Lewis H. Mates

Encyclopedia of cremation

Contents: Introduction A-Z Entries Cremation statistics Chronology of cremation Cremation Society Archive Sources Select bibliography Index.

The limits and potential of Syndicalist influence in the Durham coalfield before the Great War

For the first two decades of the twentieth century, syndicalism (revolutionary trade unionism) was the most vigorous of the lefts challenges to the capitalist order in many parts of the world. In Britain, syndicalism was reckoned to have had most impact in the South Wales coalfield but there have been no detailed studies of its influence in other British coalfields. This article explores the various ways in which syndicalisms influence can be gauged in the Durham coalfield, comparing it with the South Wales experience. While the two coalfields had a good deal in common, a number of considerations, most importantly relating to the agency of syndicalists on the one hand and Independent Labour Party (ILP) activists on the other, militated against syndicalisms relative influence in Durham.

Grassroots Conservatism in Post‐War Britain: A View from the Bottom Up

It is well known the membership of British Conservative Party in the 1950s dwarfed that of other parties, but despite this there has been very little examination of the partys grassroots in this crucial period. What literature there is comes predominantly from the top-down focus of national politics and revolves around four disputed images. Firstly, high-levels of membership are associated with commendable engagement with formal politics. Secondly, local associations are presented as inconsequential but autonomous. Thirdly, activists are seen as uninterested in ideology and focused on campaigning and social activity. Finally, associations are presented as dominated by women precisely because of their primarily social nature. This article examines the debates about these conventional images through an analysis of the rival Conservative factions in two Newcastle-upon-Tyne Associations, the location of probably the most divisive splits in twentieth-century Conservatism. It suggests that presentations of a ‘golden age’ of activism are unhelpful, that the conventional conception of autonomy obscures informal relationships, that attention to the ideological dimension is central to understanding and that the nature of female participation can only be understood by challenging the false dichotomy of social and political motivations. Taken together it argues that the study of grassroots Conservatism needs to grapple with the meanings, motivations and practices as seen from below as well as the consequences of such activity for those above. In this way the study of politics from the bottom-up can have significant consequences for our understanding of the Conservative Party.

Unlikely Warriors: The British in the Spanish Civil War and the Struggle Against Fascism

Whitehall and foreign policy as well as an innovative approach to some key events in British history. It is clearly organised, chronological, well written and engaging, and brings to life many of the characters and personalities of the Cabinet meeting room by describing their appearance and manner, as well as the decisions being taken; Ernest Bevin is described as ‘a big man in every way’ (p. 17) while Clement Atlee was ‘small, neat, unassuming, a man of few words either spoken or written’ (p. 20). Six Moments of Crisis is also accessible to the general reader, with the provision of a list of principal ministers and their held positions provided for quick reference, and would be a particularly worthwhile read for any student beginning their study of politics or contemporary British history.

Capture-Recapture Methods and Party Activism in Britain

Capture-recapture methods are of general interest because they can be applied to conventional historical sources to address otherwise intractable questions about the size and dynamics of historical populations. When employed to assess alternative explanations for the long-term trajectory of party activism in Britain—based on data drawn from the South Lewisham Labour Party—they suggest that the falling supply of individuals prepared to become politically involved is more important than the changing demand of parties for activists.

The Syndicalist Challenge in the Durham Coalfield before 1914

The British ‘labour revolt’ immediately before the outbreak of the First World War saw millions of working days lost in strike action and the mushrooming of trade unions. This unrest, which included the first British national miners’ strike in 1912, coincided with a growth in revolutionary agitation. The emergence of syndicalist ideas, essentially revolutionary trade unionism, seemed fortuitously timed to give coherence and revolutionary temper to an urge to revolt evident in important sections of the organised (and previously unorganised) British working class.