Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner | |
|---|---|
 1929 photograph of Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner | |
| Born | Hypatia Bradlaugh (1858-03-31)31 March 1858 Hackney, London, England |
| Died | 25 August 1935(1935-08-25) (aged 77) Tooting, London, England |
| Nationality | British |
Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner (31 March 1858 – 25 August 1935) was a Britishpeace activist, author, atheist andfreethinker, and the daughter ofCharles Bradlaugh.
She was bornHypatia Bradlaugh, at 3 Hedger's Terrace,Hackney, London,[1] the second daughter ofCharles Bradlaugh, the first openly atheist Member of Parliament and founder of theNational Secular Society, and Susannah Lamb Hooper. She was named afterHypatia, theAncient Greek pagan philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and teacher, who was murdered by a mob ofCoptic monks under the authority of Christian archbishopCyril of Alexandria.
Bradlaugh Bonner was educated in private schools in London and Paris, and qualified as a science teacher from theUniversity of London,[2] which admitted women to "full privileges" (i.e. degrees) in 1878. She taught in theHall of Science for the South Kensington Science and Art Examinations, and also acted as a secretary for her father after 1888.[2]
The Halls of Science were mainly foradult education and self-help, like those offered byMechanics' Institutes and religious organisations at the time.[3] The South Kensington Hall of Science was started byEdward Aveling, and other teachers included her sister Alice Bradlaugh (1856–1888) andAnnie Besant.[3] The results from the South Kensington Hall of Science were very good, with students exceeding the national average on their examinations in all but one of their offered classes.[4]
Bonner was also a lecturer for theNational Secular Society[5] and theRationalist Press Association.[6]
Bonner is most remembered for being the author of her father's biography,Charles Bradlaugh: His Life and Work.The Spectator considered the two volumes to be more memoirs than a biography: "That it is preposterously long is manifest at once. More than eight hundred closely printed pages are too much for Charles Bradlaugh, viewed in regard to his real importance in the world", but accepted, "A day will come when they will be found useful".[7]
From 1897 to 1904, she was editor ofThe Reformer, the main purpose of which according to Bernard Porter was to "vindicate her father's career".[8]
However, she was an active contributor to many secularist periodicals including theNational Reformer and author of many other books relating to secularism,blasphemy and freethinking. She often wrote in collaboration with her sister Alice under the signature 'A. and H. Bradlaugh', including a regular current affairs column in theNational Reformer called 'Summary of News' during the 1880s. InPenalties upon Opinion she catalogues various trials and cases of blasphemy[9] including the recent revival in blasphemy prosecutions in the first decades of the 20th century. In addition, she published a volume of short stories for children (Princess Vera, and Other Stories, 1886) as part of theFreethought Publishing Company's Young Folks' Library series.
In the lead up to the First World War most peace societies were Christian associations. In 1910, Bonner became the chairperson of the first secular peace society, theRationalist Peace Society.[10] The aim of the society was to "protest against ideas and methods which are utterly opposed to reason and the interests of social progress".[11] In her introduction toEssays towards peace, Hypatia noted that there was a "growing public opinion in favour of arbitration as the alternative to war" and that it was reason that demonstrated "the futility, the brutality, the economic waste, the immorality of war".[12]
The Rationalist Peace Society remained active throughout the war, but fell into decline after peace was concluded.[13]
She was a popular lecturer until her voice broke in 1924 and continued to write and served as a magistrate from 1921 until 1934.[1] Her role in public affairs has been estimated as "she expressed her radicalism and belief in equal status for women from within Liberalism rather than through the more publicized suffragette movement".[1]
She married Arthur Bonner in 1885 inMarylebone, London. They had two children, Kenneth (June – September 1886) and Charles Bradlaugh Bonner (28 April 1890 – 2 September 1966).[14]
She died at home on 25 August 1935 at 23 Streathbourne Road,Tooting, London, after an abdominal operation for cancer. She was cremated atGolders Green Crematorium on 28 August, and her ashes were buried in her father's grave atBrookwood Cemetery.[1]
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