Atheism and Anti-War Sentiments in the Bradlaugh Family, 1833–1948
Papers of Charles Bradlaugh and Hypatia Bonner
The hon. member for Northampton has, Sir, in consequence of your ruling, gone through the form of taking and subscribing the oath, the validity of that form seems to me to be a question for the Courts of LawThe Times, Sunday Times and Times Literary Supplement, 1855 - 1935; img 128
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Could an atheist be an MP in Parliament? See the fight for a secular oath.
Charles Bradlaugh (1833-1891) was a co-founder of the National Secular Society and Editor of the National Reformer. He was responsible for the creation of a secular oath for politicians in the 19th century after he refused to swear the ‘Oath of Allegiance’ to the British monarchy due to its religious foundation. Bradlaugh’s fight for a secular oath saw him fined, imprisoned, and re-elected four times in five years before he was allowed to take his seat in Parliament in 1886. Bradlaugh was also a keen supporter of controversial issues like Indian Home Rule, granting people access to birth control, and he also helped the Fenians to draft their manifesto. This collection of his papers largely relates to his fight for a secular parliamentary oath.
Additionally, these records also include papers from Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner (1858–1935), the only one of Bradlaugh's children to outlive her father. Loyal to her father, she collected records of his work and fought to protect his legacy. Bonner also actively campaigned against the Boer War and the arms race prior to the First World War. Overall, the collection offers a compelling glimpse into two generations of Bradlaughs who fought for their beliefs against the grain of acceptable opinion.
