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Senate House Library, University of London

Hickson, William Edward: letter ([1832])


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0096 AL251

Held at: Senate House Library, University of London

Title: Hickson, William Edward: letter ([1832])

Date(s): [1832]

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 2 leaves

Name of creator(s): Hickson | William Edward | 1803-1870 | author and educationist
Place | Francis | 1771-1854 | radical reformer

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

William Edward Hickson was born in Westminster in 1803, but was brought up largely in Northampton, where his family were active in the Baptist church. He entered the family's footwear manufacturing business as a young man but also found time to participate in the burgeoning literary and scientific life in London and take an interest in radical politics. Hickson was a founder-member of the Reform Club and owned and edited the radical Westminster Review for more than 10 years. He was most concerned with promoting education (particularly musical education), but was also prominent in discussions on child labour, the Corn Laws, professional malpractice and the condition of the unemployed.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Letter from Wiliam Edward Hickson of 20 West Smithfield, [London] to Francis Place, 5 Jan [1832]. '... I read ... with great surprise that you participate in the opinion of most of the economists that a change in the distribution of property would not improve the condition of the great mass of the community. Allow me to draw your attention in order to show how distribution affects production to an article [on 'The Rights of Industry'] written by me ... [for Carpenters Political Magazine]'. Autograph, with signature. Dated as 5 Jan 1831 [sic, recte 1832].

An autograph draft of Place's reply is on the dorse of the first leaf: '... The activity of your pen indicates a desire for reading, observing and thinking, and these in time will prevent you from dogmatically condemning what you do not comprehend, and which it is hardly to be expected you should fully understand. Then too you will cease to attribute to others, notions they do not entertain, and to build theories thereon of your own mistakes. Persevere and in ten years time you will be as wise as you are now foolish, and whatever you may think of this note and the writer now, lay it by 'till that time and then I have no doubt your opinion of both will be correct.' Dated 6 Jan 1832.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

See hard copy catalogue.

Conditions governing access:

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Please contact the University Archivist for details. 24 hours notice is required for research visits.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Typescript catalogue available in the Library's Palaeography Room.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

See archivist

Immediate source of acquisition:

Found pasted to Hickson's article in a volume of tracts labelled Political Economy - classmark: [G.L.] B.832.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

A photostatic copy and a microfilm copy of the text are held by the University of Viriginia.

Related material:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Compiled by Anya Turner.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: Aug 2008


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Economists | Social scientists
Productivity | Production | Economic behaviour | Economic conditions
Wealth | Income distribution | Income and wealth
Property

Personal names
Hickson | William Edward | 1803-1870 | author and educationist
Place | Francis | 1771-1854 | radical reformer

Corporate names

Places