John Hargrave facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Hargrave
Hargrave in Kibbo Kift attire, c.1927
Born	John Gordon Hargrave (1894-06-06)6 June 1894 Midhurst, Sussex, England, UK
Died	21 November 1982(1982-11-21) (aged 88)
Pen name	White Fox
Occupation	Author, cartoonist, inventor, lexicographer, artist and psychic healer
Notable works	Harbottle: a Modern Pilgrim's Progress from This world to That Which is to Come
Spouse	Ruth Clark
Children	1
Signature

John Gordon Hargrave (born June 6, 1894 – died November 21, 1982) was a famous youth leader in Britain. He was also known by his woodcraft name, 'White Fox'. People remembered him as a writer, cartoonist, inventor, artist, and even a psychic healer.

Hargrave was a Utopian thinker. This means he dreamed of a perfect society. He believed in both science and magic. He also became a key figure in the Social Credit movement in British politics.

Early Adventures and Scouting

John Hargrave was born in Midhurst, Sussex, England. His family were Quakers and moved around a lot. His father was a painter, and his mother had Hungarian Jewish roots.

He spent part of his childhood in the Lake District. This time in nature made him love the outdoors. He also learned a lot by reading books and watching the world. In 1909, he joined the First Chorleywood Scouts. This was a group of Boy Scouts started by Baden Powell.

In 1910, John started his career as a book illustrator. Some of his drawings appeared in a book called Gulliver in Liliiput. He also worked as a cartoonist for the Evening Times. He became a big fan of the naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton. John became one of the top Scout experts on Woodcraft, which is about living skillfully in nature.

His love for scouting, nature, and art led to his famous book, Lonecraft. It was published in 1913. This book introduced his unique 'White Fox' style. It had clear, simple text mixed with lots of pictures and diagrams. As he moved up in the Scout organization, he wrote more scouting and woodcraft books.

Starting the Kibbo Kift Movement

When World War I began, John Hargrave joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. He saw fighting at the Battle of Gallipoli. The terrible things he saw made his pacifism (belief that war is wrong) even stronger.

This experience made him think that modern society was going in the wrong direction. In 1919, he wrote an angry book called The Great War Brings It Home. In this book, he called for action. He wanted groups to help build the character and health of future generations.

This led to the creation of the Kibbo Kift in August 1920. The name "Kibbo Kift" comes from an old Kentish word meaning "a feat of strength." This movement was for people of all ages and genders. It offered a new way for boys and girls to learn together. This was different from the Boy Scouts, which was only for boys.

Hargrave was first chosen as 'Head Man' for a short time. But by 1924, he became the clear leader. As Head Man, he brought his ideas about rituals, art, and self-education to the group. He also shared his views on science, magic, and healthy living.

He strongly believed in Darwinian evolution. He thought that Kibbo Kift training would help people become morally good and healthy. He believed this would help the human species get better over time. John thought that making better individuals would lead to a better society. His dream for a better society was like his Quaker background. He imagined a future without war, poverty, or wasted lives. He believed self-disciplined people would keep this society strong.

The Kibbo Kift movement attracted many smart thinkers. These included H. G. Wells and Evelyn Sharp. The group stayed fairly small, with about 600-800 members in the 1920s. Many members were teachers and youth workers. They were very loyal to Hargrave. They stayed with him as the Kibbo Kift changed into the Green Shirts and later the Social Credit Party.

Artist and Author

In the 1920s, John Hargrave's art focused on designs and drawings for the Kibbo Kift. He loved "symbology," which is using symbols to show meaning. He designed the group's robes, badges, symbols, and theater sets. Members were also encouraged to make their own personal totems.

He didn't have as much success as an artist outside the movement. He tried to be a portrait or landscape painter. In 1924, he showed some of his "symbolic paintings." These paintings tried to show "Ideas rather than Objects." In the late 1920s and 1930s, he worked as a freelance artist in advertising. He created designs for companies like Lever Brothers.

Hargrave was more successful as a novelist. In 1924, he published a best-seller called Harbottle: A Modern Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which is to Come. He then wrote many other popular novels. Many of his books were like fables, inspired by books he admired. For example, Harbottle was based on John Bunyan's work.

His book Summer Time Ends (1935) was very original and experimental. It tried to be like radio and film, mixing characters' speech with repeating sounds and rhythms. This book was well-liked in America. The famous writer John Steinbeck was a fan.

The Green Shirts and Social Credit

In 1924, Hargrave learned about a new economic idea called Social Credit. It was created by C. H. Douglas. John became very excited about it. He liked its "scientific truth" and its sense of purpose.

Social Credit changed Hargrave's mind. He used to think that better individuals would create a better society. Now, he believed a better economic system was the key. By the late 1920s, he used the Kibbo Kift to spread the word about Social Credit. He wanted to share this complex economic idea with everyone.

The remaining Kibbo Kift members became a "fighting force." They were still disciplined and healthy. But now they focused on "unarmed military technique." In 1930, Hargrave joined the Legion of the Unemployed in Coventry. He gave them green shirts and berets.

By 1932, the Kibbo Kift also wore green uniforms. Together, they formed the Green Shirt Movement for Social Credit. The Green Shirts became part of the street politics of the 1930s. They had clashes with other groups, like Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists (the Black Shirts) and the Red Shirt supporters of the Communist Party of Great Britain.

Hargrave designed a new flag for his Social Credit movements. It was green and black with a double K symbol. He called it the 'Key Symbol'. He also added a lot of drama to the Green Shirts' protests. They had marches around the Bank of England, drumming, and publicity stunts. One stunt was throwing a green brick into 11 Downing Street.

At first, Hargrave stayed out of parliamentary politics. But in 1935, he changed his mind. He renamed the Green Shirt movement the Social Credit Party of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This was so they could run in the 1935 General Election. He was also impressed by the success of the Social Credit Party of Alberta in Canada.

Hargrave traveled to Alberta because he was frustrated with the slow progress of the Social Credit government there. He became an economic adviser to the Government of Alberta. He left Canada in 1936. When he returned, his Social Credit Party was in trouble. The Public Order Act 1936 had banned people from wearing uniforms if they weren't military.

But Hargrave didn't give up. He made the Social Credit Party more like a religious movement. They used slogans like 'God's Providence is Mine Inheritance'. They also held public 'Services of National Regeneration'. He broke ties with Ezra Pound, which showed he was against Fascism.

The Social Credit Party stopped most activities during World War II. Hargrave tried to keep his ideas alive through a weekly newsletter. He was asked to run for Parliament in 1945 but didn't. He returned to politics in 1950. He ran as a candidate in Hackney North and Stoke Newington. He only got 551 votes. This convinced him to give up, and he disbanded the Party by 1951.

Inventor, Healer, and Cartoonist

In 1937, Hargrave became very interested in solving a problem: how to use maps in moving airplanes. By 1938, he had a working model of his "Hargrave Automatic Navigator." He filed it with the Patent Office. He even prepared to start a company called 'Hargrave Aviation Ltd.'.

The prototype was tested during the war with government approval. But he couldn't get enough money to develop the invention further. The invention was forgotten until 1976. Then, Hargrave sued the British Government. He claimed that the moving map display used in the supersonic Concorde plane was actually his Automatic Navigator. Journalists picked up his story, which led to a Public Enquiry. Hargrave said he only wanted recognition, not money. But the Enquiry decided against him.

During the war, Hargrave went back to his interest in science and magic. He believed both were ways to use nature's forces. He became convinced he had healing powers. He started working as a healer, using different methods. One main method was "Therapeutic Psychographs." These were abstract artworks he created. He told his patients to stare at the artwork for a certain time each day.

In the 1950s, Hargrave made a living as a cartoonist. He used the names 'Spiv' or 'H'. His cartoons appeared in magazines like Cavalcade and The Sketch. He was also asked to write about Paracelsus for the Encyclopædia Britannica. (Hargrave had published a book about Paracelsus in 1951.)

He kept sending manuscripts, radio plays, and film scripts to publishers. He always looked for chances to share his ideas. He continued to believe that Social Credit could solve the world's economic problems. John Hargrave passed away on November 21, 1982, at the age of 88. He died at his home in Hampstead.

Family Life and His Legacy

John Hargrave married Ruth Clark on November 28, 1919. She was the daughter of an engineer named William Clark. They had one son, but they divorced in 1952. He married again in 1968 to an actress named Gwendoline Florence Gray.

John Hargrave's personal papers, including his diaries and writings, are kept at the British Library of Political and Economic Science. His artwork, including designs for the Kibbo Kift, is held in the Museum of London. Model III of Hargrave's Automatic Navigator is kept in the Science Museum.

Key Books by John Hargrave

• Lonecraft (1913)
• At Suvla Bay (1916)
• The Wigwam Papers (1916)
• The Totem Talks (1918)
• Tribal Training (1919)
• The Great War Brings It Home (1919)
• The Confession of the Kibbo Kift (1927)
• Summer Time Ends (1935)
• Professor Skinner alias Montagu Norman (1935)
• The Alberta Report (1937)
• Words Win Wars (1940)
• Social Credit Clearly Explained (1945)
• The Life And Soul Of Paracelsus (1951)
• The Paragon Dictionary (1952)
• The Suvla Bay Landing (1964)
• The Facts of the Case Concerning the Hargrave Automatic Navigator for Aircraft (1969)