This book redefines the origins of the nineteenth-century women's rights campaigns in Britain. Contrary to the existing historiography, which argues that the Victorian feminist movement began in the 1850s, this book, by bringing to light a wealth of unused sources, demonstrates that a vibrant feminist community existed during the 1830s and 1840s.

Previously neglected, this remarkable group established both the ideologies and personnel networks which were to characterise the women's rights campaigns of the coming decades. Indeed, their thought and work remains a vital part of our women's rights heritage.