Annual Luddite Memorial Lecture: Radicalism in the West Riding 1790 to 1890

Online presentation by Prof Edward Royle.

This year’s Luddite Lecture looks broadly at some of the varieties of radicalism to be found in the West Riding during the century following the French Revolution. This includes mention of some of the familiar themes of the Luddite years in Huddersfield but also concentrates on the later years, tracing continuities from the 1830s and 1840s through the mid-century years to the 1880s and 1890s. The lecture looks at some of the social and religious radicalisms that emerged during the century, ranging from the mainstream to the exotic, and introduces some of the more colourful characters who challenged the orthodoxies of Victorian Britain.

The lecture is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Malcom Chase (1957-2020).

Due to current social distancing restrictions, Huddersfield Local History Society’s 2020/21 season of talks will initially be given online and made available on the Society’s web site.