Hubert Bland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hubert Bland
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| Born | 3 January 1855 London, England
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| Died | 14 April 1914 (aged 59) Well Hall House, Eltham, London England
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| Occupation | Journalist, author |
| Known for | Socialism, writings |
Hubert Bland (born January 3, 1855 – died April 14, 1914) was an English writer. He was known for his work as a journalist and for being an early English socialist. He was also one of the people who helped start the Fabian Society. Hubert Bland was married to the famous author Edith Nesbit.
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Hubert Bland's Early Life and Career Beginnings
Hubert Bland was born in Woolwich, a part of south-east London. He was the youngest of four children. His father, Henry Bland, was a successful clerk who managed business records. Hubert went to local schools for his education.
He was baptized on March 14, 1855, at St Mary Magdalene Church in Woolwich.
As a young man, Hubert Bland was very interested in politics. He enjoyed learning about political ideas discussed at social protest meetings.
Bland wanted to join the army and become an officer. He hoped to attend the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. However, after his father passed away, there wasn't enough money. So, he started working as a bank clerk instead. Later, he tried a business making brushes, but it didn't succeed. After that, he worked as a secretary for a power company.
Hubert Bland's Family Life
In 1877, Hubert Bland met Edith Nesbit, who was 19 years old. They got married on April 22, 1880. At first, they did not live together right away. Hubert continued to live with his mother for some time.
Hubert Bland had several children. With Edith Nesbit, he had Paul (born 1880), Iris (born 1881), and Fabian (born 1885). Sadly, Fabian passed away at age 15 after a tonsil operation. Hubert Bland also had two other children, Rosamund (born 1886) and John (born 1899). Edith Nesbit raised Rosamund and John as if they were her own children.
Hubert Bland and the Fabian Society
In 1883, Hubert and Edith Bland joined a group that discussed socialist ideas. This group later became the Fabian Society in January 1884. The Fabian Society was a socialist group mostly made up of middle-class people.
On January 4, 1884, Hubert Bland led the first meeting of the Society. He was then chosen to be the Society's honorary treasurer. He held this important position until 1911, when his eyesight started to fail. Hubert Bland also helped edit the Fabian News, which was the Society's monthly newspaper.
Even though he was a founder, Bland sometimes disagreed with other members. He was often outsmarted by George Bernard Shaw and Sidney Webb. Other famous members included Edward Pease, Havelock Ellis, and Frank Podmore.
George Bernard Shaw once described Hubert Bland as a strong person. He said Bland had a "fierce Norman exterior and huge physical strength." Shaw also mentioned that Bland always wore a formal coat and a tall hat. He was known for being tough and a skilled boxer.
Hubert Bland was a unique member of the Fabian Society. He believed in socialism, but he also held some very traditional views. He was against women getting the right to vote. However, he still wrote about socialism and gave many speeches on the topic. Bland was not convinced that democracy was the best system.
By 1900, Hubert Bland was part of the small group that led the Fabian Society. In 1906, he and other leaders stopped H. G. Wells from trying to change the Society. Bland also represented the Fabians at the Labour Party meetings in 1908 and 1910.
The Blands believed in socialist ideas and cared about people who were struggling. However, they also enjoyed a comfortable life. They lived in increasingly grand houses and had many servants. This comfort came from their successful writing careers starting in the late 1880s.
Other Political Activities of Hubert Bland
In 1885, Hubert Bland was briefly a member of the Social Democratic Federation. However, he found their plans too extreme.
In the 1890s, Bland supported the Independent Labour Party. This party was more liberal. However, he took a stand that some socialists disagreed with. He supported Britain's involvement in the Second Boer War in South Africa. He wrote that losing in Africa would cause "starvation in every city of Great Britain." He also believed war would make the British people stronger. His support for the British Empire made him less popular with some of his fellow socialists.
Hubert Bland also served on the Board of Governors for the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Hubert Bland as a Journalist
Before becoming a journalist, Hubert Bland had not been very successful in business. It was Edith Nesbit who supported their household financially. She earned money by publishing her poems and stories. With Edith's help, Hubert became a journalist in 1889. He started as a freelance writer.
In 1892, he became a regular writer for the Manchester Sunday Chronicle newspaper. His column was known for its "amusing, sharp-eyed, and pithy" comments. Some critics said Bland was "the most forceful and influential columnist of his day." They even called his writing "almost the high-water mark of English journalism."
However, most of Hubert Bland's writings are not well-known today. Only a few historians remember them.
By 1899, Hubert and Edith Bland were financially secure. Hubert's job as a columnist gave him a steady income for the rest of his life. Edith had also become a very successful writer. From 1899 until Hubert's death, they lived in Well Hall House in Eltham. This was their most beautiful home. It became a place where writers and politicians would gather.
Hubert Bland's Later Years and Death
Hubert Bland suffered from heart problems for many years. In November 1910, he had a very serious heart attack. The next year, his eyesight began to fail. He had to stop giving lectures and resign from his role as treasurer of the Fabian Society.
However, he continued to write his weekly newspaper column. Alice Hoatson helped him by writing down what he dictated. On April 14, 1914, he was dictating to her at Well Hall when he suddenly felt dizzy. He lay down on the floor and died of a heart attack in her arms. He was buried on April 18 in the family plot at Woolwich cemetery.
Regarding Hubert Bland's impact, writer Claire Tomalin noted that he was a bit of a mystery. She wrote that everything reported about him made him sound difficult. Yet, many smart men and women admired and even loved him. He didn't always try to be consistent in his beliefs. He allowed his wife to support him with her writing for years, but he was always against women's rights. Later in life, he joined the Catholic Church. However, he didn't change his behavior much or attend many church services.
Works by Hubert Bland
- "The Outlook" in Fabian Essays on Socialism (Fabian Society, 1889)
- The Prophet's Mantle (1895/1898) by Fabian Bland (a pen name used by Edith Nesbit and Hubert Bland)
- With the Eyes of a Man (T. Werner Laurie, 1905)
- Bread, Education: A Plan for the State Feeding of School Children (Fabian Society, 1905)
- Letters to a Daughter (M. Kennerley, 1907)
- The Happy Moralist (T. Werner Laurie, 1907)
- Socialism and Orthodoxy (Garden City Press, Printers, 1911)
- Essays: "Hubert" of the Sunday Chronicle, chosen by Edith Nesbit Bland (Goschen, 1914)
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Hubert Bland
