The article, the images & the quotes are all from books & magazines in The Ernest Bell Library.

If anyone would like to help by either ‘Adopting’ or ‘Sponsoring’ items in the library, please be in touch.

Photo – Ernest Bell – freeing a lark from a London market – perhaps in 1902

Ernest Bell – writing in the magazine – The Animals’ Friend – August 1921

~ What we want is a lot of societies – the more the better we are inclined to say. We want one in every town and village, and one against every form of cruelty. We want one as far as possible, in every individual, giving utterance to his own views as far as he can yet see. Mr J. K. Jerome once said: ” Five thousand people in one society might do something, but five thousand societies of one member each would be a holy trouble.” And that, we think, is the ideal to work towards. We do not want people to hand over their consciences to a society, and think they have done their duty when they have sent half a crown a year to support it. ~

Note – ‘half a crown’ = £0.125

&

~What the cause needs is not fewer and larger societies, but more and more smaller ones which will, if you like, exercise a friendly rivalry among themselves. That is always good from the cricket field upwards, but they must always try to “play the game” and to pull together in all friendliness, as they have lately done on several occasions, where union will always mean strength. ~

Note – Jerome K. Jerome & Ernest Bell were friends & were also both members of The Equine Defence League. The founder of this League was Francis A. Cox who was also active in the original Humanitarian League. Jack London & the young Keir Hardie were also supporters of the The Equine Defence League.

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2014 – 1921 = 93 years have passed since Ernest Bell & Jerome K. Jerome were writing.

Now there must now be many more than 5,000 vegan inspired animal protection societies around the world!

Plus there are tens of thousands of highly inspired animal activists.

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Reminiscences of Ernest Bell

by Henry S. Salt

As we are hearing a good deal just now about Mr. Ernest Bell, it has occurred to me that a few personal notes, from an old friend and fellow-worker, might have interest for readers. It will be understood that they have been jotted down quite casually, just as they occur, and with no pretence of precision.

My memory is bad, and I cannot recall the date or the occasion of our first meeting; but it must have been a good way back, for I find him mentioned as present at a committee meeting of the Humanitarian League in 1892, and for more than twenty years he acted as chairman and treasurer of that society. I think I may say there was a somewhat special link between E.B. and myself. Our age was almost exactly the same; our temperaments seemed to harmonise, not least in the matter of taking failure as a matter of course; certainly in all those years there was never a word of disagreement, which is not invariably the case in humanitarian societies.

At the weekly tea, which the League used to hold at a vegetarian restaurant, Bell was nearly always present, and his odd mixture of seriousness and humour—a very “dry” humour—was much enjoyed by those with whom he talked. Mr. Gandhi was sometimes one of the company; but whether he there made E.B.’s acquaintance I cannot remember. There were times, too, when Mr. Bell would look in at the office of the Humanitarian League, and walk with me, after office hours, down to Holbein House, where I had a flat; and it comes back to mind how once, as we were plodding along, Mr. Bernard Shaw passed us on his bicycle, and airily waved us a greeting. I guessed we should find him at the flat; for he used to be fond in those days of coming to play duets with my wife; and there, when we arrived, he was seated. He and Bell got on first rate; but I heard afterwards that Shaw’s earliest word to Mrs. Salt had been: “You and I must hold together; for that gloomy bigot, Bell, is on his way down here with H.S.S.” This of course was Shaw’s usual humbug; for there was never any one more free from bigotry than Bell.

But, that there were some odd, delightfully odd, points about him,  who that knew him will deny? He left a considerable sum of money; but it had to be admitted that his manner of dress did not give the impression of affluence. His friend Bertram Lloyd has told Mrs. Salt that E.B.’s clothes were “no worse” than mine; a calumny which I will not trouble to refute, as Lloyd himself has a story of how a kindly working-man, meeting Bell on the road, took out a copper, and with a cry of, “Here you are, Dad,” gave it to the astonished publisher.

His memory, too, was apt to serve him tricks, occasionally a little awkward ones for an unsuccessful writer like myself. For instance, when the Humanitarian League was coming to an end, it was arranged that, in lieu of a testimonial (which I disliked), a sum which they had in hand should be spent in printing a new edition of my “Animals’ Rights,” which Bell would publish, and hold for me. The prospect, you see, was a very pleasant one; I should, for once, be able to play the part of a generous author, and make free with a half-crown book. But when, after some considerable time had passed, the subject was mentioned, E.B. started, looked rather troubled, and explained that he had quite forgotten that the books did not belong to himself; in brief, he had already given them away. What could I do but beg him “not to mention it”? E.B. and I had a hearty laugh over this story. The scope of Bell’s work was wide; and it is to be regretted that when a memorial was proposed, no serious attempt was made to consult the general body of humanitarians, who might have suggested something worthy.

Published: Cruel Sports, June, 1934 – on our Henry Salt Archive page – here

Photo – Ernest Bell & two dog friends – circa 1933 –  in his garden in Hendon, United Kingdom

Learn more about :-

Jerome K. Jerome – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_K._Jerome

M. K. Gandhi – http://www.henrysalt.co.uk/studies/essays/henry-salt-and-gandhi

The Humanitarian League – http://www.henrysalt.co.uk/humanitarian-league/

George Bernard Shaw – http://www.henrysalt.co.uk/friends/george-bernard-shaw/

Mrs Kate Salt / Catherine Leigh Joynes – http://www.henrysalt.co.uk/life/family/joynes

Bertram Lloyd – http://www.henrysalt.co.uk/friends/bertram-lloyd/

Animals’ Rights – the 1922 edition – notes – https://www.happycow.net/blog/animals_rights_salt_1892/ – read the 1922 book online – here

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The Ernest Bell Library  the memorial to Ernest Bell started slowly – it is still strong & very active eighty years later –  its primary objectives are to: –

• Collect all of Ernest Bell’s book & non-book works and make them easily accessible to everyone.

• Collect the literature of vegetarianism and all the other humanitarian movements in which Ernest Bell was so deeply involved.

• Assist students and scholars in their research.

• Introduce all aspects of Ernest Bell’s life, including his writings, campaign work, influences and his circle of friends.

• Undertake our own research into missing aspects of Ernest Bell’s life and work.

We already have more than 300 pieces of Ernest Bell’s own writings.

We are also actively building a collection of examples of promotional material, campaign material, fundraising & marketing activities etc. – related to: –

1. veg(etari)an products.

2. veg(etari)an books & other publications.

3. veg(etari)an organisations.

4. veg(etari)an businesses.

5. animal rights organisations.

6. animal rights publications.

7. humanitarian organisations.

8. humanitarian publications.

9. rambling clubs run by members of the above groups & related publications.

10. the work of Richard St. Barbe Baker & the ‘Men of the Trees’ organization & its many sub-branches.

There are currently more than 2,000 items in the Ernest Bell Library.

We will complete the cataloging of the collection as & when adequate funds are available.

It is long past time for the library to go online!

 “I have little doubt that the proposal for the establishment of an Ernest Bell Library, which would specialize in humanitarian and progressive literature, and so form a sort of centre for students, will meet with a wide response.” 

Henry S. Salt – writing in September 1934

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If anyone would like more information, please send an email to: – 

humanitarianleague (at) outlook (dot) com 

– or message me  through HappyCow – 

https://www.happycow.net/blog/author/JohnnySensible/

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