These books took the then controversial stance that gay relationships should not be shameful, referencing a long-standing canon of literature and art that had referenced same-sex desire. Further works followed, including ‘ The Intermediate Sex‘ which was published in 1908.
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In 1894 Carpenter published the pamphlet ‘ Homogenic Love and Its Place in a Free Society‘ – for private circulation only at first, due to the controversial subject matter.
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The Labouchère Amendment in 1885 had extended the criminalisation of sex acts between men, and cases such as the 1889 Cleveland Street Scandal and the 1895 trial of Oscar Wilde cast a shadow over the 1890s. In the 1890s Carpenter first started trying to publish on the topic of homosexuality, which was a huge risk at the time. The connection between Carpenter and Merrill was thought to be the inspiration for Forster’s novel ‘Maurice’, in which the key characters have a similar relationship dynamic. E M Forster was a friend of the couple and would visit them. Their backgrounds were very different: Merrill was 20 years younger than Carpenter and had had a tough working-class upbringing. The two men struck up a deep, life-long relationship, living together at Millthorpe. On a train journey in 1891, Carpenter met George Merrill, a working-class man from Sheffield. Carpenter wrote on subjects as varied as marriage, prisons and socialism. While Carpenter had moved to the smallholding for a simpler life, he continued to write and publish extensively.
At Millthorpe Carpenter set about modelling a new way of living that focused on a return to nature. He moved in, bringing the Ferneyhough family with him. It was at this time, in 1883, that Carpenter bought his smallholding at Millthorpe, near Sheffield. MillthorpeĮdward Carpenter and George Merrill, c. He fell in love with Ferneyhough and moved to live with his family – as can be seen in the 1881 Census.
Through the movement he met student Albert Ferneyhough, a scythe-maker. ‘Because you have, as it were, given me a ground for the love of men I thank you continually in my heart … For you have made men to be not ashamed of the noblest instinct of their nature.’ Edward Carpenter to Walt Whitman, (Correspondence) – The Walt Whitman Archiveįor a time, Carpenter worked as part of the University Extension movement, which attempted to extend education to people who were otherwise unable to access university learning. Carpenter wrote to Whitman in May 1889, saying: From this time he began to explore his feelings for other men more. He went to university at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he was first influenced by Christian Socialist theology.Ī turning point for Carpenter was the discovery of the work and poetry of Walt Whitman. Early lifeĮdward Carpenter was born in 1844 in Hove in Sussex and studied at Brighton College.
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Further archive listings can be found in Discovery, our catalogue. Fascinating collections relating to Carpenter can also be found in many other archives, including Sheffield City Archives, the British Library and the University of Manchester Special Collections. This one blog post cannot possibly do justice to Carpenter’s extensive life, his many influences, pursuits and acquaintances it will focus particularly on what records held by The National Archives can reveal about his life and loves (see footnote 1). He spoke openly about topics that were controversial in his lifetime, despite the risk. Carpenter was an author, socialist, free love advocate and early pioneer for gay rights. Edward Carpenter (1844-1929) was an extraordinary individual for his time.
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