Gerald Massey: Chartist, Poet, Radical and Freethinker

Gerald Massey was born in 1828 at Tring, Hertfordshire. In spite of childhood poverty, he had an enquiring idealistic mind. Self studying while working in London as an errand boy, he became aligned to the politics and socially democratic politics of the Chartist movement. Writing poetry and literary items for radical papers he developed into lecturing and touring the country. His interest and research into Shakespeare's Sonnets and psychic themes continued into the origins of myths and religions resulting in a number of books on the subjects. Much interest was engendered in America during lecture tours of the country. Some of the evolutionistic ideas that he developed during his research such as the 'Out of Africa' theory are, more recently being confirmed. Most of his books have now been reprinted. He died in 1907.