Henry Vincent

Henry Vincent (10 May 1813 – 29 December 1878) was active in the formation of early Working Men's Associations in Britain, a popular Chartist leader, brilliant and gifted public orator, prospective but ultimately unsuccessful Victorian member of parliament, and later an anti-slavery campaigner.

Henry Vincent was born in High Holborn, the son of a goldsmith. Henry Vincent saw his father's business fail, a decline in circumstances which prompted the family to move to Kingston upon Hull.

By 1828 Henry was a young apprentice boy in the growing printing trade. Once his apprenticeship was completed he returned to London to pursue his printing career. At this time he was very interested in the views of Tom Paine and especially Paine's views on universal suffrage (which included votes for women, of course) and state welfare benefits.

By the year of 1833 Henry Vincent was in London working as a printer but also deepening his political awareness and knowledge. In 1836 he joined the recently formed London Working Men's Association and he was quickly recognised as one of the best young orators promoting universal suffrage and workers rights.

In 1837 Henry Vincent accompanied John Cleave on a summer speaking tour in the industrial north of England and they helped local activists to establish Working Men's Associations in Hull, Leeds, Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield.

In 1838 Henry Vincent was given responsibility for promoting universal suffrage and welfare benefits and Working Men's Associations in industrial South Wales and the West Country of England from Cornwall up to Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

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