John Bedford Leno (1826–94) was a Chartist, Radical, Poet and printer who acted as a "bridge" between Chartism and early Labour movements, as well as between the working and ruling classes. He campaigned to give the vote to all common men and women, driven by a strong desire for "justice and freedom for all mankind". He was a leading figure in the Reform League, which campaigned for the Reform Act 1867. He was called the "Burns of Labour" and "the poet of the poor" for his political songs and poems, which were sold widely in penny publications, and recited and sung by workers in Britain, Europe and even America. He was an entertaining and persuasive orator and his speeches were in great demand around London. He owned, edited and contributed to Radical and Liberal newspapers and journals, and printed and distributed bills advertising London Reform meetings and demonstrations.
Read more about John Bedford Leno: Roots, Early Years, Theatre, Singing, Poetry & Gambling, Introduction To Politics, Printing, Chartism, International Socialism, Post-Chartism, The Reform League and The Reform Act 1867, Hyde Park Demonstration, A Second English Civil War, Working Class Liberal, Publishing, Demise, Songs, Poems, Bibliography (Books & Essays), Bibliography (Newspapers & Journals), Political Career
Famous quotes containing the words john, bedford and/or leno:
“Take heed of enemies reconciled, and of meat twice boiled.”
—Collected in John Ray, English Proverbs. English proverb (1670)
“The only thing that was dispensed free to the old New Bedford whalemen was a Bible. A well-known owner of one of that city’s whaling fleets once described the Bible as the best cheap investment a shipowner could make.”
—For the State of Massachusetts, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“Experts are saying that President Bush’s goal now is to politically humiliate Saddam Hussein. Why don’t we just make him the next Democratic presidential nominee?”
—Jay Leno (b. 1950)