Joshua Hobson

Joshua Hobson (1810–1876) was a British Chartist and socialist who was the first publisher of the Book of Murder, a pamphlet attacking the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act. In 1838-1844 he was the publisher of the Chartist newspaper Northern Star.

Early life

Hobson was born in 1810 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, there he was apprenticed as a joiner before working as a handloom weaver in nearby Oldham, Lancashire.

Political activity

Hobson was associated with the Tory radical Richard Oastler. He was elected to the first Central Committee of the National Association of United Trades for the Protection of Labour in 1845.

Publishing activity

After publishing the Book of Murder Hobson was imprisoned for publishing further pamphlets. He was publisher and business manager of the Northern Star, the campaigning newspaper at the head of Chartism. This advocated the abolition of the Poor Law Amendment Act and a renewal of the Ten Hours Movement and trade union movement, as well as the six points of the People's Charter.

Further reading

• Chase, Malcolm (2007).Chartism: A New History
• Cordery, Simon (1988).'Joshua Hobson', Dictionary of Labour Biography, ed. Joyce Bellamy and John Saville
• Epstein, James (1976).‘Feargus O’Connor and the Northern Star’, International Review of Social History 21

Chadwick Stanley(1976) 'A Bold and Faithful Journalist', Kirklees Metropolitan Council, Libraries and Museums Service

External links

• Victorianweb.org article on Hobson

(Works by or about Joshua Hobson in libraries (WorldCat catalog)