Copyright
Adrian DesmondPublished On
2024-05-08Page Range
pp. 397–404Language
- English
Print Length
8 pages
20. Peace and Harmony
- Adrian Desmond (author)
Chapter of: Reign of the Beast: The Atheist World of W. D. Saull and his Museum of Evolution(pp. 397–404)
Far from the police raids in London, Owenites now put their faith in a new communitarian idyll, “Harmony”, a thousand-acre estate in Hampshire. It proved anything but harmonious, with failure built in from the first. Money was lavished on its mansion, built in 1841-1842, and a farm and “delightful villa” was purchased, Rose Hill, which was to be Owen’s new home. Bad management, over-spend, crop uncertainties, all contributed to the flop. Once again Saull stepped in; he paid £2,900 to buy up Rose Hill’s deeds. But the whole venture was draining funds from the Halls of Science. To make up, social missionaries were fired, which caused branches to lose local support and eventually collapse. Tawdry infighting, Owen’s departure for America, and the last socialist congress being held ignominiously in a tent in1846, marked the end of Owenism. Saull was left with Rose Hill, which he kept for life.
Contributors
Adrian Desmond
(author)Adrian Desmond was educated at University College London and Harvard University, where he was Stephen Jay Gould's first history of science PhD student. He has two MSc's, one in history of science, another in vertebrate palaeontology, and a PhD for his work on radical Victorian evolutionists. For twenty years he was an Honorary Research Fellow at University College London. He is the multi-award-winning author of nine books, which include: The Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs, Archetypes and Ancestors: Palaeontology in Victorian London 1850-1875, The Politics of Evolution: Morphology, Medicine, and Reform in Radical London, Darwin, Huxley: The Devil’s Disciple, Huxley: Evolution’s High Priest, Darwin’s Sacred Cause (with James Moore)