The Allies of Josephine Butler

Abstract

Josephine Butler conducted two great campaigns in Britain to obtain action by Parliament. The first was against the Contagious Diseases Acts. The second was to raise the age of consent and stop the export of children to brothels abroad. They were important not only for what they achieved in themselves but because for the first time they brought women out in numbers to speak on public platforms, to lobby and to demonstrate. As a Member of Parliament told Josephine Butler, ‘we know how to manage any other opposition in the House of Commons, but this is very awkward for us, the revolt of the women’.1 Among religious leaders it was mainly the Quakers and Salvation Army who collaborated with Josephine Butler; for her causes were not at first regarded as respectable in the Establishment and the Church of England. Her most constant and valuable ally was her husband, George Butler, who had an impeccable position as Principal of an important college and as a priest, later a canon, in the Church of England. Liberal, generous and believing naturally in the equality of women, he supported his wife with complete sympathy, despite possible harm to his career. Josephine Butler needed friends in Parliament who would press for the necessary legislation irrespective of which party was in power or the damage done to their prospects of office by their obstinate championship of unpopular causes.

His right honourable friend (Stansfeld) had sacrificed time, peace, money and every other ambition in order to deal with this question. He did not know of any other instance of a man who had so completely severed himself from every object of ambition in order to devote himself to the one question in which he felt a deep interest.

Samuel Whitbread in the House of Commons (20 April 1883)