Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 1 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh EditionRobertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
History
Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 1 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh Edition
Robertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Bradlaugh, Charles, 1833-1891
The foregoing is, I think, the only case in Mr Bradlaugh's career in
which he kept damages awarded him for his own personal use. In every
other case the damages were given to some charity--in later years,
always to the Masonic Boys' School. This time however the damages
awarded him by the jury were used in a purely personal manner, for the
money enabled him to hasten his marriage, and on June 5th, 1855, he
and my mother were married at St. Philip's Church, in the Parish of
Stepney, he barely 22 years of age, and she two years his senior.
They went to live at Warner Place, as was suggested in a letter I have
quoted; and my mother, who had been in very poor health for some time
previous to her marriage, seems to have gone with her sister-in-law
to Reigate for a few days at the end of the following July. How very
straitened their circumstances were, the following extract from a
letter of my father's to his wife will show:--
"Carr and Lamb have not settled with me, and I am much pinched for
cash, in fact, so much so that, as mother seems to wish to come to
Reigate, I have thought of letting her come on Sunday, and staying at
home myself, as I cannot manage both. If you feel well enough, I would
like you to come home about next Thursday or Friday, as I begin to
feel rather topsy-turvy.... If I do not come, I will send you money
to clear you through the week. Do not think me in the least degree
unkind if I stay away, because I assure you it is a great source
of discomfort to me; but the fact is, if you want to spend thirty
shillings, and have only twenty, there arises a most unaccountable
difficulty in getting your purse and programme to agree. Had Carr and
L., as I anticipated, closed accounts with me on Monday, all would
have gone on smoothly, but as it is I am cramped. I have also been
disappointed in the receipt of two or three other small sums which,
coupled with an increased expenditure, all help to draw me up short."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account