BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE ... - ideals

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253 Nor was the animal race in any respect unique. At one executive committee meeting of the LGC, Lady Salisbury rebuked a member who suggested that an entertainment sponsored by a local Habitation was a little vulgar. "Vulgar? Of course it is vulgar, but that is why we have got on so well." 4 9 The Habitation activities spawned a profusion of entertainers including punchinellos, jugglers, ventriloquists, and pierrots, all of whom vied with oriental illusions, wax works, conjuring tricks, and marionettes for principal billing on the programs. As Robb noted, the functions were particularly important in small, rural communities during the bleak, winter months, helping to solidify the local conservative community.50 Entertainment proved to be an essential part of executive committee functions, both at the Central Office and local Habitation. A number of privately run agencies emerged, many of them advertising through The Primrose League Gazette. The Primrose Entertainment Bureau, one of the larger concerns, promised Conjurers and Ventriloquists Combined-Punch and Judyup-to-date Cinematographs-Nigger Minstrels-Clowns-High Class Vocalists and Entertainers-Glee Singers-Humorous Reciters-Bands-Pianists-Sketch Combinations-Shadow Pantomimes, and any and every kind of Entertainment or Amusement as required, either for Indoor or Open Air.51 49 The Reminiscences of Lady Randolph Churchill, p. 136. Also cited in Robb, The Primrose League, p. 87. 50 Robb, The Primrose League, pp. 89-90. 51 The Primrose League Gazette, 1 January 1900, p.2.
254 The social advantages conferred upon joining a local Habitation were many, consisting of a frequent round of "teas," concerts, dances, balls, and outings, as well as grand summer fetes. In some cases bicycling and children's activities were also sponsored through affiliated Cycling and Juvenile branches. Of all the activities, the fetes were the most elaborate. They were often sponsored by several Habitations and were, where possible, held on the grounds of one of the more prominent landowners in the region. Events were sponsored throughout the day, seasoned by a sprinkling of political speeches. The subculture extended beyond the parade of entertainments to include wedding rites and commemorations for departed members, biographical sketches, and even Dame reflections on subjects perceived to be of popular interest.52 One particularly festive occasion was the marriage of Miss Winifred Maitland to Thomas Berry Cusack-Smith in the spring of 1886. England gave the event extended coverage, billing it, appropriately enough, as "A Primrose Marriage." Cusack-Smith, by training a barrister, served as Political Secretary for the Central Office. The second daughter of Rev. Maitland of Loughton Hall, Essex, Miss Maitland participated as a Dame in the League. The bride and groom were married in the parish church of the bride's father. Memorabilia of the Primrose League were generously 52 England, 1 May 1886, p. 6; The Primrose (Bournemouth), 5 March 1887, pp. 7-8; The Primrose League Gazette, 1 March 1899, p. 6; 2 October 1899, p. 1. See Chapter Four, page 177, footnotes 95 and 96 for the prominence of obituaries, particularly in the late 1890's. The Primrose (Bournemouth), 1 January 1887, p. 1; 5 March 1887, p. 3; 1 July 1896, p. 6; 1 April 1899, p. 7; 1 June 1901, p. 10. The Primrose (Bournemouth), 1 January 1887, p.2; The Primrose League Gazette, 1 October 1898, p. 7; 1 August 1899, p. 9.
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BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND THE PRIMRO
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ABSTRACT BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND
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TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables Li
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LIST OF GRAPHS 1 Cumulative Distri
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PREFACE For a scholar embarking on
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Materials were also consulted at th
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INTRODUCTION The Primose League wa
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3 Conservative party leadership. Th
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5 government. It is, for him, a sys
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7 up in the early twentieth century
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9 Through an examination of a numbe
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11 . CHAPTER ONE Early Years, 1883
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country, albeit with the tacit supp
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15 districts to reflect the distrib
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17 marked most dramatically in the
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19 my allegiance to the Sovereign o
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21 leadership. 1 ? yhe Registrar wa
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23 at the meetings of .the Habitati
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25 Women in a sense had been active
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Although this was precisely the rol
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29 Ill As early as January, 1884 t
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The gains made in the recruitment o
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33 move intended to suggest the ass
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35 The Ruling Council enlarged its
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37 members charged with overseeing
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39 chairmanship of Gorst. 57 The P
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41 The political responsibilities o
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43 Conservative Cabinet. Balfour, A
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45 been taken, presumably at the in
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47 In many respects the formal adop
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49 existing institutions by means o
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Gains made in other spheres helped
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53 PRIMROSE LEAGUE LOCAL ORGANIZATI
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55 day decisions to its Executive C
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57 Between the years 1886 and 1888
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59 By contrast, District. Agents we
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61 As the organization expanded, ne
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63 meetings should be conducted at
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65 While the move to shift registra
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67 League. Consequently in Janyary,
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69 The idea of a great loose body o
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71 the League's formation. 44 A mor
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The controversy, which assumed its
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75 Habitations. 55 The dispute bet
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77 The direct-mail solicitation suc
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Lord Salisbury, as Grand Master, li
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81 Agency, a Primrose Gazette Commi
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83 CHAPTER THREE Politics, 1885-18
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85 minimizing the irreversible gain
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87 implementation until January, 18
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89 a source of popular support. In
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anquet held just prior to the 1885
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93 Political Secretary. A decision
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self-imposed restraints exercised d
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97 practiced by Habitations. 26 By
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99 The exact extent of League compl
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101 Lady Churchill recalled that at
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103 charge 1,222,000 pamphlets, lea
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105 He was perfectly prepared to dr
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107 Increasingly the party made inr
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109 in promoting a voluntary extrap
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Ill activities brought about by th
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113 "representative" conservative o
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Churchill's prospects further dimin
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117 Despite the lapse of time since
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119 Maximum annual earnings for the
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121 The Rev. J.S. Beckwith, speakin
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123 the most jealous religious comm
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125 Between the years 1885 and 1888
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Honorary Secretaries. At the bottom
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129 the highest level by the operat
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131 promoting supporters of denomin
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The women were prime movers in the
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135 Women assumed a proportionately
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137 More typical, perhaps, is Nails
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agents, and even the Vice Chancello
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141 which the revenues of the Grand
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143 TABLE 2 Grand Council Revenue
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145 TABLE 3 SGC Ledger and Membersh
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147 A Grand Council Precept was iss
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149 become involved in party politi
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151 notable female initiatives incl
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153 Perhaps more than anything else
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period of several years and found i
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157 However, the declining membersh
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159 multi-page handouts to single f
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161 the 152 reported in 1890. 61 O
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163 years later they proposed the e
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165 On the political front the Gran
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concerning Britain's economy and ov
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169 feature of the later years was
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171 on all great and vital question
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It seems significant that at the ti
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A new generation of imperial associ
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177 the war was the extent to which
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170 concerns in which Ireland was p
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172 they failed in their result, bu
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estoration of British supremacy and
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176 Certainly, the Primrose League
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Certainly the League was capable of
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180 Their victory in 1868 brought g
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182 II The best means available fo
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184 Elections 3 which provides a de
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186 stage of Habitation growth on a
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188 Appendices A, B, C, D, and E pr
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League made early inroads, almost a
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192 If we examine other regions of
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194 V Four years later, the situat
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196 The representation of the Primr
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198 The use of the census as a meas
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Cheshire county, located in Fawcett
Page 223 and 224: Habitation influence in Wales as me
Page 225 and 226: 204 Even allowing for varying regio
Page 227 and 228: 206 Another prominent feature exhib
Page 229 and 230: egion it appears to have reached it
Page 231 and 232: 210 achievement is a significant on
Page 233 and 234: 316 or 8.3 percent of all officers.
Page 235 and 236: undoubtedly highly esteemed in thei
Page 237 and 238: 216 Hanwell might best be character
Page 239 and 240: 218 a number of judgements. Individ
Page 241 and 242: Members of the military, none of wh
Page 243 and 244: 222 caused many to regard his achie
Page 245 and 246: area, although a cotton factory and
Page 247 and 248: were attracted by the unique opport
Page 249 and 250: 228 CHAPTER SIX Political Subcultu
Page 251 and 252: 230 urban and rural communities whi
Page 253 and 254: 232 II The "invention of tradition
Page 255 and 256: League, "the maintenance of religio
Page 257 and 258: 236 As late as 1886, Gladstone's pe
Page 259 and 260: following passage is quoted at leng
Page 261 and 262: material ran round the various balc
Page 263 and 264: Deference has fared somewhat better
Page 265 and 266: 244 Times are altered, and we have
Page 267 and 268: Periodic meetings were held to prom
Page 269 and 270: 248 offered differentiating the var
Page 271 and 272: 250 Bagehot exaggerated the extent
Page 273: 252 actually held positions as Knig
Page 277 and 278: 256 existing order by appealing to
Page 279 and 280: 258 House of Lords, and the Church
Page 281 and 282: 260 Wish they were dead.57 A compa
Page 283 and 284: 262 Conservatives were urged to uni
Page 285 and 286: 265 Conservative M.P.s' thanking lo
Page 287 and 288: 267 are Ladywood (Birmingham), Hudd
Page 289 and 290: 269 and counterbalanced by the enti
Page 291 and 292: 271 both in addition to an Honorary
Page 293 and 294: 273 League. In large measure this w
Page 295 and 296: 275 Prior to 1885 the rural communi
Page 297 and 298: 277 that all qualified voters suppo
Page 299 and 300: 279 Liberal Unionist member.*6 Des
Page 301 and 302: independently of ordinary Conservat
Page 303 and 304: 283 Relations remained uneasy in Bi
Page 305 and 306: Woolen manufacturing was the primar
Page 307 and 308: 287 speaker retained by Grand Counc
Page 309 and 310: In the case of both Bain and Helder
Page 311 and 312: 291 Catholics favoring denomination
Page 313 and 314: 293 The efforts of members of the e
Page 315 and 316: later, members reminisced "over the
Page 317 and 318: 297 The increasingly cosmopolitan f
Page 319 and 320: 299 in South Africa" and a donation
Page 321 and 322: difficulties, we have at last succe
Page 323 and 324: While special rights and privileges
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305 exclusively of Dames.79 The re
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dated 21 February 1890, Merrick com
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Begun in February of 1888, Whitehav
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311 CHAPTER EIGHT Epilogue We [th
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313 politics. Although it adopted t
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315 the party like Walter Long, Leo
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317 The years 1900-1914 were marked
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319 London executive following the
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321 Financial and minute records in
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who were occupiers in their own rig
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In part this misconception has been
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327 century received a mixed respon
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329 social and political reforms. I
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331 BIBLIOGRAPHY I Primrose League
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333 Thornbury Habitation Minutes,,
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Cannadine, David. "The Context, Per
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Gwyn, William B. Democracy and the
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339 Mathias, Peter. The First Indus
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341 Rempel, Richard A. Unionists Di
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343 APPENDIX A London 1899 cumula
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345 APPENDIX C Dorset 1899 cumula
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347 APPENDIX E West Riding, Yorksh
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APPENDIX G County by County Analys
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APPENDIX H (Cont'd) Comparison of
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