# Mabel Hope

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**Mabel Besant Hope** (born 1880) was an English socialist, anarchist and feminist activist, trade unionist and journalist. She wrote for the anarchist newspapers *[Freedom](/source/Freedom_(British_newspaper))* and *[Voice of Labour](/source/Voice_of_Labour)*.

## Biography

Hope was born in 1880 in [East Plumstead](/source/Plumstead), [Kent](/source/Kent).[1]

Hope became a socialist in 1897,[1] and in 1898 began working in the telegraph department of the [Post Office](/source/Post_Office). She joined the [Postal Telegraph Clerks' Association](/source/Postal_Telegraph_Clerks'_Association) in 1901, and also became active in the [Women's Trade Union League](/source/Women's_Trade_Union_League), moving to work for it full-time.[2]

Hope was a supporter of the [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) and a founder member of the [Women's Labour League](/source/Women's_Labour_League). From 1906 until 1908, she served on the executive of the league, and at the 1907 Labour Party conference, she spoke in support of [women's suffrage](/source/Women's_suffrage).[2] Also in 1907, at the conference of the National Union of Women Workers she spoke on the disparity of pay between male and female telegraphists.[3]

In 1912, Hope began writing articles for the anarchist monthly newspaper *[Freedom](/source/Freedom_(British_newspaper)).*[1][4][5] In 1913, Hope joined the newly formed Anarchist Educational League, which had been founded by Fred Dunn,[3] with her friend and fellow anarchist [Lilian Gertrude Woolf](/source/Lilian_Wolfe)*.*[4] Other members of the League included young activists Tom Sweetlove, Elizabeth Archer and W. Fanner.[3] Hope introduced the League members to the compositor and editor of *Freedom*, [Tom Keell](/source/Thomas_Keell),[6] who advised them on how to establish their weekly newspaper *[Voice of Labour](/source/Voice_of_Labour).*[4]

During [World War I](/source/World_War_I), the *Voice of Labour* took an anti-militarist position, with Dunn, Woolf and Keell all arrested in 1916. Hope took over editorship of the newspaper, but, after a police raid of the newspapers offices in July 1916,[7] she was forced to close it down in August 1916.[3] When Keel was challenged by [Peter Kropotkin](/source/Peter_Kropotkin) for his anti-war views and was called "unworthy" of his editorship of *Freedom*, he was supported by *Voice of Labour* journalists, including Hope.[8]

Hope became secretary of the London Council of Women Civil Servants in 1916, but in 1920 emigrated to the United States with Archer.[7][9]

## References

1. Becker, Heiner. ["Notes on Freedom and the Freedom Press 1886-1986"](https://libcom.org/article/notes-freedom-and-freedom-press-1886-1986-heiner-becker). *libcom.org*. Retrieved 2025-04-13.

1. Hunt, Karen (1996). *Equivocal feminists*. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 268–269. ISBN 0521554519.

1. Heath, Nick. ["Dunn, Fred 1884-1925"](https://libcom.org/article/dunn-fred-1884-1925). *libcom.org*. Retrieved 2025-04-13.

1. Rowbotham, Sheila (2018-04-21). ["Two rebel women"](https://www.brh.org.uk/site/articles/two-rebel-women/). *Bristol Radical History Group*. Retrieved 2025-04-13.

1. Ferretti, Federico (2018-08-15). [*Anarchy and Geography: Reclus and Kropotkin in the UK*](https://books.google.com/books?id=uwtpDwAAQBAJ&dq=Mabel+Besant+Hope&pg=PT92). Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-04172-0.

1. Walter, Nicolas (2007). [*The Anarchist Past*](https://books.google.com/books?id=UsMgAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Mabel+Hope%22+anarchy). Five Leaves. p. 232. ISBN 978-1-905512-16-4.

1. ["HOPE. Mabel, Besant"](https://militants-anarchistes.info/spip.php?article8343) (in French). *Dictionnaire des militants anarchistes*. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2023.

1. ["Book Extract: World War, and Freedom's nadir"](https://freedomnews.org.uk/2018/09/20/book-extract-world-war-and-freedoms-nadir/). *Freedom News*. 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2025-04-13.

1. Ray, Rob. ["London's anarchist HQ: 127 Ossulston St, 1894-1927"](https://libcom.org/article/londons-anarchist-hq-127-ossulston-st-1894-1927). *libcom.org*. Retrieved 2025-04-13.

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