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Histoires des équitables pionniers de Rochdale: Traduit par Marie Moret, 1890
George Jacob Holyoake (1817-1906) was an English secularist and co-operator. He coined the term "secularism" in 1846 and the term "jingoism" in 1878. At an early age he became an Owenite lecturer. His later years were chiefly devoted to the promotion of the cooperative movement among lower-class workers. He wrote The History of the Rochdale Pioneers (1857), The History of Co-operation in England (1875) and The Cooperative Movement of To-day (1891). He also published his autobiography, under the title of Sixty Years of an Agitator's Life (1892) and Bygones Worth Remembering (1905).
60 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
George Holyoake
123 books13 followersGeorge Jacob Holyoake was mainly self-educated and a vigorous campaigner for secularism and freethought during the 19th century. He wrote 160 books and pamphlets and edited several magazines, including The Movement and The Reasoner. Holyoake was the last person in England to be imprisoned on a charge of atheism, for saying at a public lecture in Cheltenham in 1842 (at a time of economic hardship): “If I could have my way, I would place the deity on half pay as the Government of this country did its subaltern officers.”
It was Holyoake who suggested the term `secularism’ and organised the early Secular Societies, becoming Vice-President of the National Secular Society. Bradlaugh was preferred as President because he was a much more eloquent speaker. He campaigned with Bradlaugh for secular affirmations. Some of the other causes Holyoake championed were a free press, the rights of women and the liberation of oppressed nationalities.
In 1899 he presided at the inaugural meeting of the Rational Press Association which went on to publish books such as the cheap reprints of The History of Science series and The Thinker’s Library, in order to undermine religious superstition and help the spread of rational principles.
It was Holyoake who suggested the term `secularism’ and organised the early Secular Societies, becoming Vice-President of the National Secular Society. Bradlaugh was preferred as President because he was a much more eloquent speaker. He campaigned with Bradlaugh for secular affirmations. Some of the other causes Holyoake championed were a free press, the rights of women and the liberation of oppressed nationalities.
In 1899 he presided at the inaugural meeting of the Rational Press Association which went on to publish books such as the cheap reprints of The History of Science series and The Thinker’s Library, in order to undermine religious superstition and help the spread of rational principles.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
September 6, 2026
There's no review of this on Goodreads, so I thought I'd write one:
The book covers the struggles of the workers of Rochdale in the 1800s to improve their collective economic and social situation (called 'self help' at the time). It charts the rise of the cooperative movement from 28 members, each struggling to contribute £1 to open a meagre food store, to a society of thousands accross the north of England, which inspired socialists gloablly to attempt the same.
This represents the first successful consumer cooperative, using the model of a store who's profits are distributed to members each year not based on amount of shares held, but on amount of goods bought.
The author is a contamporary activist who knew many of the people involved personally, and who's good humour and poetic writing style make a potentially dull topic fairly readable. He is at times repetitive, however, and obviously biased on the issue.
While the legal situation has changed since the writing of this book, it's still an inspiring guide for how communities can come together to work for their own betterment, and a model for bottom-up social change.
Some thoughts:
Often we assume people from the distant past (particularly in England, as an imperial power) were backwards and racist because of the times they lived in. It was interesting to me see a perspective on the working people of the 1800s, and how they differed from the wealthier classes running things.
Many of the weavers of Lancashire at this time boycotted cotton produced in the American south, in support of the abolition of slavery. This plunged their towns into poverty, but they kept true to their principals. The Rochdale pioneers gave men and women equal voting rights within their society, and spent excess profits from their stores on 'reading rooms', scientific equipment and classes for the education of members and their children.
I also thought it was fun that the author makes a lot of jokes referencing Charles Darwin, who must have written his theories recently at the time. They seem to have been a big meme floating around in peoples' heads, which is interesting considering the origin of the word. Overall, I recommend the book, although it took me a while to read 🙃
The book covers the struggles of the workers of Rochdale in the 1800s to improve their collective economic and social situation (called 'self help' at the time). It charts the rise of the cooperative movement from 28 members, each struggling to contribute £1 to open a meagre food store, to a society of thousands accross the north of England, which inspired socialists gloablly to attempt the same.
This represents the first successful consumer cooperative, using the model of a store who's profits are distributed to members each year not based on amount of shares held, but on amount of goods bought.
The author is a contamporary activist who knew many of the people involved personally, and who's good humour and poetic writing style make a potentially dull topic fairly readable. He is at times repetitive, however, and obviously biased on the issue.
While the legal situation has changed since the writing of this book, it's still an inspiring guide for how communities can come together to work for their own betterment, and a model for bottom-up social change.
Some thoughts:
Often we assume people from the distant past (particularly in England, as an imperial power) were backwards and racist because of the times they lived in. It was interesting to me see a perspective on the working people of the 1800s, and how they differed from the wealthier classes running things.
Many of the weavers of Lancashire at this time boycotted cotton produced in the American south, in support of the abolition of slavery. This plunged their towns into poverty, but they kept true to their principals. The Rochdale pioneers gave men and women equal voting rights within their society, and spent excess profits from their stores on 'reading rooms', scientific equipment and classes for the education of members and their children.
I also thought it was fun that the author makes a lot of jokes referencing Charles Darwin, who must have written his theories recently at the time. They seem to have been a big meme floating around in peoples' heads, which is interesting considering the origin of the word. Overall, I recommend the book, although it took me a while to read 🙃
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review