Austin Holyoake

Austin Holyoake (27 October 1826 – 10 April 1874) was a printer, publisher, and freethinker. The younger brother and partner of the more widely known George Jacob Holyoake, Austin Holyoake was himself a significant figure in nineteenth century secularism.

Life

Austin Holyoake was born in Birmingham on 27 October 1826 to George Holyoake (a printer) and his wife Catherine Groves (a horn-button maker). Taking an early interest in the ideas of Robert Owen and the Owenite movement, Holyoake worked for various radical papers as a printer in Birmingham and London, before taking charge of printing The Reasoner (his brother George Jacob's periodical) in 1847. The two brothers entered into a partnership, acquiring their own premises at 147 Fleet Street in 1853.

At these premises, known as Fleet Street House, The Reasoner was produced and Austin Holyoake acted as secretary. Edward Royle describes howThe work of the Fleet Street House was divided into three business departments. In 1856 these were Publishing, under Frederick Farrah; the News Agency, under Thomas Wilks; and Printing, under John Watts. [George Jacob] Holyoake was the Director, and his brother Austin, secretary and general assistant...The printing and publishing business was taken over by Austin in 1859, lapsed in 1862 when the Fleet Street House was sold, but was revived as 'Austin & Co.' at 17 Johnson's Court in 1864. This business then passed successively to Charles Watts, Charles Albert Watts and the Rationalist Press Association.Austin Holyoake was a member of multiple radical and reformist groups, including the Reform League, and the author of many tracts and pamphlets. A member of the Association for the Repeal of Taxes on Knowledge, he was the last printer in England prosecuted under the Newspaper Stamp Act. Holyoake was sub-editor of Charles Bradlaugh's National Reformer from 1866 to his death, also co-editing with Bradlaugh the Secular Almanac. The two were 'intimate friends and co-workers.' Holyoake was a vice-president, and the first treasurer, of the National Secular Society, founded by Bradlaugh in 1866.