William Tebb
Encyclopedia
William Tebb was a British
businessman
and wide-ranging social reformer
, particularly known as a anti-vaccinationist and author of anti-vaccination
books.
Privately educated, Tebb started work at fifteen for a Manchester business, attending evening classes where he encountered the ideas of the British radical
s John Bright
, Richard Cobden
and Robert Owen
, and the American Christian
social reformer Adin Ballou
. His ideas were also influenced by a Salford Swedenborgian sect promoting physical purity, food reform, and teetotalism
.
In 1852, Tebb went to the United States
as a representative of the Vegetarian Society
. He was introduced to Ballou and made frequent visits to the latter's experimental Hopedale Community
, where he met and married Mary Elizabeth Scott in 1856.
In the 1850s he became active in the US Abolitionist
movement, but he and his family returned to England in the 1860s to escape a malaria
outbreak, settling in London. Tebb became a director of a company making bleach
ing chemicals for paper, earning a large fortune that he used to fund a variety of social causes.
He co-founded the Royal Normal College for the Blind, was active in anti-vivisection
, contributed to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(becoming a vice-president of the National Canine Defence League) as well as joining the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
and the Humanitarian League
. Politically a radical Liberal
, he was a member of the Devonshire Club
, National Liberal Club
, New Reform Club, and the Vigilance Association for the Defence of Personal Rights.
In 1869 Tebb became deeply committed to the anti-vaccination campaign whose aim was repeal of the Vaccination Act
s that made smallpox
vaccination compulsory for children. He himself was prosecuted and fined thirteen times for refusal to vaccinate his third daughter. In 1880, he co-founded the London Society for the Abolition of Compulsory Vaccination
(LSACV) and established its official publication, the Vaccination Inquirer. He served as its chairman until 1896, when it was dissolved to form the National Anti-Vaccination League
(NAVL), of which he was president.
He became a highly publicised activist against compulsory smallpox vaccination, and then one of the most prolific writers and activists against vaccination itself. Although interested in spiritualism
and theosophy
, he campaigned not on religious grounds but on general appeal to values of social liberty
.
He visited the United States
in 1897, and campaigned against smallpox vaccinations. Smallpox had recently become epidemic
again, after a decline in vaccination, following a decline in cases of smallpox earlier in the century. Several American anti-vaccination organisations arose around the time of his visit.
The NAVL succeeded in its lobbying for a government enquiry (a Royal Commission in 1886), and the 1898/1907 Act of 1898 that introduced exemption from vaccination on grounds of conscientious objection
.
Although he continued to campaign against vaccination, in later life Tebb took on further causes. In 1895 he moved to Rede Hall, Burstow, Surrey
, where he occupied major posts in the parish council, local horticultural
society and cricket
club. He paid for a monument to Adin Ballou at Hopedale, and a drinking fountain at Burstow in memory of the 400,000 horses killed and wounded during the Boer War
, to which he was strongly opposed as a pacifist
and anti-imperialist
.
Along with Walter Hadwen
, in 1896 he had co-founded the London Association for the Prevention of Premature Burial, that campaigned for burial reforms to ensure that those buried were certainly dead. When he died at Burstow in 1917, his will specified that "unmistakable evidence of decomposition" should be visible, so he was cremated a week after his death.
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...
businessman
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
and wide-ranging social reformer
Reform movement
A reform movement is a kind of social movement that aims to make gradual change, or change in certain aspects of society, rather than rapid or fundamental changes...
, particularly known as a anti-vaccinationist and author of anti-vaccination
Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
books.
Privately educated, Tebb started work at fifteen for a Manchester business, attending evening classes where he encountered the ideas of the British radical
Radicalism (historical)
The term Radical was used during the late 18th century for proponents of the Radical Movement. It later became a general pejorative term for those favoring or seeking political reforms which include dramatic changes to the social order...
s John Bright
John Bright
John Bright , Quaker, was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with Richard Cobden in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League. He was one of the greatest orators of his generation, and a strong critic of British foreign policy...
, Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden was a British manufacturer and Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with John Bright in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League as well as with the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty...
and Robert Owen
Robert Owen
Robert Owen was a Welsh social reformer and one of the founders of utopian socialism and the cooperative movement.Owen's philosophy was based on three intellectual pillars:...
, and the American Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
social reformer Adin Ballou
Adin Ballou
Adin Ballou was an American prominent proponent of pacifism, socialism and abolitionism, and the founder of the Hopedale Community...
. His ideas were also influenced by a Salford Swedenborgian sect promoting physical purity, food reform, and teetotalism
Teetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
.
In 1852, Tebb went to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a representative of the Vegetarian Society
Vegetarian Society
The Vegetarian Society is a British registered charity established on 30 September 1847 to "support, represent and increase the number of vegetarians in the UK."-History:...
. He was introduced to Ballou and made frequent visits to the latter's experimental Hopedale Community
Hopedale Community
The Hopedale Community was founded out of Worcester County, Massachusetts in 1842 by Adin Ballou. He and his followers purchased of land on which they built homes for the community members, chapels and the factories for which the company was initially formed....
, where he met and married Mary Elizabeth Scott in 1856.
In the 1850s he became active in the US Abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
movement, but he and his family returned to England in the 1860s to escape a malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
outbreak, settling in London. Tebb became a director of a company making bleach
Bleach
Bleach refers to a number of chemicals that remove color, whiten, or disinfect, often via oxidation. Common chemical bleaches include household chlorine bleach , lye, oxygen bleach , and bleaching powder...
ing chemicals for paper, earning a large fortune that he used to fund a variety of social causes.
He co-founded the Royal Normal College for the Blind, was active in anti-vivisection
Vivisection
Vivisection is defined as surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure...
, contributed to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...
(becoming a vice-president of the National Canine Defence League) as well as joining the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a United Kingdom charity campaigning and working in child protection.-History:...
and the Humanitarian League
Humanitarian League
The Humanitarian League was an organisation formed in England in 1891 byHenry Salt who was also the General Secretary and Editor. Other founding members were John Galsworthy, Colonel W. L. Blenkinsop Coulson,,and Edward Carpenter...
. Politically a radical Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, he was a member of the Devonshire Club
Devonshire Club
The Devonshire Club was a London gentlemen's club, now dissolved, which was established in 1874 and was disbanded in 1976. Throughout its existence it was based at 50 St James's Street...
, National Liberal Club
National Liberal Club
The National Liberal Club, known to its members as the NLC, is a London gentlemen's club, now also open to women, which was established by William Ewart Gladstone in 1882 for the purpose of providing club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners among the newly-enlarged electorate after the Third...
, New Reform Club, and the Vigilance Association for the Defence of Personal Rights.
In 1869 Tebb became deeply committed to the anti-vaccination campaign whose aim was repeal of the Vaccination Act
Vaccination Act
The UK Vaccination Acts of 1840, 1853 and 1898 reflect the continuing argument over vaccination policy in the United Kingdom. Similar legislation was passed in the USA and other countries....
s that made smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
vaccination compulsory for children. He himself was prosecuted and fined thirteen times for refusal to vaccinate his third daughter. In 1880, he co-founded the London Society for the Abolition of Compulsory Vaccination
National Anti-Vaccination League
The National Anti-Vaccination League was founded in 1896 in Britain, growing from earlier smaller organisations in London, originally under the title Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League. The organisation opposed compulsory vaccination, particularly against smallpox...
(LSACV) and established its official publication, the Vaccination Inquirer. He served as its chairman until 1896, when it was dissolved to form the National Anti-Vaccination League
National Anti-Vaccination League
The National Anti-Vaccination League was founded in 1896 in Britain, growing from earlier smaller organisations in London, originally under the title Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League. The organisation opposed compulsory vaccination, particularly against smallpox...
(NAVL), of which he was president.
He became a highly publicised activist against compulsory smallpox vaccination, and then one of the most prolific writers and activists against vaccination itself. Although interested in spiritualism
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
and theosophy
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
, he campaigned not on religious grounds but on general appeal to values of social liberty
Liberty
Liberty is a moral and political principle, or Right, that identifies the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves, to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions...
.
He visited the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1897, and campaigned against smallpox vaccinations. Smallpox had recently become epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
again, after a decline in vaccination, following a decline in cases of smallpox earlier in the century. Several American anti-vaccination organisations arose around the time of his visit.
The NAVL succeeded in its lobbying for a government enquiry (a Royal Commission in 1886), and the 1898/1907 Act of 1898 that introduced exemption from vaccination on grounds of conscientious objection
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
.
Although he continued to campaign against vaccination, in later life Tebb took on further causes. In 1895 he moved to Rede Hall, Burstow, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, where he occupied major posts in the parish council, local horticultural
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
society and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club. He paid for a monument to Adin Ballou at Hopedale, and a drinking fountain at Burstow in memory of the 400,000 horses killed and wounded during the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, to which he was strongly opposed as a pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
and anti-imperialist
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
.
Along with Walter Hadwen
Walter Hadwen
Walter Robert Hadwen MD MRCS MRCP was a Gloucester GP and pharmaceutical chemist, president of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection , and an anti-vaccination campaigner known for his denial of the germ theory of disease.-Biography:Hadwen began his career as a pharmacist in Clapham...
, in 1896 he had co-founded the London Association for the Prevention of Premature Burial, that campaigned for burial reforms to ensure that those buried were certainly dead. When he died at Burstow in 1917, his will specified that "unmistakable evidence of decomposition" should be visible, so he was cremated a week after his death.
Publications
- Sanitation, not Vaccination the True Protection against Small-Pox, 1881 paper, Second International Congress of Anti-Vaccinators
- Testimonies of Medical Authorities on Vaccination, Preface, 1882, London Society for the Abolition of Compulsory Vaccination
- Compulsory Vaccination in England: with incidental references to foreign states, 1884, E.W. Allen, London
- The Increase of Cancer, 1892, The Tocsin. Booklet reprint 1892, Wertheimer, Lea & Co., London
- Leprosy and Vaccination, 1893, Swan Sonnenschein & Co., London
- Premature burial, and how it may be prevented, with special reference to trance catalepsy, and other forms of suspended animation, ed. Walter Hadwen, Swan , London, 1905
External links
- Premature Burial and How It May Be Prevented, Internet Archive