Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

William Lovett was born in Penzance, Cornwall. His father, a sailor, drowned before William was born, and his Methodist mother ensured a strict religious upbringing and a rudimentary education for her son. At age 21 Lovett removed to London to find work as a cabinet maker and soon began attending evening classes at the Mechanics Institute. This experience sparked a lifelong commitment to the promotion of education as a tool for social advancement. Here he also met supporters of radical reform in matters of church and state and became a strident advocate of civil and religious liberty. He was also introduced to the cooperative ideas of Robert Owen and became an active member of the London Co-operative Trading Association. Subsequently, Lovett worked in the Association's store and in 1828 became secretary of the British Association for the Promotion of Co-operative Knowledge. In 1831 Lovett gained notoriety by refusing to serve in the London Militia. In response to the punitive seizure of his goods, Lovett established the Anti-Militia Association. Under the banner “No Vote, No Musket,” he forced the authorities to abandon the idea of selecting the militia by lot. Following his victory, Lovett threw his weight behind the campaign for parliamentary reform which he believed was the key to a better future for working people. He joined the National Union of the Working Classes that was ... log in or subscribe to read full text