Edinburgh in 1867. He should not be confused with another Tom Bell, fellow Scot , Red Clydesider and one of the founders of the Communist Party.

Tochatti, James, 1852-1928

Liberty (subtitled A Journal of Anarchist Communism

A short biography of early Scottish anarchist and tailor, James Tochatti, who was active in the Socialist League in London.

James Tochatti, whose real name was Moncure Douglas, was born in 1852 in Ballater, Scotland. Originally destined for a career in the kirk, Tochatti eventually became a merchant tailor. He was very active in the National Secular Society from the 1870s.

Lane, Joseph, 1851-1920

Nicolas Walter's biography of one of Britain's earliest and most hard-working libertarian socialists, and author of An Anti-Statist Communist Manifesto, Joe Lane.

Joseph Lane
Born 2 April 1851 – UK, died 3 September 1920 - UK

An Anti-Statist Communist Manifesto, which was first published in 1887, was the most important writing by Joseph Lane, who was one of the little-known founders of the libertarian socialist movement in Britain.

Mainwaring, Sam, 1841-1907

Sam Mainwaring, centre, with the white beard, Ted Leggatt to his right

A biography of Welsh engineer and anarchist orator Sam Mainwaring, who was among the first active anarchists in the UK.

Sam Mainwaring 1841-1907
Born 14 December 1841 – Wales, UK, died 29 September 1907 - UK

Biography of Sam Mainwaring, 1841-1907

A brief biography of Welsh engineer and anarchist orator Sam Mainwaring.

Mowbray, Charles Wilfred, 185?-1910

A short biography of tailor Charles Mowbray, who was possibly the first anarchist-communist in Britain. He was active in London, Norwich and the US.

Charles Wilfred Mowbray

Born 1850s – Durham, UK, died December 1910 – Bridlington, UK

Charles, Fred, c1860-c1930

A biography of early British anarchist Fred Charles who was accused in the Walsall Anarchist frame-up.

Born Frederick Charles Slaughter, Fred Charles was a leading light within the very active Norwich branch of the Socialist League in the 1880s. The Socialist League was a revolutionary socialist organisation that had broken with Hyndman’s Social Democratic Federation, some because of their dislike of the autocratic Hyndman, some because of their dislike of Hyndman and his politics.

Kitz, Frank, 1849-1923

A short biography of British anarchist and dyer Frank Kitz who was active in London in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Frank Kitz
Born Francis Platt, 1849 – London, UK, died 1923 - London, UK

"One of the wittiest public speakers I have ever known."
- George Cores, Personal Recollections of the Anarchist Past

[i]"A bluff, breezy chap, fond of his beer and jolly company"
John Bruce Glasier, William Morris and the Early Days of the Socialist Movement