What a fantastic, well written and informed article by Jon Neale. The article was so good that it persuaded me to make the plunge and subscribe to The Dispatch. So well done to Jon and doubly well done to Kate for hosting this article. It would be good to have a byline on the article on who Jon Neale is; I assume he an academic historian.
Coming to the article itself, Jon Neale is quite right to put forward a critical and refreshing perspective of Joseph Chamberlain. I have wondered if Mr Chamberlain is similar to Winston Churchill, insomuch that he was a complex character who had views that are unacceptable in modern eyes, but when you weigh his career in the balance, the good far outweighs the bad.
I also agree with Jon’s view that “beatifying St Joseph not only does a disservice to the rich, radical and nation-shaping history of our city.” His article correctly refers to the huge influence of likes of George Dixon, John Bright and George Dawson. May I add, the John Bright MP was hugely influential on US history, since he contributed to persuading President Abraham Lincoln to make the emancipation of ALL slaves – not just the slaves in the northern states – a central theme of the US Civil War. Indeed, President Lincoln had a portrait of Mr Bright on the mantlepiece of his office in the White House.
Finally, well done to Jon for referring to the influence of Birmingham’s female Victorians, such as Catherine Osler, Mary Showell Rogers and Alice Beale. Look around our city centre – where are the statues or memorials to these great women? All the statues and memorials in Birmingham are great Victorians men – where are the Victorian women?
What the article about Chamberlain told me is that ideas and political forces are more powerful than any one person - but powerful people can sometimes seize them and reflect that zeitgeist as their own political careers progress. I believe Birmingham already has what it needs to move beyond the large industrial scale that defined it in the last century, into an era more defined by local community and connection. Birmingham has always taken in people and ideas and made the best of them. I think that’s the way Forward.
Very interesting article- wonder if it could be expanded into a book- real history of Birmingham. If so DONT refere to Brum as the second city- we are not second to anywhere
Refreshing to dig below the surface of the Old Joe myth and recognise that Birmingham was not a one person led city. Maybe Birmingham can learn from its past staggered progress to have the confidence to move forward from its current crisis
Thanks for an interesting and informative article. I only knew snippets about Chamberlain's life previously apart from the Nettlefold connection. I'm sure I read something about that when I visited Winterbourne House near Birmingham University. Loved my visits there to the Nettlefold family house, a gem of Arts and Crafts design and a beautiful garden. Visit if you can.
Great article, though some tension between this desire to reject Chamberlain's "Great Man of History" status and the response being to focus on other "Great Men and Women of history". These people were influential but they did not build Birmingham; that honour goes to hordes of forgotten workers and domestic labourers. Dixon, Chamberlain etc. were largely moneyed and are known in history because they could afford to push themselves to the forefront of its writing. The Beauclerc detail is a nice touch and shows someone more ordinary being given limelight, but it's always a little sad how ordinary lives are hardly ever recorded in detail despite being history's main motor.
Unsure how possible it is to excavate the histories of the city's real builders--the people who laid the bricks and cooked the food and raised the children and traded the wares--but it's only these people's histories which can challenge the problem with Chamberlain at the level of form as well as content. It's not just monomania, but plutomania which our historiography suffers from.
What the article about Chamberlain told me is that ideas and political forces are more powerful than any one person - but powerful people can sometimes seize them and reflect that zeitgeist as their own political careers progress. I believe Birmingham already has what it needs to move beyond the large industrial scale that defined it in the last century, into an era more defined by local community and connection. Birmingham has always taken in people and ideas and made the best of them. I think that’s the way Forward.
What a fantastic, well written and informed article by Jon Neale. The article was so good that it persuaded me to make the plunge and subscribe to The Dispatch. So well done to Jon and doubly well done to Kate for hosting this article. It would be good to have a byline on the article on who Jon Neale is; I assume he an academic historian.
Coming to the article itself, Jon Neale is quite right to put forward a critical and refreshing perspective of Joseph Chamberlain. I have wondered if Mr Chamberlain is similar to Winston Churchill, insomuch that he was a complex character who had views that are unacceptable in modern eyes, but when you weigh his career in the balance, the good far outweighs the bad.
I also agree with Jon’s view that “beatifying St Joseph not only does a disservice to the rich, radical and nation-shaping history of our city.” His article correctly refers to the huge influence of likes of George Dixon, John Bright and George Dawson. May I add, the John Bright MP was hugely influential on US history, since he contributed to persuading President Abraham Lincoln to make the emancipation of ALL slaves – not just the slaves in the northern states – a central theme of the US Civil War. Indeed, President Lincoln had a portrait of Mr Bright on the mantlepiece of his office in the White House.
Finally, well done to Jon for referring to the influence of Birmingham’s female Victorians, such as Catherine Osler, Mary Showell Rogers and Alice Beale. Look around our city centre – where are the statues or memorials to these great women? All the statues and memorials in Birmingham are great Victorians men – where are the Victorian women?
What the article about Chamberlain told me is that ideas and political forces are more powerful than any one person - but powerful people can sometimes seize them and reflect that zeitgeist as their own political careers progress. I believe Birmingham already has what it needs to move beyond the large industrial scale that defined it in the last century, into an era more defined by local community and connection. Birmingham has always taken in people and ideas and made the best of them. I think that’s the way Forward.
Very interesting article- wonder if it could be expanded into a book- real history of Birmingham. If so DONT refere to Brum as the second city- we are not second to anywhere
Refreshing to dig below the surface of the Old Joe myth and recognise that Birmingham was not a one person led city. Maybe Birmingham can learn from its past staggered progress to have the confidence to move forward from its current crisis
Thanks for an interesting and informative article. I only knew snippets about Chamberlain's life previously apart from the Nettlefold connection. I'm sure I read something about that when I visited Winterbourne House near Birmingham University. Loved my visits there to the Nettlefold family house, a gem of Arts and Crafts design and a beautiful garden. Visit if you can.
Fascinating article about Joseph Chamberlain. More about famous Brummies, please.
Fascinating account. I listened to it using voice over (I'm visually impaired). It would be helpful to have an audio version as well if possible.
great article and told me many things i never knew abour brum chamberlain and the other leaders anmes like Dawson.
I've just spent 3 days working in a room named after George Dawson. Nice to find out who he is! Thanks for this.
Some of these women are included in this Emma Press publication (it is a small press based in Birmingham).
https://theemmapress.com/shop/childrens/once-upon-a-time-in-birmingham/
This was a really interesting article on the history of Brum. I really enjoyed it 😃
Great article, though some tension between this desire to reject Chamberlain's "Great Man of History" status and the response being to focus on other "Great Men and Women of history". These people were influential but they did not build Birmingham; that honour goes to hordes of forgotten workers and domestic labourers. Dixon, Chamberlain etc. were largely moneyed and are known in history because they could afford to push themselves to the forefront of its writing. The Beauclerc detail is a nice touch and shows someone more ordinary being given limelight, but it's always a little sad how ordinary lives are hardly ever recorded in detail despite being history's main motor.
Unsure how possible it is to excavate the histories of the city's real builders--the people who laid the bricks and cooked the food and raised the children and traded the wares--but it's only these people's histories which can challenge the problem with Chamberlain at the level of form as well as content. It's not just monomania, but plutomania which our historiography suffers from.
Fascinating thank you!
A fascinating and informative article. I've lived here my whole 70 years and have never heard such rounded views. Thank you.
What the article about Chamberlain told me is that ideas and political forces are more powerful than any one person - but powerful people can sometimes seize them and reflect that zeitgeist as their own political careers progress. I believe Birmingham already has what it needs to move beyond the large industrial scale that defined it in the last century, into an era more defined by local community and connection. Birmingham has always taken in people and ideas and made the best of them. I think that’s the way Forward.
Amazing article!
Thank you for putting so many inspiring and often forgotten figures of our city in the spotlight!
I am also amazed at how old the Women’s Hospital actually is!