Ernest Bell (activist)

Ernest Bell (8 March 1851 – 14 September 1933) was an English publisher, writer, and social reformer. He campaigned for animal rights, animal welfare, vegetarianism, and anti-vivisection, and was involved in organisations including the Vegetarian Society, the Humanitarian League, and the League Against Cruel Sports, which he co-founded in 1925.

Bell worked for the publishing firm George Bell & Sons, which had been established by his father, George Bell. He edited several publications, including The Animals' Friend, and contributed to reform journals and pamphlets. He held offices in animal protection societies and in 1929 received an award jointly presented by 22 animal organisations. A vegetarian for most of his life, Bell supported meat-free diets on health and ethical grounds. After his death, the Ernest Bell Library was established to preserve his writings and other literature on social reform.

Biography Early life and education Ernest Bell was born in Hampstead on 8 March 1851, the second son of the publisher George Bell (1814–1890) and his wife, Hannah Bell (; ). He was educated at St Paul's School, London and went on to study at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a B.A. in 1873 and a M.A. in 1876. After graduating, Bell studied German in Dresden.

Publishing career Bell spent most of his adult life working for his father's publishing firm, George Bell & Sons. He was among the earliest English publishers influenced by the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. In 1926, he became chairman of the company's board of directors.

Animal activism Bell joined the RSPCA in 1873. From the 1890s, he gave increasing attention to vegetarian, humanitarian, and animal welfare causes. He worked in fundraising and administration for reform organisations.

He was honorary secretary of the Hampstead Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for thirty years and held offices in several national organisations. These included chairman of the Committee of the Anti-Vivisection Society, chairman of the National Anti-Vivisection Society, and roles with the Anti-Bearing Rein Association, the National Canine Defence League (now Dogs Trust), and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

In 1925, Bell co-founded the League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports with Henry B. Amos and George Greenwood, who served as its first president. In 1929, he received a joint award from 22 animal protection organisations for his work.

Bell edited the Animal Life Readers, a series of school books on animals, and founded and edited the journal The Animals' Friend.

He was chairman and treasurer of the Humanitarian League for more than twenty years and was associated with activists including Henry Stephens Salt and Jessey Wade. Wade worked as Bell's secretary until his death.

Vegetarianism Bell adopted a vegetarian diet in 1874 after reading T. L. Nichols' pamphlet How to Live on Sixpence a Day. In a 1925 interview, he stated that he had been a vegetarian for fifty years and attributed his continued good health to a meat-free diet. He also argued that wider adoption of vegetarianism would reduce chronic disease.

Bell joined the Vegetarian Society and was elected a vice-president in 1896. He served as president from 1914 until his death in 1933. He wrote the preface to E. W. Bowdich's vegetarian cookbook New Vegetarian Dishes in 1892, and was a regular speaker at Vegetarian Society meetings. He stated that meat eating was unethical, and argued that animals could not receive moral consideration or rights while they were treated as food.

Personal life and death On 10 April 1875, Bell married Wilhelmina E. Wölfel of Dresden at St Saviour's, South Hampstead. They had one daughter. Wilhelmina died in 1881. In 1893, Bell married Marie Anna von Taysen; they had no children.

Bell believed that animals have souls and survive death. In his pamphlet An Afterlife for Animals, he wrote about an alleged encounter with a ghost dog that had been investigated by the Society for Psychical Research.

Bell died in Hendon on 14 September 1933, aged 82. His funeral took place at St Mary's Churchyard, Hendon, two days later and was attended by his widow, other family members, and representatives from organisations including the Vegetarian Society, National Anti-Vivisection Society, National Canine Defence League, National Council for Animals' Welfare and the Cats Protection League. Obituaries and tributes appeared in Animal World and The Vegetarian Messenger and Health Review, and were also written by Henry B. Amos and Stephen Coleridge.

Ernest Bell Library A library to preserve Bell's writings, known as the Ernest Bell Library, was proposed by Henry S. Salt in 1934 and established by the executive of the Vegetarian Society in 1936. The library contains more than 1,500 books, journals, magazines and newspapers. It is currently cared for by The Humanitarian League, a Hong Kong-based organisation named after the original Humanitarian League.

Contributions to organisations

Bell donated much of his income to societies during his life. He also co-founded or worked for animal and vegetarian organisations: Animals' Friend Society (founder; council member) Anti-Bearing Rein Association (honorary secretary) Anti-Vivisection Society (chairman) Cats Protection League (now known as Cats Protection; treasurer) Humanitarian League (chairman and treasurer for over 20 years) League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports (now known as the League Against Cruel Sports; co-founder and honorary treasurer) London Vegetarian Society (chairman of committee) National Anti-Vivisection Society (chairman) National Canine Defence League (council member) National Equine Defence League (treasurer) National Society for the Abolition of Cruel Sports (co-founder) Performing and Captive Animals' Defence League (co-founder) Pit Ponies' Protection Society (treasurer) Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (council member) Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (honorary secretary of the Hampstead branch for 30 years) Universal Mercy Band Movement British Empire Division (treasurer) Vegetarian Society (vice-president 1896–1914; president 1914–1933)

Selected publications

Writing

, Bell donated all of the profits to the Vegetarian Home for Children

Editing

Notes

References

Ernest Bell (activist)

Bron en licentie