James Pierrepont Greaves
James Pierrepont Greaves (born February 1, 1777 in Merton , Surrey , † March 11, 1842 in Alcott House , Ham, Surrey (today: Richmond , Greater London )) was an English mystic , educational reformer, socialist and progressive thinker. He founded the Alcott House, a utopian community and open school in Surrey. He described himself as a "holy socialist". He was also an advocate of vegetarianism and other health practices.
Life
Born the son of a cloth merchant, he too spent his young life as a merchant in London . A source mentions that the company he was involved with went bankrupt in 1806; Another testimony claims, "After he got rich by trading, he lost his fortune by careless speculation." After that he may have rebuilt his business.
In 1817 he experienced “some strong inner afflictions” which led him to believe in “the divine in man” and to believe that he had a spiritual mission to share the love of God with other people. In 1818 he joined Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi in Yverdon, where he taught English. There he also met the socialist Robert Owen.
After England returned, he founded the "London Infant School Society". In 1832 he settled in Randwick , Gloucestershire , and devoted himself to farming with his sister in that village . The own title "holy socialist" comes from these years. Back in London he rallied many friends and founded a philosophical society in 1836. His experiences led him to believe that "education alone could never repair the defects of birth". That is why it is necessary “that man and woman develop a holy existence before marriage”. From 1837 Greaves corresponded regularly with Amos Bronson Alcott , of whose experimental temple school in Boston he was very impressed.
His progressive school existed from 1838 to 1848, which he had brought into being as part of the “Alcott House” community. By then, Greaves had long since become a vegetarian, advocating water therapy, recommending drinking water, and leading a celibate life. He died at the age of 65 without having published all of his writings himself.
literature
Biography :
- Charles Lane. James Pierrepont Greaves ; 1842
- JEM Latham. Search for a new Eden: James Pierrepont Greaves (1777-1842) ; 1999
Secondary literature :
- Pestalozzi, JH Letters on early education. Addressed to JP Greaves, esq. ; London; 1827
- FB Sanborn. Bronson Alcott at Alcott house, England, and Fruitlands, New England (1842-1844) ; 1908
- RCS Trahair. Utopias and Utopians: an historical dictionary ; 1999; Pages 161-162
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Greaves, James Pierrepont |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English mystic, educational reformer, socialist and progressive thinker |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 1, 1777 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Merton , Surrey |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 11, 1842 |
| Place of death | Alcott House , Ham, Surrey (now: Richmond , Greater London ) |