James Leatham

James Leatham MBE JP (1865–1945) was a 19th/20th century British socialist author and social reformer who devised a system of selective nationalisation. He is seen as a socialist pioneer.[1]

James Leatham

M.B.E.
Born(1865-12-19)December 19, 1865
Aberdeen
Died(1945-12-14)14 December 1945 (aged 79)
NationalityBritish
OccupationSocialst, Author, Social Reformer, Journalist
Years active1897-1945
Known forConcept of Co-operative Commonwealth

In 1890 he began publishing "The Workers Herald": Scotland's first socialist newspaper.[2]

His book "The Most Important Thing in the World" (through accident rather than design), lays out the pattern of British social control which evolved in the later 20th century (but then evolved away from his principles): with local bodies running local services; but railways, national roads, mines etc. run on a nationalised basis. He called this system a Co-operative commonwealth.[3]

He died shortly prior to the implementation of his ideas

Life
The grave of James Leatham, St Machar's Cathedral

He was born at 32 Forbes Street in Aberdeen on 19 December 1865. He never knew his father, a Yorkshireman serving with the East India Company as a soldier, who died of cholera in India before James was born. As his "father" left for India over 9 months before his birth his birth certificate records him as "illegitimate". James and his four older siblings were raised by his mother, Margaret Catanach, in the home of her father, a weaver and Chartist.[2] In 1879 they moved to 12 Short Loanings in Aberdeen. He was apprenticed as a printer around 1880. He worked as a compositor in the north of England and in Peterhead.[4]

In 1897 he founded and was editor of the "Peterhead Sentinel", a local newspaper. Later in Yorkshire he founded the "Cottingham Press", which published "The Gateway" from 1912 until 1945, a monthly magazine aimed at Scots at home and abroad. Regular contributors to "The Gateway" included Ramsay MacDonald, May Morris and Lord Boothby.[5]

From 1911 to 1913 he lived at 68 Schoolhill in Aberdeen, where a plaque is now erected in his memory.[6]

Yellow plaque marking residence on Schoolhill of James Leatham, Social reformer

He spent his final years in Turriff running the Deveron Press. He joined Turriff Town Council in 1923 and served as Provost of Turriff from 1933 until death.[5]

He died on 14 December 1945 a few days before his 80th birthday. He is buried in the churchyard of St Machar's Cathedral in Old Aberdeen.[2]

Publications

Over and above his own printing he was a regular contributor to the Aberdeen Press & Journal. He was author of numerous books:

  • Petri Promontorium: Peterhead and the Howes o' Buchan (1901)
  • Daavit: the True Story of a Personage (biography of David Scott)
  • The Style of Louis Stevenson

Family

He was married to Isobel Duncan (d.1947). His daughter May Morris Leatham married Commander Stephen Hudson Smiles RNR.[7]

References
  1. Duncan, Robert, 1948-. James Leatham (1865-1945) : profile of a socialist pioneer. Turriff. ISBN 978-1-910601-26-6. OCLC 969565471.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "James Leatham (1865-1945) - Find A Grave Memorial".
  3. "Entire Collection - The Voice of Radicalism - University of Aberdeen". www.abdn.ac.uk.
  4. "James Leatham, author and publisher (1865 – 1945)". September 7, 2014.
  5. https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/d6bb06ec-9745-3067-83da-f60085d5f68c
  6. https://online.aberdeencity.gov.uk/Services/CommemorativePlaque/PlaqueDetail.aspx?Id=89
  7. Grave of James Leatham, St Machar's Cathedral, Old aberdeen
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