Josephine Butler to Mr Wilson

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 106 3JBL/06/03
  • Former Reference
      GB 106 3180
  • Dates of Creation
      [7 Sep 1872]
  • Physical Description
      1 item

Scope and Content

Written from Liverpool. Deals with the Preston Election. Says she is going there on the Monday, wonders if it is necessary to put in a man of their own; gives report of their agent on the standing candidate 'a full concession of all we want, warns them against the zealousness of Mrs Bright 'if you undertake to follow her leading she will give you no peace...I scarcely ever take any notice now of her daily telegrams.'

As soon as the Preston Election is finished she asks if they will send their Agent to Flintshire for the election there. Mrs Bright is beginning a 'furious telegraphic war about the Flint District' as she constitutes herself mentally 'the head and directness of the New Electoral League'. [see copy of the document proposing to form an Electoral Union drawn up at Liverpool 8 Jun 1872] [Preston Election 14 Sep 1872]

Administrative / Biographical History

Saturday [7 Sep 1872]

Date - Reference to: 'report of the grand meeting we had on Tuesday night at Preston' - This meeting reported by the 'Preston Guardian' was held at Corn Exchange on 3 Sep 1872. (Rough Record 209 Sep 4 1872). Date of this letter therefore was Sat 7 Sep

'We are watching Preston matters' - For note on Election at Preston see letter of 23 Aug

'German' - the Liberal candidate who had declared himself against the CD Acts

'The new Electoral League' - The full title of the Northern Counties League inaugurated 29 Aug at Sheffield was 'The Northern Counties Electoral League for the Repeal of the CD Acts'

'to stand for Pontefract' - Pontefract by-election 15 Aug 1872

'Raper is at Preston' - A Raper was an Agent of the influential Temperance Society, The UK Alliance, founded for the suppression of the liquor traffic. He was greatly looked up to by workers in the Abolitionist movement such as HJ Wilson, Mr J Edmondson and others

See letters of 6 Jul 1872 (JB to Mr Clark); 14 Dec 1872 (Mr Edmondson to HJW) 16 Jul 1873 (Edmondson to Mr HJ Wilson) and letters written by JB to Mrs Myers, Mrs Sytton and A Raper Feb-Mar 1867 about her work among fallen women in Liverpool

'Flint District Election' - The Liverpool Mercury of Tues 10 Sep 1872 announced that at a meeting of the liberal electors of Mold held on the Thursday at which the candidates were present:

1. Sir Robert Cunliffe (Liberal) thinks he would support The Acts

2. Mr Falkener Lloyd (Conservative) not prepared to answer the question. (See 'Shield' 14 Sep 1872 pp 1075)

Biog: Mr S Fothergill; Mr German; Mrs Jacob Bright; James Stuart; Mr Edmondson; Mr Raper; Sir R Cunliffe