# Alfred Marsh > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alfred_Marsh > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alfred_Marsh.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Marsh > Source revision: 1353235792 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Alfred Marsh** (3 November 1858 – 13 October 1914) was an [anarchist-communist](/source/Anarchist-communist) and long-time editor and stalwart of the newspaper [*Freedom*](/source/Freedom_(British_newspaper)). ## Early years Marsh was born in [Clerkenwell](/source/Clerkenwell), London. Having lost his mother at an early age, he was brought up by his father who was of a radical inclination. His father was a close friend of secularist and co-operative pioneer [George Holyoake](/source/George_Holyoake).[1] In 1894, he married Holyoake's daughter, Emilie Ashurst Holyoake.[2] His childhood meant he was heavily influenced by the radical ideas of [Robert Owen](/source/Robert_Owen), and his close associate Dr. Henry Travis.[citation needed] ## Political development In around 1883 he read [Bakunin](/source/Mikhail_Bakunin)’s [God and the State](/source/God_and_the_State) which left a lasting impression on him. He was thrown out of by his father on the account of having a relationship with a woman from his brush factory. From there on in, Marsh’s livelihood was garnered from earning working as a violinist in theatre orchestras and by giving music lessons.[3] He is said to have had a modest lifestyle and contributed regularly his meagre income to ensure the Freedom newspaper stayed afloat over the years.[citation needed] Like many a radical, he joined the [Social Democratic Federation](/source/Social_Democratic_Federation), but was disgusted at the abusive and opportunistic nature of [H. M Hyndman](/source/Henry_Hyndman) and his followers. After joining in 1886, he left not soon after.[citation needed] The [Haymarket Martyrs](/source/Haymarket_Martyrs) had been something of a turning point and he by this time began to identify as an anarchist-communist.[citation needed] ## Political activities He became close associates with [John Turner](/source/John_Turner_(anarchist)) and this cemented his relationship with the [Freedom](/source/Freedom_Press) group. He would contribute regularly for the paper, often anonymously; he would also regularly speak at talks. His first such talk at Farringdon Hall attacked the labour leader [John Burns](/source/John_Burns) and his view of [social democracy](/source/Social_democracy) as a stepping stone to communism.[4] Freedom had had problems functioning with [Charlotte Wilson](/source/Charlotte_Wilson) as editor, suffering as she was with personal difficulties in 1889 and again in 1895.[5] Marsh soon restarted it in May 1895 on the advice of [William Wess](/source/Woolf_Wess), and they were joined by ex-members of the defunct [Socialist League](/source/Socialist_League_(UK,_1885))'s publication, [Commonweal](/source/Commonweal_(UK)) – John Turner, [Tom Cantwell](/source/Thomas_Edward_Cantwell), and [Joseph Presburg](/source/Joseph_Presburg).[citation needed] As well as editing Freedom for the next twenty years he also edited the short-lived Voice of Labour which was a to workplace agitation paper published by Freedom Press. This time was particularly difficult, because Britain had undertaken a very [jingoistic](/source/Jingoistic) turn around the [Boer Wars](/source/Boer_Wars) and the climate was not entirely favourable to anarchist ideas. Using his father inheritance in 1909 he was able to bring out complete edition in English of *God and the State* as well as being able to reprint all the Freedom Press pamphlets.[citation needed] From 1910 onwards he is understood to have been of declining health and editorship of Freedom was handed over to [Tom Keell](/source/Tom_Keell). It is during this time he is expressed his dismay to find the founder of Freedom, [Peter Kropotkin](/source/Kropotkin), surrounded by rich [sycophants](/source/Sycophant) and with little time to see his old anarchist friends when he visited him in France.[4] In September 1914 he was told he had inoperable cancer, from which he died a month later in [Hastings](/source/Hastings).[citation needed] Posthumously, anarchists set up a meeting place in 1915 called Marsh House, on Mecklenburgh St, London, near [Russell Square](/source/Russell_Square) in his honour.[6] ## References 1. Keell, T. H.; Kropotkin, P.; Turner, John (November 1914). ["Death of Alfred Marsh"](https://freedomnews.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Freedom-1914_11.pdf). *[Freedom](/source/Freedom_(British_newspaper))*. p. 83. Retrieved 7 May 2022. 1. ["Emilie Holyoake-Marsh (1861-1953)"](https://heritage.humanists.uk/emilie-holyoake-marsh-1861-1953/). *Humanist Heritage*. Retrieved 2023-10-18. 1. Kelly, Harry (December 1914). ["Alfred Marsh"](https://files.libcom.org/files/Mother%20Earth%20v09.10.pdf). *[Mother Earth](/source/Mother_Earth_(magazine))*. pp. 325–327. Retrieved 7 May 2022. 1. Heath, Nick. ["Marsh, Alfred 1858-1914"](http://libcom.org/history/marsh-alfred-1858-1914). *Website*. Libcom.org. Retrieved 9 June 2013. 1. Rooum, Donald (ed.) (1986). *Freedom, a hundred years : October 1886 to October 1986.*. Centenary ed. London: Freedom Press. pp. 10–11. ISBN 0-900384-35-2. 1. Avrich, Paul (2005). *[Anarchist Voices](/source/Anarchist_Voices)*. Edinburgh: AK Press. p. 515. ISBN 1904859275. ## Further reading - Rooum, Donald (Summer 2008). ["*Freedom*, Freedom Press and Freedom Bookshop: A short history of Freedom Press"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110927074042/http://libr.org/isc/issues/ISC27/articles/5%20Freedom,%20Freedom%20Press%20and%20Freedom%20Bookshop.pdf). *[Information for Social Change](/source/Information_for_Social_Change)*. '***(27). [ISSN 1756-901X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1756-901X). Archived from [the original](http://libr.org/isc/issues/ISC27/articles/5%20Freedom,%20Freedom%20Press%20and%20Freedom%20Bookshop.pdf) on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2013-06-09.*** - Archive of [Alfred Marsh Papers](https://search.socialhistory.org/Record/ARCH00856) at the [International Institute of Social History](/source/International_Institute_of_Social_History) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alfred Marsh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Marsh) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Marsh?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.