Page 21 - The Tale of Two Fountains

THE TALE OF TWO FOUNTAINS
India” as he supported nationalism in India. It is noted that Mahatma Gandhi, aged 21 at the time, attended his funeral at Brookwood Cemetery in Woking, Surrey.
Charles Bradlaugh was approached by the Leaders of the Indian National Congress to use his position as an MP to promote the interests of the people of India in the British Parliament. A public meeting took place at Northampton’s Guildhall on the 21st August 1888, to gain the support of his constituents. Invited speakers included Dadabhai Naoroji, one of the Founder Members of the Indian National Congress, also was known as the “The Grand Old Man of India”. He is very well-known in Mumbai and was the first Asian to be a British Member of Parliament in 1892 and was elected as a Liberal Party Member. Charles Bradlaugh’s statue, erected in 1894, stands proudly today in Abington Square in Northampton.
The connections between Northampton and India are of significance. Another well-known Social Reformer from Northampton was Caroline Chisholm (1808–1877) who set up the world’s first ever crèche in Madras (now Chenai) in India3. She was a well-known humanitarian, philanthropist and progressive thinker. Her husband, Captain Archibald Chisholm, was posted to Madras in early 1832 and while she accompanied him on his posting she saw the opportunity for her philanthropic quest. With the help of the Governor of Madras, she started a school for poor women. In 1838, she left with
Charles Bradlaugh
Caroline Chisholm’s grave
11