Laurie Hislam

Laurence Hislam peace activist, was born in 1909, the second of four children in a working class family in Camberwell, South East London. His father worked in transport, including driving horse-drawn and then steam powered buses. Until he was 28 Laurie lived a carefree existence. He was a conventional white-collar worker and his Denmark Hill tennis club, cricket team and its social activities occupied his free time. Then in 1938 he was confronted with peace posters outside Whitfield's Tabernacle in Rye Lane, Peckham, which changed his entire way of life. "War means total destruction." "War solves nothing." “It is the responsibility of each individual to see that it never happens again." This was the gist of those posters and from that moment Laurie became aware of himself as an individual with a responsibility to society as a whole. As he had suddenly been faced with this truth, so he sought to enlighten others. In 1939 when war was imminent, his "shock-awareness" approach resulted in rubber balls bearing peace slogans being bounced in Downing Street causing a stampede and resulting in the first of his many prison sentences, a month's hard labour. (add Photo of arrest) He was invited by the BBC to appear on television to explain why he had done what he did. The incident and its reporting were reprised in The Sunday Times colour supplement on 27 August 1989 in a section on “Fifty Years ago today”.

World War 2

Laurie registered as a conscientious objector and was called to attend a tribunal. His first intention was to ignore the whole thing and refuse to appear, but on second thoughts he decided that it might be a good opportunity to make a speech and put over some useful anti-war propaganda. He had already had considerable experience by his many appearances at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park - another cause of more than one arrest by the police. Although lip service was given to 'freedom of speech', the police got around this by arresting a speaker under the Public Order Act. His appearance before the tribunal, comprised mainly of retired admirals and brigadier-generals, was quite a dramatic affair. He was vociferous in setting out his pacifist beliefs and, as Laurie fully anticipated, his registration as a C.O. was refused and he became liable for full military service. Laurie evaded the authorities successfully for quite a while continuing with even greater intensity his anti-war activities and, when things got too hot, he went underground with an assumed name . He wrote and distributed anarchist leaflets, including 'Enemies of the People' published December 1941 in War Commentary by Freedom Press.(no record has been found of his thoughts on Hitler and the Holocaust) By the end of WW2 Laurie had met Frederick Lohr, an anarchist of the 'London Forum' who spoke regularly at Speakers Corner and published “Anarchism, a Philosophy of Freedom” He also met his future wife, Winifred, through Frederick and they lived with him and other anarchists in Westbourne Terrace London Frederick, Winifred and Laurie all converted to Catholicism under the guidance of Jesuit priests of the Farm Street church () Frederick and Laurie were both members of the Peace Pledge Union (PPU). By 1951 Laurie and Winifred had three daughters and moved to Gloucestershire.

'Country Life'

Laurie lived near Stroud, Gloucestershire, where he worked as a clerk and later a postman. Winifred was a trained teacher and became the main breadwinner. In 1957 they bought a plot of land and Laurie single handedly (with help from his wife at weekends and school holidays) built a 3-bedroomed wooden bungalow for their growing family. His Catholicism was as important to him as his peace activism and the site of the building plot was chosen for its position in a village with a Catholic church, St Mary of the Angels Church, Brownshill. This was the church built for a lay community of Dominican nuns, whom Laurie did some work for as a gardener. In the cellar of the bungalow he set up a pottery, building his own potter's wheel and kiln. He sold his pots on markets in the West Country. Laurie was a friend of the peace activist John Papworth who also had a house in Gloucestershire at this time. Through his work for the Movement for Colonial Freedom, Papworth became a friend, later personal assistant, of Kenneth Kaunda and he took Kaunda to meet Laurie in Brownshill. By the time of Laurie's death in 1966 he and Winifred had six daughters aged from 2 to 19.

CND and Committee of 100

Laurie was a member of the Direct Action Committee that preceded the formation of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. He was arrested and jailed for taking part in the DAC non-violent protest against all nuclear armaments at Harrington rocket base (Northants) January 2nd 1960. A report in the PAX Bulletin refers to a photo on front page of The Observer, that included Laurie at the protest. He took part in the first CND march to Aldermaston in 1957 and all subsequent Aldermaston Marches with CND until his death in 1966. He was a founder member of the Committee of 100 (United Kingdom) and retained a lifelong commitment to non-violent civil disobedience, often at a local level (by which time he was living with his family in Gloucestershire - see below). He was a long time associate of Pat Arrowsmith and family papers include correspondence with Hugh Brock and Bertrand Russell. Russell expressed support for Laurie in all his local pacifist activities and his action in writing to J F Kennedy, H McMillan and N Kruschev in 1962 to protest at their recent nuclear tests . He received a reply from Harold McMillan . In March 1961 Ralph Schoenman visited Laurie in Gloucestershire and the two planned the breakaway 'Grosvenor Square' demonstration while walking with the family in the wild daffodil fields of Dymock. This was a breakaway from the main CND march from Aldermaston to Trafalgar Square. Hislam and Schoenman led a group of protesters who sat down in front of the American Embassy. Both were arrested and and later fined 40 shillings with 10 guineas costs at Marlborough Street Magistrates Court. In September 1961 Laurie was arrested and jailed for his part in a mass sit-down organised by the Committee of 100 in Trafalgar Square In 1963 Laurie travelled to Berlin with four other Gloucestershire peace campaigners. They distributed leaflets near 'Checkpoint Charlie' and Laurie crossed briefly to East Berlin before being expelled.

Local Activism in Stroud

Laurie was an active member of Stroud CND and initiated many small activisms of his own. He courted publicity in the local press (report extracts below) in order to get his message across to the people of Stroud. He lost no opportunity to have discussions with all and sundry about his beliefs and became known affectionately as Stroud's “Ban the bomb man”.

Demand for C.D. cash fraudulent, he says

“A prominent member of the Stroud branch of CND protested today to Stroud magistrates against a rate demand for Civil Defence purposes. Laurence A Hislam was summoned for failing to pay 2s 3d. He said “I believe that the council are levying this money fraudulently in so far as they are taking money for a service which it is physically impossible for them to carry out – namely, for protection of the inhabitants of Stroud in time of nuclear war”” Evening Post 23rd September 1960

Protest at sale of goods to pay rates

“When a wheel barrow and a lawn mower, which Stroud RDC had seized, were put up for auction, the owner Mr Laurence Hislam, was there to protest and hand out leaflets. The articles were impounded because Mr Hislam, a member of CND had refused to pay the Civil Defence portion of his rates. He claimed the council were taking money for a service they could not provide.” Gloucester Citizen 3rd June 1961

Stroud nuclear disarmer jailed again

“Laurence Hislam of Brownshill, Stroud, the nuclear disarmer and member of the Committee of 100 was jailed for 14 days by Stroud Magistrates for failing to pay £6 4s. 3d. of his rates. In defence he said he had refused to pay the portion of his rates allocated to civil defence. He had instead paid the money to the charity 'War on Want'. He declared ..... It is tragic that ordinary decent people are passively accepting this drift towards mass annihilation........ this is my small effort to make it clear that it is a heinous and devilish thing.” Gloucester Citizen 5th January 1962 While in prison on this occasion Laurie produced a leaflet “Why I am in Jail” for local distribution.

Stroud protester answered

Mr Harold Macmillan, the Prime Minister has replied to a protest made by Mr Laurence Hislam of Stroud against American nuclear tests. Mr Hislam, the Stroud CND member, who recently fasted for 99 hours, had sent the protest, with a petition signed by 1,000 people of Stroud, both to the Prime Minister and President Kennedy against the tests.The reply quotes an extract from The Times "In particular the President and the Prime Minister ..... reaffirmed their regret that the Soviet Government had not been willing to join in an effective treaty which would end testing..." Mr Hislam commented "In my view, the responsibility for our policy - based as it is on a threat to annihilate mankind - cannot be passed on the the Russians." Gloucester Citizen 9th May 1962

Local demonstrators expelled by E.Berlin Police

Five “ban the bomb” demonstrators were yesterday expelled by Communist secret police after they had distributed leaflets in East Berlin. At her Brownshill, Stroud home Mrs Laurence Hislam, wife of one of the demonstrators told reporters that she had not heard of her husband's success in penetrating East Berlin “but they were expecting to get over the border and I thought they would creep in somehow” Gloucester Citizen 15th April 1963

Ban-bomb man goes bald as Hiroshima protest

Nuclear disarmament campaigner Laurence Hislam (54) had his head shaved bald today - th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. He said "I have done this as an unavoidable reminder to other people that they implicitly or explicitly accept the possibility of the use of the hydrogen bomb" He is keeping his beard and moustache "If I had them off too there would be the danger of my friends not recognising me in the street" His wife and five children he said had "come to accept pretty well anything I do". After the shearing Mr Hislam went to Stroud Roman Catholic Church for meditation before walking the 5 miles home to Brownshill.Stroud News and Journal 6th August 1963

Mr. Hislam has the Yul Brynner

To mark the guilt of Hiroshima Mr Hislam a ban-the-bomb campaigner had his head shaved to remind people of the horrors of the bomb. Yesterday, he and members of Stroud CND staged a fast to mark the anniversary.”Gloucester Citizen 7th August 1964

Walk to Rome

In the Autumn of 1962, at the age of 55, through a synthesis of his anti-nuclear activism and his Catholicism Laurie made plans for a pilgrimage to Rome. He began the 1,200 mile walk from his home in Gloucestershire and was joined in London by a younger companion, Neil Snelders. They had very little money, although some support from PAX, relying on the charity of the church (not always forthcoming) for accommodation along the route. Laurie wore a placard (re-made in French and then Italian along the way) setting out their purpose and there were many instances of interest and generosity from members of the public as well as occasional hostility. Laurie kept a diary, completed each evening. The first entry states his purpose:

“Pilgrimage from Stroud to Rome,via London with the intention of seeking a Private Audience with Pope John XXlll asking him whether he does not think the time has come when the scandal of Catholics and other Christians (not to mention others not adhering to Christianity) preparing for nuclear war, and supporting policies based upon the readiness to prosecute such a war, should be condemned, and all individual Christians be instructed that by so doing they are acting contrary to the teaching of Christ.”

He left home 1st October and reached Rome on 1st December. There followed much frustration with Vatican bureaucrats as the Pope was not in good health. He remained in Rome until 23rd December and despite many meetings with Archbishop Roberts and others he was not able to arrange a Private Audience. He put what he wanted to say in a letter, accompanied by a petition from PAX, and was assured that this had been “sent to the Pope”. He hoped for a reply, which did not happen and he was not fully convinced that his letter had actually reached Pope John. A note in his diary towards the end of his time in Rome encapsulates his feelings of frustration and his own very personal commitment: “It is impossible it seems to convey to anyone the fact that one is really serious in one's intentions. It is difficult for anyone to grasp the idea that one might actually sacrifice something to achieve a step towards peace.”

External Links

• A Nest of Anarchists
• Farm Street Church
• St Mary of the Angels Church, Brownshill