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Collet Dobson Collet

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Name
  
Collet Collet


Died
  
December 28, 1898

Collet Dobson Collet Collet Dobson Collet Wikipedia


Books
  
History of the Taxes on Knowledge V1: Their Origin and Repeal

Collet Dobson Collet (31 December 1812 – 28 December 1898) was an English radical freethinker, Chartist and campaigner against newspaper taxation.

Contents

Background and work

Collet was born in London on 31 December 1812, the son of John Dobson (1778–1827), a London merchant, and his wife Elizabeth Barker (1787–1875). His sister was the writer and feminist Sophia Dobson Collet (1822–1894). His brother was the engineer Edward Dobson (1816–1908).

After abandoning a career in the law due to lack of money, Collet became director of music at South Place Chapel and was heavily involved in the Chartist movement. He became Secretary of the People's Charter Union, and of the Newspaper Stamp Abolition Committee (i.e. to overturn the Stamp Act) in 1849. From 1851 - 1870 he was Secretary of the Association for the Repeal of the Taxes on Knowledge.

In 1866 he became editor of The Diplomatic Review. This had been known as The Free Press prior to Collet taking it over and was a mouthpiece for the views of David Urquhart. Collet invited radical people to contribute to Diplomatic Review and as a result began publishing articles by Karl Marx. The two became great friends and weekly meetings were held at each other's houses at which Shakespeare readings were given by members of their families. These meetings became formalised as the Dogberry Club. Marx's daughter Eleanor and Collet's daughter Clara, amongst others, became heavily involved in the readings.

His five children included the colonial administrator Wilfred Collet (1856–1929) and the educationalist Clara Collet (1860–1948). He died 1898 in Finsbury. His wife Jane (1820–1908) died 10 years after him.

Publications

  • Vocal Rudiments. Aus: The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, 1847. Digitalisat Jstor
  • Vocal Rudiments. Part II (Continued). Aus: The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, 1849. Digitalisat Jstor
  • The invasion of France not a war of self-defence. The case against Prussia. Analyses of the "correspondence preliminary to the war". London 1870 (Reprinted from the "Anglo American Times").
  • Reasons for the repeal of the railway passenger duty. Paper read in the rooms of the Society of Arts, 26th February, 1877. In: Some words on railway legislation. Waterlow and Sons, London 1877.
  • Life and career of Mr. Richard Moore. With a short sketch of his struggles for political, social and religious freedom. Charles Watt, London 1878.
  • Calm is the glassy ocean = (Placido è il mar). The words adapted by C. Dobson Collet from Mozart's "Idomeneo". Novello & Company, London 1891. Digitalisat Internet Archive
  • A History of the Taxes on Knowledge their origin and repeal. With an introduction by George Jacob Holyoake. T. Fisher Unwin, London 1899. 2 vols. Digitalisat Internet Archive vol. 1; Digitalisat Internet Archive vol. 2
  • References

    Collet Dobson Collet Wikipedia