Henry Solly (17 November 1813 – 27 February 1903) was an English social reformer.[1]William Beveridge said of him: "He was a restless, inventive, constructive spirit, part author of at least three large living movements; charity organisation, working men's clubs, and garden cities".[2]
In 1884 Solly founded the Society for the Promotion of Industrial Villages. Although this was a failure, it led to Sir Ebenezer Howard's Garden City movement.[1]
Solly died of a brain haemorrhage in 1903. B. T. Hall, the secretary of the Working Men's Club and Institute Union, wrote a year later: "If the work that the Clubs do, if their influence on personal character and their contribution to the sum total of human happiness be correctly appreciated...then shall the investigator reckon Henry Solly amongst the constructive statesmen of our time".[5]
He spent the first half of his adult life as a Unitarian minister, and after he left the profession, continued to worship at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel. He had four daughters, one of whom married Philip Wicksteed, and one son,[6] who wrote the biography of Henry Morley. One of his students, Anna Evans, who stayed with his family later achieved fame under the pen name "Allen Raine".[7]
Notesedit
^ abcdefAlan Ruston, ‘Solly, Henry (1813–1903)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 , accessed 18 April 2010.
^William Beveridge, Voluntary Action. A Report on the Methods of Social Advance (George Allen & Unwin, 1948), p. 170.
^Charles Loch Mowat, The Charity Organisation Society. 1869–1913 (Methuen, 1961), p. 15.
^Wormell, Deborah (1980). Sir John Seeley and the Uses of History. CUP Archive. p. 74.
^J. H. Wicksteed, Working Men's Social Clubs (1904), p. 214.
^"Puddicombe [née Evans], Anne Adalisa [pseud. Allen Raine] (1836–1908), novelist | Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/35628. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
Further readingedit
Henry Solly, ‘These Eighty Years’, Or, The Story of an Unfinished Life. In Two Volumes (1893).
A. Ruston, ‘H. Solly, the omnibus radical: Rev. Henry Solly (1813–1903)’, Transactions of Unitarian Historical Society, 19/2 (1987–90), pp. 78–91.
T. Williams, ‘Solly, the practical dreamer’, The Inquirer (14 Feb 1987), 4
K. Woodroofe, ‘The irascible Rev. Henry Solly’, Social Science Review, 40 (March 1975).
henry, solly, november, 1813, february, 1903, english, social, reformer, william, beveridge, said, restless, inventive, constructive, spirit, part, author, least, three, large, living, movements, charity, organisation, working, clubs, garden, cities, isaac, so. Henry Solly 17 November 1813 27 February 1903 was an English social reformer 1 William Beveridge said of him He was a restless inventive constructive spirit part author of at least three large living movements charity organisation working men s clubs and garden cities 2 He was the son of Isaac Solly a merchant in the Baltic trade He became a Chartist 1 He supported many Radical causes such as universal suffrage free education repeal of the Corn Laws co operatives anti slavery and early closing for shops and Sunday opening for museums 1 In the early 1860s he took a leading part in founding working men s clubs though as a teetotaller he did not want them to sell alcohol 1 In June 1868 Solly s paper titled How to deal with the Unemployed Poor of London and with its Roughs and Criminal Classes was read at a meeting of the Society of Arts chaired by the Bishop of London A C Tait 3 This led to plans for the Charity Organization Society 1 In 1877 Solly founded the Workmen s Social Education League By 1879 John Robert Seeley had become President a position he retained until 1883 In 1879 the organisation was renamed the Social and Political Education League 4 In 1884 Solly founded the Society for the Promotion of Industrial Villages Although this was a failure it led to Sir Ebenezer Howard s Garden City movement 1 Solly died of a brain haemorrhage in 1903 B T Hall the secretary of the Working Men s Club and Institute Union wrote a year later If the work that the Clubs do if their influence on personal character and their contribution to the sum total of human happiness be correctly appreciated then shall the investigator reckon Henry Solly amongst the constructive statesmen of our time 5 He spent the first half of his adult life as a Unitarian minister and after he left the profession continued to worship at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel He had four daughters one of whom married Philip Wicksteed and one son 6 who wrote the biography of Henry Morley One of his students Anna Evans who stayed with his family later achieved fame under the pen name Allen Raine 7 Notes edit a b c d e f Alan Ruston Solly Henry 1813 1903 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 accessed 18 April 2010 William Beveridge Voluntary Action A Report on the Methods of Social Advance George Allen amp Unwin 1948 p 170 Charles Loch Mowat The Charity Organisation Society 1869 1913 Methuen 1961 p 15 Wormell Deborah 1980 Sir John Seeley and the Uses of History CUP Archive p 74 J H Wicksteed Working Men s Social Clubs 1904 p 214 Henry Solly Puddicombe nee Evans Anne Adalisa pseud Allen Raine 1836 1908 novelist Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press 2004 doi 10 1093 ref odnb 35628 Subscription or UK public library membership required Further reading editHenry Solly These Eighty Years Or The Story of an Unfinished Life In Two Volumes 1893 A Ruston H Solly the omnibus radical Rev Henry Solly 1813 1903 Transactions of Unitarian Historical Society 19 2 1987 90 pp 78 91 T Williams Solly the practical dreamer The Inquirer 14 Feb 1987 4 K Woodroofe The irascible Rev Henry Solly Social Science Review 40 March 1975 Media officesPreceded byRobert Hartwell Editor of The Bee Hive1870 Succeeded byGeorge Potter Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henry Solly amp oldid 1173063142, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
