Thomas Spence: The Lit and Phil

Thomas Spence, one of the leading English revolutionaries of the late eighteenth century, was born in 1750 on Newcastles Quayside. Spences Plan advocated for the end of landlords, universal suffrage, rights of infants, income for those unable to work, and public ownership of land by self-governing democratic parishes. He published a new phonetic dictionary to improve education of the poor. In 1775 Spence joined the Newcastle Philosophical Society, but was expelled after publishing a speech on communalisation of landed property. This installation places him back in a Literary and Philosophical Society and focuses on the monetary tokens he distributed as political propaganda. These satirical designs were dominated by political subjects such as William Pitt, alongside imagery of animals with slogans one design shows a cat boasting my freedom I enjoy amongst slaves. A series of countermarks onto circulating coins declare powerful and witty manifestos from No War to No Landlords, You Fools. On Sat 27 February, 10am11am, Alastair Bonnett co-editor of the recent publication Thomas Spence: The Poor Mans Revolutionary gives a public talk at The Lit & Phil about the exhibition. On Monday 29 of Feb the exhibition will be open 10.30am 7pm rather than 9.30am 7pm.