236:. According to Royle (1974, p. 87.), this was "partly because he did not want to be made responsible for the debt it had accumulated under the management of Paterson and Ryall, but mainly because he had changed his mind about the value of the tone which he had originally given to the paper and which Paterson had maintained." Instead, he started a new paper, the
71:), and the last issue was dated 2 December 1843. It was published 6 November 1841 to 8 January 1842, then there was a gap before publication resumed from 12 February 1842 to 2 December 1843. According to Royle (1974, p. 74), it was "at first highly successful, selling on average about four thousand copies a week."
136:
He made some remarks about
Education and said 'for his part he thought the people of this Country ought not to have any religion, they were too poor,' he said 'for my part I am of no religion at all' he said 'those that professed religion were worshippers of Mammon' 'for my part I don't believe there
114:
from number eight (dated 12 February 1842) (according to Royle, Chilton edited number five but, preferring to remain in the background, delayed the next issue after
Southwell's imprisonment until a new editor was found), moving the editorial office from Bristol to Sheffield, and changing publisher to
141:
Holyoake was arrested for blasphemy on 2 June, on a return visit to
Cheltenham. He was released on bail on 18 June and tried on 14 August. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment in Gloucester jail. George Adams (who was not an atheist) was sentenced to one month on the same day for selling the
127:
Holyoake's approach was more moderate than
Southwell's, advocating a compromise for the Owenite movement whereby socialism and religion would be separated by setting up separate discussion classes on theological subjects. However, on 24 May 1842, Holyoake delivered a lecture on Home Colonisation in
168:
socialist Maltus
Questell Ryall's initiative in organizing a defense fund for Southwell in early 1842, writing to Holyoake for support (Holyoake was facing his own legal problems). The APU, aiming to "assert and maintain the right of free discussion, and to protect and defend the victims of
282:, however, said that it "should be more accurately viewed as only one of a number of similar papers which were produced both in the years of social tension following the Napoleonic wars and again in the 'hungry forties'. What set the
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is such a thing as a God' he said when he was speaking of the people of this
Country being too poor – 'If I could have my way I would place the Deity on half-pay as the Government of this Country did the subaltern officers'.
110:, defended Southwell in December 1841, in a lecture entitled "The spirit of Bonner in the Disciples of Jesus," for which he was rebuked by the Owenite central board. Nevertheless, Holyoake took over the editorship of the
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as "This revoltingly odious Jew production..." As a consequence, Charles
Southwell was arrested for blasphemy on 27 November 1841 and imprisoned for twelve months in January 1842.
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declined rapidly. Ryall did not have
Holyoake's business abilities, and Chilton continued only behind the scenes." There were difficulties in distributing the
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took over when
Southwell was imprisoned, and when Holyoake was imprisoned Thomas Paterson became editor. When Paterson was jailed, William Chilton took over.
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Thomas
Paterson took over as editor from number 37, dated 3 September 1842, with assistance from Maltus Ryall (according to Royle, Ryall was the
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office in Holywell Street; and for fifteen months in November 1843 for selling blasphemous publications in Edinburgh. The masthead of the
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37:
132:, during which he answered a question from the audience (it was asked by local preacher) about God's place in a socialist community:
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Paterson was imprisoned for one month in January 1843 for "displaying obscene and blasphemous literature in the window of the
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was the "first openly atheistic magazine ever published in English (and perhaps in any language)."
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Paterson "had the bluster of Southwell but not his ability, and the quality and circulation of the
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Southwell was released from prison in February 1843 but refused to resume the editorship of the
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consisted of Southwell, Holyoake, Ryall and Chilton. Field is named in Royle 1974, p.72. The
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and John Field in 1841, and lasted until 1843. Several of its editors were imprisoned for
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According to Holyoake (1906, p.142), the "Defiant syndicate of four" responsible for the
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apart from its contemporaries was not its message but its language." (Royle 1974, p.75).
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473:"Collection of periodicals on religion, radicalism and freethought, 1834–1916",
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intolerance and bigotry" was run from Holywell Street. Ryall was secretary and
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Victorian Infidels: the origins of the British secularist movement, 1791–1866.
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Royle 1974, p.81. Holyoake's last issue was 27 August 1842 (Royle 1974, p.321)
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Contents of the microfilm collection with an introduction by Dr. Edward Royle
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Royle 1974, p.78. For Holyoake's account see Holyoake 1906, pp.142–144.
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In June or July 1842, the editorial office moved from Sheffield to 8
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457:, Vol. II, pp. 636–637. Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books.
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56:'s Universal Community Society. For the early background, see
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business manager. He died on 11 February 1846, aged 37).
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periodical to be published in Britain. It was founded by
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448:The Infidel Tradition: from Paine to Bradlaugh.
317:The Oracle of reason, or, philosophy vindicated
21:The Oracle of Reason, or Philosophy Vindicated
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98:entitled "The Jew Book," which described the
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453:Stein, Gordon (1985). "Southwell, Charles."
303:was published by "Field, Southwell and Co."
94:included a deliberately provocative article
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320:. London: Field, Southwell & Co. 1841.
67:was published on 6 November 1841 (price: 1
704:1841 establishments in the United Kingdom
427:6th impression. London: T. Fisher Unwin.
381:Royle 1976, p.42, 54; Royle 1974, p.80.
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274:According to Stein (1985, p.635), the
257:Movement, and anti-persecution gazette
196:began to look like a police gazette."
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255:, Holyoake founded the moderate
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423:Holyoake, George Jacob (1906).
210:. Only a donation of £40 from
52:owed its origins to a split in
468:The Oracle of Reason, Volume 1
63:The first issue of the weekly
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694:Atheism in the United Kingdom
455:The Encyclopedia of Unbelief
106:, the Owenite lecturer for
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660:Wonder en is gheen Wonder
539:American Atheist Magazine
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164:number 4). It arose from
218:(Nov. 1842–) to appear.
90:The fourth issue of the
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399:Royle 1976, p.55-57.
363:Royle 1974, p.77-78.
16:Atheistic periodical
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520:Skeptical magazines
667:Yunyye Bezbozhniki
609:Skeptical Inquirer
560:Bezbożnik wojujący
482:2011-07-25 at the
450:London: Macmillan.
333:Royle 1974, p.321.
212:William John Birch
117:Henry Hetherington
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574:Freethought Today
411:Royle 1974, p.81.
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433:(1972).
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44:History
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