Thomas Davison
Encyclopedia
Thomas Davison was a British
radical
journalist and printer-publisher of a series of journals, including Medusa, the London Alfred, the Deist's Magazine, as well as the James Griffin-edited Cap of Liberty and the Robert Shorter-edited Theological Comet.
Known for his republican and Deist
views, Davison actively supported Richard Carlile
in his battle with the British establishment of the time, which resulted in Carlile's imprisonment on charges of blasphemous libel
in October 1819.
Davison's publication of material critical of the Bible
in the Deist's Magazine resulted in his own prosecution. Found guilty of blasphemy like Carlile after his trial in October 1820, Davison was fined £100 and imprisoned for two years. Reduced to poverty
in his last years, he eked out a living as a bookseller following his release in 1822.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
radical
Political radicalism
The term political radicalism denotes political principles focused on altering social structures through revolutionary means and changing value systems in fundamental ways...
journalist and printer-publisher of a series of journals, including Medusa, the London Alfred, the Deist's Magazine, as well as the James Griffin-edited Cap of Liberty and the Robert Shorter-edited Theological Comet.
Known for his republican and Deist
Deism
Deism in religious philosophy is the belief that reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized religion, can determine that the universe is the product of an all-powerful creator. According to deists, the creator does not intervene in human affairs or suspend the...
views, Davison actively supported Richard Carlile
Richard Carlile
Richard Carlile was an important agitator for the establishment of universal suffrage and freedom of the press in the United Kingdom.-Early life :...
in his battle with the British establishment of the time, which resulted in Carlile's imprisonment on charges of blasphemous libel
Blasphemous libel
Blasphemous libel was originally an offence under the common law of England. It is an offence under the common law of Northern Ireland. It is a statutory offence in Canada and New Zealand...
in October 1819.
Davison's publication of material critical of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in the Deist's Magazine resulted in his own prosecution. Found guilty of blasphemy like Carlile after his trial in October 1820, Davison was fined £100 and imprisoned for two years. Reduced to poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
in his last years, he eked out a living as a bookseller following his release in 1822.
Further reading
- Davison, Thomas (1820). The Trial of Thomas Davison for Publishing a Blasphemous Libel in the Deists Magazine, Oct. 23rd, 1820. London.
- Wiener, Joel H. (1979). "Thomas Davison". In Joseph O. Baylen and Norbert J. Gossman (Editors), Biographical Dictionary of Modern British Radicals: Volume One, 1770 - 1830 (p. 114). Hassocks, Sussex: The Harvester Press.