Joshua Hobson facts for kids

Joshua Hobson (1810–1876) was an important British figure who worked for change. He was a Chartist, meaning he supported a movement for working people's rights. He was also known as a Tory Radical, someone who wanted big changes to help ordinary people.

Hobson was the first person to publish a famous pamphlet called the Book of Murder. This pamphlet strongly criticized a tough law from 1834 called the Poor Law Amendment Act. From 1838 to 1844, he was also the publisher of the main Chartist newspaper, the Northern Star.

Who Was Joshua Hobson?

Joshua Hobson was born in 1810 in a town called Huddersfield in Yorkshire, England. When he was young, he learned the trade of a joiner, which is someone who builds things with wood. Later, he worked as a handloom weaver in Oldham, Lancashire. During this time, he wrote for radical newspapers, using the pen name "the whistler at the loom."

His Early Life

Born in 1810, Joshua Hobson started his working life in Huddersfield. He trained as a joiner, learning to craft wooden items. Later, he moved to Oldham and became a handloom weaver. While weaving, he also wrote articles for newspapers that supported big social changes. He often signed his writings as "the whistler at the loom."

Fighting for Change

Hobson worked closely with Richard Oastler, another Tory Radical who wanted to help working people. In 1845, Hobson was chosen to be on the first main committee of the National Association of United Trades for the Protection of Labour. This was an important group that brought together different trade unions.

In Leeds, Hobson became well-known as a publisher and printer who supported radical ideas. His shop on Market Street, Briggate, was very important for spreading the ideas of groups like the Owenites and the Chartists.

Publishing Important Ideas

After publishing the Book of Murder, Hobson faced legal trouble for printing other pamphlets. He became the publisher and business manager for the Northern Star. This newspaper was the main voice of the Chartist movement.

The Northern Star strongly argued for getting rid of the harsh Poor Law Amendment Act. It also supported the Ten Hours Movement, which wanted to limit the working day to ten hours. The newspaper also promoted the growth of trade unions and the six main points of the People's Charter. These points included demands like the right for all men to vote.

Facing Challenges for His Work

In January 1836, Joshua Hobson and another publisher, Alice Mann, were fined for their publications. Alice Mann was fined £100, and Hobson was fined £80. Because they couldn't pay these large fines, they were sent to York Castle prison for six months. Later in his life, from 1855 to 1871, Hobson worked as the editor of the Huddersfield Chronicle, a newspaper that supported the Conservative party.