Clousden Hill Free Communist and Co-operative Colony

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clousden Hill Free Communist and Co-operative Colony
Clousden Hill Free Communist and Co-operative Colony.png
Depictions of the colony from the Illustrated London News.
Formation1895
Dissolved1898
TypeRural anarcho-communist commune
Location
Key people
Franz Kapper

Clousden Hill Free Communist and Co-operative Colony was an anarcho-communist commune from 1895 until 1898 in Forest Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The commune was part of the back-to-the-land movement, operating a 12-acre farm under collective ownership and democratic control.[1]

The commune was founded by Franz Kapper and William Key.[2] The founders were in part inspired by the Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin who in correspondence with the colony expressed his general support, but also stressed his scepticism of small, rural, non-federated, experimental communities.[3] In an 1897 article Italian anarchist Errico Malatesta expressed his support for the colony, but with similar reservations to Kropotkin. Malatesta also raised concern that were reportedly 27 men in the commune, most of whom were young, and only 4 women.[4]

The colony failed in part because of a lack of capital and internal disagreements and tensions.[5] The nature of the internal tensions and disagreement are to some extent still faced by contemporary intentional communities, such as issues of gender and housework, and the sharing of labour more generally.[6][7][8]

Bibliography[]

  • Todd, Nigel (2015). Roses and Revolutionists: The Story of the Clousden Hill Free Communist and Co-operative Colony 1894-1909 (2nd ed.). Nottingham, England: Five Leaves Publications. ISBN 978-1-910170-17-5. OCLC 936011582.

References[]

  1. ^ Henderson, Tony (2015-12-16). "How Clousden Hill communist agricultural colony in Newcastle sought to change the world". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  2. ^ Bevir, Mark (13 December 2016). The Making of British Socialism. ISBN 9780691173726.
  3. ^ "On A Proposed Communist Settlement A New Colony for Tyneside or Wearside. Peter Kropotkin" (PDF). Tyneside Anarchist Archive. 2018-05-13. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
  4. ^ Malatesta, Errico (28 October 1897). "The experimental anarchist colonies". Libcom.org. Translated by Paul Sharkey. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  5. ^ Howkins, Alun (2002). "From Diggers to Dongas: The Land in English Radicalism, 1649-2000". History Workshop Journal. 54 (54): 1–23. doi:10.1093/hwj/54.1.1. ISSN 1363-3554. JSTOR 4289798.
  6. ^ Greenway, Judy (2013-09-17). "Sex, Politics and Housework". Judy Greenway. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  7. ^ Greenway, Judy (1993). "Sex, Politics and Housework". Diggers & Dreamers 94/95: The Guide to Communal Living. Buckinghamshire, England: [[Diggers and Dreamers. ISBN 978-0-9514945-2-3.
  8. ^ "Book Review: Roses and Revolutionists". Freedom News. 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
Retrieved from ""