Joseph Cowen
388 views · Published 23 October 2010 · 1:23 · Indexed 23 September 2026
Channel: Alan Heath · 2010 · Education
SEE MY HISTORY SITE ON FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-Heaths-History-Page/173472422695696 This is Fenkle Street in Newcastle and the bronze statue is of Joseph Cowen (1829 -- 18 February 1900). In 1874, he was elected Member of Parliament, succeeding his father, who had held the Newcastle seat as a Liberal since 1865. Joseph Cowen was at that time a strong Radical on domestic questions. He was also a sympathizer with Irish Nationalism, and one who in speech, dress and manner identified himself with the North East mining class. Short in stature and uncouth in appearance, his individuality first shocked and then by its earnestness impressed the House of Commons; and his sturdy independence of party ties, combined with a gift of rough but genuine eloquence rapidly made him one of the best-known public men in the country. Despite this, he was an Imperialist at a time when Liberalism was uninterested in such matters. He vigorously supported Disraeli's foreign policy, and in 1881 opposed the Gladstonian settlement with the Boers. His independence brought him into collision both with the Liberal caucus and with the party organisation in Newcastle, but Cowen's personal popularity and his remarkable powers as an orator triumphed in his own birthplace, and he was again elected in 1885 in spite of Liberal opposition. Shortly afterwards, however, the 'Blaydon Brick' retired both from parliament and from public life, professing his disgust at the party intrigues of politics, and devoted himself to conducting his newspaper, the Newcastle Daily Chronicle, and to his private business. In this capacity he exercised a wide influence on local opinion, and the revolt of the Newcastle electorate in later years against doctrinaire Radicalism was largely due to his constant preaching of a broader outlook on national affairs. He served as President of the first day of the 1873 Co-operative Congress. Behind the scenes he continued to play a powerful part in forming North-country opinion until his death on 18 February 1900.
