Guy Aldred

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Guy Aldred (November 5, 1886-October 17, 1963) was an English anarchist communist and a prominent member of the Anti-Parliamentary Communist Federation (APCF). He founded The Bakunin Press publishing house and edited five Glasgow-based anarchist periodicals: The Herald of Revolt, The Spur, The Commune, The Council, and The Word.

Aldred was born in Clerkenwell, London. His father was a 22-year-old Naval Lieutenant and his mother was a 19-year-old parasol maker, named Ada Caroline Holdsworth. Although Ada was socially unacceptable to the young Lieutenant, he married Ada shortly before Guy's birth. He left her at the church to return to his mother after the wedding. Guy Fawkes night, November 5, gave Guy his first name. Guy was brought up in the home of Ada’s father, Charles Holdsworth, a Victorian Radical.

At the age of 15 (in 1902) he gained a reputation as a “Boy Preacher”, printing and handing out his own leaflets which were often received with ridicule and disdain. He found employment as an office boy with the National Press Agency in Whitefriars House, where was promoted to Sub-Editor. Working with an evangelist called McMasters, he co-founded the “Christian Social Mission”, opening shortly after Guy's 16th birthday with Guy as the Holloway Boy Preacher. His non-conformist approach aroused concern following his first sermon.

After contacting Charles Voysey, Guy was eventually granted an audience on the December 20 1902. The 74-year-old well-to-do Voysey was surprised to be confronted with a coarse-dressed 16-year-old working class boy. After careful preliminaries on the part of Voysey, the meeting lasted three hours. Their friendship was to continue until the old man’s death in 1912.

In January 1903 the Reverend George Martin, an Anglican priest, visited Guy with one of his leaflets asking to meet the “Holloway Boy Preacher”. Martin worked in London’s worst slums and Guy joined him in his work with London’s poorest. His friendship with Martin lasted six years and influenced Guy strongly. He soon gave his last sermon from the pulpit and left the “Christian Social Mission”.

[edit] Agnosticism

Guy became a speaker at the Institute of Theism but soon felt it was time to set up his own organisation. In 1904 he founded the Theistic Mission, which met every Sunday. With a considerable, though sometimes boisterous crowd, Guy was gaining a reputation as a forceful young orator. He was also shifting towards atheism. By August the meeting banner was changed to read The Clerkenwell Freethought Mission. Meetings often generated extreme hostility. On one occasion the crowd charged the platform, knocking Guy to the ground and beating him. Police intervention put an end to the meeting. Around this time he became interested in The Agnostic Journal and became friendly with its Editor “Saladin”, William Stewart Ross, a Scotsman. It was at the Journal’s office that he met another Scotsman, John Morrison Davidson, and Guy became more interested in Scottish affairs.

[edit] Socialism and anarchism

Aldred joined the Social Democratic Federation, but left in 1906. He was later a founder of the Glasgow Anarchist Group, and initiated the Communist Propaganda Groups in support of the October Revolution. They became a component of the Communist League in 1919. Following its collapse, he founded the Anti-Parliamentary Communist Federation in 1921, and gradually moved towards opposing the Soviet Union. His links with left communists across Europe brought him close to council communism. In 1932, he split with the APCF and later founded the Workers Open Forum eventually became the United Socialist Movement. During World War II, they worked with people from across the political spectrum to oppose military action, in a form of Popular Front, and came to advocate World Government. After Stalin's death, he also became increasingly supportive of the Soviet Union.