This book is both a local study and a broader look at the nature of nineteenth-century radicalism and its relationship with Liberalism. It addresses the role of the political activists who mediate between the people as a whole and high politics.
Accounts of radical nonconformity have dominated previous studies, but this may well reflect their position of relative financial privilege and obscure the importance of other radical traditions. The present study is of democratic radicalism, which is highly significant within the context of Northampton.
An appendix summarises the varied biographies of 15 particular individuals and the bibliography provides signposts for readers who wish to explore specific aspects of the subject and its background more deeply.