Ponder, Walter (1878-1937)

Walter David Ponder, also known as W.D. Ponder within the anarchist movement, was born in Shoreditch in 1878 Whilst there is no record of his birth date, we know that he was baptised on 27th January. He was the son of Mary Ann.and George Charles Ponder. His father was a cabinet maker, and as we can see from the 1891 census, his older brothers George and John were already working with their father as cabinet maker‘s apprentices. Walter must have taken the same route, as he himself was later described as a cabinet maker. The family was then residing at 39 Kingsland Road.

In 1896, Ponder was to become a financial member of the Patience Lodge of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, a social and charitable organisation (12th December, 1986, Shoreditch Observer).

He contributed one shilling to financially support Jack Williams of the Social Democratic Federation (SDF) during his intense activity amongst the unemployed, according to the SDF paper Justice, 16th December 1905; and contributed further amounts over the next few months. He appears to have joined the SDF, being listed in this period; he ran for Walthamstow District Council in Hoe District in March, 1907, as an SDF candidate receiving a mere 133 votes (eastern Mercury, 26th March, 1907).

We know that by late 1907, he had left the SDF, and joined the Socialist Labour Party, being accepted as a member at its National Executive Council meeting on October 5th-6th; he is mentioned in The Socialist newspaper published in Edinburgh, paper of the SLP, as a member of the Walthamstow branch of the Socialist Labour Party, acting as its financial secretary (another member, its librarian, W. Fanner, was also to become an active anarchist communist).

The following year, he joined the Industrialist League, founded by E.J. B. Allen. By at least late 1908 he had moved to an anarchist communist position. As a member of the Industrialist League he opened for the anarchist Charlie Kean at the Mile End Waste in late October and it was expressed in the pages of Freedom that it was hoped "that he will soon be found on our platform again." He spoke with Allen, Rocker, and Malatesta at the Charlotte Street Club in December 1908. That same month he reported in Freedom on the debate between John Turner and Fred Sturge of the SDF on "Anarchist Communism versus Social Democracy", at the William Morris Socialist Club in Walthamstow on November 29th. He expressed the wish that more such meetings should take place.

The following year he spoke with John Turner, Malatesta, Rocker, and Tarrida del Marmol at the May Day demonstration in Hyde Park . At the first conference of the Industrialist League on August 1-2nd, Ponder was expelled for his attempts to turn that organisation in a more explicitly anarchist direction. In an article in the SLP paper The Socialist (March 1910), which followed the DeLeonist line of joint industrial/parliamentary action, its author spluttered " Then, sure enough, some genius arose in their midst, and the difficulty was solved :—" There is no profit in calling ourselves anti political, as the S.L.P. calls us, and we daren't be in favour of political action without making application for membership in the B.A. of I.U. There is only one position to take up; we must be non political, like a baker's shop or the Pagoda in Kew Gardens. Thus the genius we imagine. And "non" caught on like anything. However, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, and something more than "non" was required to convince the outsider that they were not "anti." So they offered up Mr Ponder as a burnt offering to the political parties, expelled him at their last conference, for advocating anarchism, and now they are waiting for the smoke to reach the desired nostrils".

In 1910, He held two debates with C. R. Smart of the Social Democratic Party (new name for the SDF from 1908) on Majority Rule versus Free Organisation, on Edmonton Green, leading off on February 6th(Justice, paper of the SDP, 5th February, 1910).

Writing from Walthamstow, W. Fanner reported in Freedom that “We have been holding good meetings at Edmonton and Tottenham, …At Tottenham on Sunday evenings we have had very good meetings. Comrade Kitz gave us a helping hand this month. Ponder and Baron are keeping the fight going, and we should be glad of any assistance, as it is a splendid spot to propagate Anarchism. The "only" Socialist Party has refused, by the vote of a majority, to accept Comrade Ponder's challenge to a debate. We think the minority has had an eye-opener over this business of majority rule. Ponder and other comrades are going to Epping to hold a meeting with the Parliamentary Socialists and others, as a fight for free speech is going on (Freedom, August 1910).

He continued to cross swords with the SDP, debating with W. Burnett at the Southwark SDP Rooms, 131 Newington Causeway on 19th November 1911, on the topic Anarchy versus Democratic Socialism. Ponder opened, defining Anarchy and Communism, and affirming that anarchist communism meant free socialism., whilst democratic socialism meant compulsory socialism. Burnett defended centralisation and authority and that it was necessary to get hold of government to control capital. Capitalist development tended towards centralisation, and should not be opposed, with the end result being state collectivism. ‘Ponder then pointed out that though there was a tendency towards centralisation and State control, there were other streams of thought and action directly opposed to it, which were striving for more freedom, asking whether it was necessary for man to remain an appanage of a machine as determined by the capitalist system, or whether happiness was not more important than a certain rigid economic system as depicted by Burnett’. (Freedom, December 1911).

He also acted as chair at the Ferrer anniversary meeting, in October 1910, organised by the London Communist Groups at the Communist Club in Charlotte Street. Speakers included Guy Aldred, Harry Bonner, James Tochatti, and Ted Leggatt, as well as Errico Malatesta speaking in French, Tcherkesov speaking in Russian and Rudolf Rocker speaking in German(Reynolds Newspaper, 16th October, 1910).

Between October 1-5th, 1910, he paid a flying visit to Newcastle, to aid the anarchists there, speaking there and at Wallsend, Gateshead , and Byker “-with one exception, all were fairly successful.” Some thousands of leaflets ("Do Not Vote" and “What is Anarchism") were distributed (Freedom, November 1910). In November he spoke at meetings at West Green Corner, Tottenham, with other anarchist speakers.

He spoke at a memorial meeting for the Chicago Martyrs on November 13th , 1911, at the South Place Institute, with other speakers like Guy Aldred, Tochatti, and Malatesta. The following November 13th, 1912, he again spoke at a memorial meeting for the Chicago Martyrs at St. Andrew’s Hall, Newman Street, speaking alongside Malatesta, Rocker, Tochatti, Mat Kavanagh, and Lothrop Withington, among others.

Also in 1912, Ponder assisted George Barrett on January 25th, at a meeting at the Club Union lecture-hall in Clerkenwell Road on ‘Recent Strikes’. Later, on Monday 29th, eighty anarchists met at the Food Reform Restaurant at Furnival Street in Holborn. Ponder was one of those who sang at this affair, and made a welcome speech to George Barrett on behalf of the London comrades.

In 1913, because of District Council strictures of the sale of literature in parks, Ponder and F. James were summoned for taking collections without permission in Victoria Park. Both were fined ten shillings and costs, but refused to pay. For this they were sentenced to prison, Ponder to five days, and James to seven days as a repeat offender. It was stated in Freedom that “The East London comrades intend to fight the matter out, and ask London comrades generally to assist at their meetings in Victoria Park on Sunday mornings and afternoons. These petty restrictions could easily be swept away if all propagandist organisations would steadily persist in ignoring the regulations. Deputations from Socialist and Freethought societies have been treated with contempt by the Parks Committee, and it is time some more vigorous methods were adopted” (Freedom, February 1913).

Acting for East London Anarchist Communists, Ponder organised a social and dance at the Triangle Coffee Rooms, at 72 Mare Street, Hackney, on February 22nd, 1913. Ponder was to speak on the subject of syndicalism at this venue on February 8th.

Ponder took an active part in the North London Daily Herald League, founded that year, speaking at its venues at Finsbury Park and elsewhere in North London.

Ponder organised for a large anti-militarist demonstration for May that year, with a group of French anarchists around the Groupe d'Études Sociales, and called for a preparatory meeting at 9 Manette Street on April 10th. Ponder was then residing at 22 Longfield, Avenue, Walthamstow. This demonstration, supported by the North London Herald League, rallied at Trafalgar Square with feeder marches from Highbury Corner, St. Pancras Arches, and several other venues, on 25th May. The Daily Herald reported : “Many Nationalities in Crowd of 6,000. Police Again Busy. Trafalgar Square, yesterday afternoon, five thousand workers of many nationalities attended the great meeting against War. There were French Anarchists, American I.W.W. delegates, Australians, Italians, Germans, Scandinavians. On the plinth were leading members of practically all the revolutionary parties. The Young Citizens, a scout corps of boys and girls from Walthamstow, met with great applause as they swung into the square headed by their drum and fife band. The enthusiasm and seriousness of the audience were remarkable.” Ted Leggatt chaired the meeting.

Ponder moved to Glasgow in late 1913 and with local anarchists engaged in intensive propaganda activities. He gave a boost to the anarchist group there, somewhat in the doldrums since the departure of George Barrett, due to illness. Ponder spoke at Dalhousie Street every Friday, and at Jail Square on Sunday afternoons, at the latter where he was aided by Angus MacKay and Max Seltzer.

Writing in Freedom, (November 1913), MacKay reported on the debate between Ponder and Guy Aldred over the trade unions. “Lively discussions have taken place in Glasgow of late regarding the position of Anarchists and Trade Unionism, and as a consequence a debate took place on Tuesday evening, October 22, in the Union Halls, West Nile Street between W. Ponder and G. A. Aldred, the subject being "Should Anarchists Support Trade Unionism", the former taking the affirmative, the latter the negative. The debate proved very interesting, and was thoroughly enjoyed by the large audience present. Ponder, in opening, contended that it was possible to work in the Unions, so as to bring about the thorough organisation of the workers. He showed that Trade Unions were the result of a conflict of economic interests, and that they largely determined the standard of living of the workers; that the formation of new Unions antagonistic to existing ones would create a division in the ranks of the workers. Aldred, in reply. said that Trade Unionism was reactionary and that it tended to palliate the present system; and further, he stated that we were compromising with the capitalist by accepting better conditions, and that he desired the workers to abolish the wage system, not reform it. Ponder then asserted that to develop solidarity and strength among the workers it was necessary to struggle with capitalists for better conditions, for the purpose of developing unity of action and defending present conditions from aggression. He also stated that ideas were changing among Trade Unionists, and direct action was becoming their watchword. Aldred, in reply, said that if Trade Unions took militant action, they ceased to be Trade Unions. In some instances, he said, workers organised in Trade Unions blacklegged upon one another, and Trade Unionism made blacklegging essential by organising them in crafts. When question time arrived, Aldred was bombarded with questions from trade unionists, which, I think. indicate the feeling of the meeting. The sale of Freedom has been increased this month by five quires, (125, N.H.) which speaks well for Ponder's first three weeks in Glasgow”. Ponder’s disagreements with Aldred did not stop them speaking alongside each other at public meetings, as Ponder was to testify himself in a report in Freedom.

Unfortunately, MacKay was to die from angina on November 28th, Ponder reporting on his death in Freedom and then going on to raise money for his bereaved family.

Ponder spoke at a commemoration meeting for the Paris Commune, organised by the Glasgow Anarchists, on May 15th, 1914, alongside T. Weller, Farmer, and others.

Whilst living in Glasgow, Ponder attended the anarchist conference in Newcastle that year. He also spoke at a public meeting there on that occasion, attended by 400, with the intention of explain the anarchist idea, alongside George Greensmith, John McAra, Will Lawther, Doris Wess and George Barrett, on April 12th.

“On August 5th, 1914 - the day after the declaration of War - the (North London Daily Herald N.H.)League held its first anti-War meeting - at Salisbury Corner, Harringay, near Finsbury Park. The speaker was Walter Ponder. This meeting initiated the NLHL's campaign against the War. Ponder spoke regularly for the League right throughout the War until 1920, but this was only a small part of his activity; he was a prominent speaker at a number of other venues in London.” (Ken Weller, Don’t Be A Soldier). Ponder spoke at anti-war meetings alongside Sylvia Pankhurst, Tom Mann, Melvina Walker, and Guy Aldred.

In late 1918, he took a key role in the setting up of the East London Workers’ Committee, and was its chair, acting alongside militants like Henry Sara and Vic Beacham. It held a demonstration in Trafalgar Square , followed by a mass meeting at the Beaumont Hall, opposite Stepney Green Station on the evening of May 11th , 1919, with Ponder in the chair and Tom Mann and Harry Pollitt speaking. This was to demand the release of David Ramsey, who had been arrested for defection, and for withdrawal of a prosecution against W. F. Watson.

On May 25th 1919, he spoke at a meeting at Trafalgar Square, alongside Sylvia Pankhurst, Tom Mann, and Guy Aldred, where British soldiers were urged to refuse orders to go to Russia to intervene on the side of the Whites,

Ponder again was prosecuted for selling literature and making collections in Victoria Park in 1919. Appearing in court on June 18th to answer six summonses, one relating to asking for money at a Hands Off Russia meeting, and another for selling the Women’s Dreadnought at same meeting., and four more summonses are for soliciting money and for selling literature as follows: ‘ British Soldiers in Russia,' ' Bolshevism in Industry and. Politics,’ ‘Independent Working-Class Education,’ ′ Jim Foster’s Philosophy,’ and Solidarity. Ponder called for several comrades in his defence, including Norah Smyth, and Wilf McCartney. He launched into a denunciation of capitalism, as the Woman’s Dreadnought correspondent wrote: “ a speech unheard in recent years in a London police court. The economical, political, and legal conditions of society were laid bare. He declared for Anarchy. Law was based upon private property. Justice (real) was impossible in present Courts of Justice, seeing that laws were made by capitalist class to maintain private property. Education (as such) was in the hands of the governing class. Altogether a complete indictment of capitalism.” On the charge of selling the Dreadnought, he was fined £1 or five days jail, on the second charge he was fined £2 or 7 days jail. He refused to pay the fines and obtained an adjournment. The correspondent remarked that “ a remark made by a woman with summons in Court whilst case was being heard immensely tickled the writer. After case had been on about an hour and a half she said : "I wish he would give someone else a chance.” Ponder worked very closely with the Workers’ Socialist Federation, and may well have been a member. Representing the ELWC he was one of those - with Melvina Walker, old militant of the WSF, Jack Tanner for the Amalgamated Society of Engineers etc -who formed a defence committee when state repression came down upon Pankhurst and the WSF.

Practically the last mention of Walter Ponder is his appearance as a speaker at a memorial meeting for Kropotkin on March 2nd, 1921, at the South Place Institute in London. Other speakers included James Tochatti, William C. Owen, and Henry Nevinson, and they addressed a full hall (Freedom, March , 1921). Later, on Sunday 27th March, he spoke, with others, at a meeting outside Holloway Prison.

The trail runs cold after this, apart from an insurance claim for a street accident by W. Ponder of 201 Leucha Road, Walthamstow, which sounds like our Walter ( London Daily Chronicle, 21st September, 1922). We know that he married Sarah Jane Greenwood (born in Hoxton, around 1879), on 22nd June 1902, and from the 1911 Census, that she was living with him in Walthamstow. He died at 12 Brookdale Road, E.17 and was buried on 13th January, 1937 in the Queens Road Cemetery in Waltham Forest.

Walter Ponder was an indefatigable orator, organiser and facilitator, who over the course of more than a decade carried out tireless propaganda for the cause of anarchist communism, in London and throughout Britain. He had a reputation, according to George Cores, of being a terror to ‘Marxian Social-Democrats.’ This is certainly borne out by the above mentioned debates with the SDP and with his “answers to a would-be annihilator in the shape of a Socialist Labour Party critic (which) were keenly taken up and appreciated by the audience” at the public meeting in Newcastle in 1914. He deserves to be rescued from obscurity.

What happened to Walter between 1921 and his death in 1937? If any relations of Walter could provide information, or even photos, that would be greatly appreciated.

Nick Heath