George Bedborough | |
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 Bedborough,c. 1898 | |
| Born | George Bedborough Higgs (1868-01-10)10 January 1868 |
| Died | 7 August 1940(1940-08-07) (aged 72) Cambridge, England |
| Education | Dulwich College |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Regina v. Bedborough |
| Movement | |
| Criminal charges | Publication of anobscene libel |
| Criminal penalty | Fined £100 (equivalent to £14,070 in 2023) |
| Spouse | |
| Signature | |
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George Bedborough Higgs (10 January 1868 – 7 August 1940) was an English writer, editor, social reformer, journalist, and bookseller. He was involved in a wide range of progressive causes in late 19th- and early 20th-century Britain. He advocated forfreethought,atheism,secularism,eugenics,vegetarianism,animal rights,birth control, the legitimation ofillegitimate children, andfree love. He served as secretary of theLegitimation League and edited its journal,The Adult: A Journal for the Advancement of Freedom in Sexual Relationships. He also contributed to numerous periodicals and was associated with reformers includingHenry S. Salt andErnest Bell.
In 1898, Bedborough was arrested and prosecuted for publishing obscene material, including a book on homosexuality byHavelock Ellis, as well as other writings deemed indecent. The case,Regina v. Bedborough, attracted widespread public attention and led to the formation of a Free Speech Defence Committee supported by prominent figures such asGeorge Bernard Shaw,Edward Carpenter, andG. W. Foote. Bedborough ultimately pled guilty and was fined £100 (equivalent to £14,070 in 2023), agreeing to sever ties with the League and its publication. His decision drew condemnation from his former allies, and he later expressed regret for what he described as an act of cowardice.
Following the trial, Bedborough redirected his efforts toward ethical vegetarianism and animal advocacy. He editedThe Children's Realm, a vegetarian magazine for children, and wrote fiction, poetry, and aphorisms that promoted compassion for animals and critiqued religious belief. His publications includeThe Atheist (1919), a poem advocating atheism and vegetarianism, andPrayer: An Indictment (1938), a critique of prayer. After a period living in the United States, he returned to England and died in Cambridge in 1940.
George Bedborough Higgs[note 1] was born inSt Giles, London, on 10 January 1868.[2] His father, Edward Squance Higgs,[3] was a retiredChurch of England preacher and his mother was a poet.[4] He was educated atDulwich College and began work at the age of 16, founding the Workhouse Aid Society withW. T. Stead.[4] Bedborough later attended university.[5]
In 1887, Bedborough was present atBloody Sunday, in Trafalgar Square.[4] He later wrote for a number of publications including theSunday Chronicle,Shafts (a feminist magazine),University Magazine, theNewcastle Weekly Chronicle, andSouth London Mail.[4][6] Bedborough was a close friend and collaborator ofHenry S. Salt,Bertram Dobell andErnest Bell.[7]
From 1891 to 1892, Bedborough was a member of the National Society of Lanternists. He also occasionally worked as a lantern operator and gave lectures.[2]
On 18 April 1892, he married Louisa Fisher[note 2] at St George's Church,Jesmond, Northumberland.[3] His marriage was for the sake of his family and he had anopen relationship with his wife.[8]
Bedborough was a member of theLegitimation League and edited its journalThe Adult: A Journal for the Advancement of freedom in Sexual Relationships, between 1897 and 1898.[9] The League advocated for the legitimation ofillegitimate children andfree love.[10] His wife was the treasurer of the League.[11]
On 31 May 1898, Bedborough was arrested, along with thesex-radical feministLillian Harman and charged withobscenity for attempting to "corrupt the morals of Her Majesty's Subjects".[9][12] He was indicated on 11 counts, including selling a copy ofStudies in the Psychology of Sex Vol. 2, a book onhomosexuality, byHavelock Ellis, to an undercover agent, as well as selling other pamphlets considered to be indecent, including one by Oswald Dawson, the founder of the Legitimation League.[9][12] He was also indicated for his articles published inThe Adult.[9] Bedborough had been under surveillance because of the suspectedanarchist connections of the League;[13] Bedborough, himself, was not an anarchist,[14] but he was described as the London representative of the American anarchist periodicalLucifer the Lightbearer.[15]
A Free Speech Defence Committee was formed to attempt to fight the case; members includedHenry Seymour,Frank Harris,Edward Carpenter,George Bernard Shaw,G. W. Foote,Mona Caird andGrant Allen.[9][16] Just before being prosecuted, Bedborough collaborated with the police and pled guilty on three counts. This led the committee to denounce him and publish the details of the case.[9] On 31 October 1898, Bedborough was fined £100 (equivalent to £14,070 in 2023), for selling Ellis' book.[17] He agreed to no longer be associated with the League orThe Adult,[16] writing in the December issue "I adhere to my resolution not to excuse myself. I am a coward […] I thank Henry Seymour, Mr. Foote, and others with all my heart and soul for their work, which I have requited illy indeed".[18]
Bedborough became avegetarian in 1902 after visitingMoses Harman's home.[19] He described the pervasive smell of the slaughterhouses as pervading the whole city ofChicago.[20]: 106–109 Harman suggested they tour themeat-packing houses to test whether Bedborough would continue eating meat.[19] This experience transformed him into a passionate advocate for vegetarianism and animal rights.[20]: 106–109
In 1906, Bedborough became the editor ofThe Children's Realm, a children's magazine published by theVegetarian Federal Union andLondon Vegetarian Society.[21] He served as editor for most of the magazine's existence,[21] until its closure in 1914.[22] Bedborough wrote extensively for the magazine, aiming to instill empathy and kindness in young readers, drawing parallels between the suffering of animals and oppressed humans. His stories and essays depicted the emotional connections between humans and animals, critiquing societal cruelty and promoting respect for all living beings, though his views were shaped by the imperialist norms of his time.[20]: 106–109
In the story "The Isle of Vegetariana", featured inTheChildren's Realm in September 1913, Bedborough narrates an allegory centred on animal rights and vegetarian ethics. The tale unfolds on an island inhabited solely by animals, discovered or perhaps imagined by an unnamed elderly man. This setting serves as a utopian vision where no animals are killed for food or sport. The narrative follows Mr. Smith, a butcher who travels to the island intending to exploit its inhabitants for profit. However, his encounter with the animals, which include both peaceful protests and more assertive resistance, leads him to a transformation. This confrontation with the animals' autonomy and dignity compels him to renounce his profession and adopt vegetarianism.[20]: 122
In 1914, Bedborough publishedStories from the Children's Realm, a children's story book with animal rights,anti-vivisection and vegetarian themes. It contained several illustrations byL. A. Hayter, former illustrator and contributor toThe Children's Realm.[23]
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Bedborough was a contributor to Moses Harman'sAmerican Journal of Eugenics, published between 1907 and 1910.[12] He was also an active member of the discussion circles of the feminist journalThe Freewoman, which was published between 1911 and 1912.[6] Additionally, he was the London correspondent forLabour World in the US.[15]
Bedborough published three books of aphorisms,Narcotics and a Few Stimulants,Vacant Chaff Well Meant for Grain andSubtilty to the Simple and one book of Epigrams,Vulgar Fractions.[24] Bedborough publishedThe Atheist in 1919, a poem which advocated for atheism and was critical of the killing of animals for human consumption. It was dedicated toAnatole France.[25]
During the 1920s and 30s, Bedborough reconnected with the secular movement, writing forThe Freethinker, he published an attack on theKu Klux Klan in 1936 and a reflection on Havelock Ellis after his death in 1939.[14] He also contributed to theBirth Control Review.[26] In 1934, he publishedArms and the Clergy, a compilation of clerical declarations made during theFirst World War.[27] His last workPrayer: An Indictment, published in 1938, was a secular criticism of prayer.[28]
In 1927, he emigrated to the United States, settling inChicago and applied to be naturalised, with his occupation listed as "author and literary advisor"; his wife was recorded as living inMayville, Wisconsin.[29] Bedborough returned to the UK in 1931 on theRMS Aquitania.[30]
Bedborough later moved toCambridge. He died there on 7 August 1940, at the age of 72.[2]
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