‘Teetotal and Proud’: Preston and the Band of Hope Movement, 1847-1939

Abstract

The Band of Hope was a non-denominational movement with membership open to all children who pledged to abstain from drinking alcohol. It began in 1847, grew rapidly and in some locations it maintained its popularity for over a hundred years.
The thesis is an administrative/organisational study of the Band of Hope with special reference to Preston in Lancashire. The thesis period extends from 1847 to 1939, with consideration given to earlier years in order to reveal how middle-class moderate ‘anti-spirit’ temperance approval was overtaken by working-class total abstinence advocacy in adults, leading to total abstinence societies for children being formed prior to the establishment of the Band of Hope.
The thesis will use primary evidence in nineteenth century Band of Hope publications and contemporary local newspapers, supported by secondary literature that places the movement in its historical context, to add knowledge to the history of Preston by examining how the Band of Hope operated in a town that is recognised for 1) its prominence in temperance history and 2) its religious make-up which distinguished it from towns of similar size and structure during the period covered by the study.
Approximately half the town’s population belonged to the Established Church with the other fifty per cent divided roughly between Roman Catholic and Nonconformist churches. Significantly, Sunday school children who attended the different church sects provided the Band of Hope with a readily available group of potential recruits. In researching the Band of Hope movement in Preston in relation to its religious make-up, the study has identified that the lack of religious hegemony in the town produced levels of co-operation rather than discord between the main church sects in order to promote children’s total abstinence advocacy. This occurred despite disagreement between the churches over the question of whether moderate temperance or total abstinence should prevail in adult circles.
At the same time the research has discovered that the Band of Hope operation in Preston recorded its successes more readily that it did the occasions when it suffered financial and management problems. The judgment one draws is that Preston’s temperance prominence impacted upon the psyche of many Preston Band of Hope workers that made perceived failings in its operation more difficult to acknowledge than its successes.
By focussing the study on aspects of Preston’s character that impacted on how a children’s movement operated in the town over the period of almost a hundred years, the study contributes not only to the existing knowledge of Preston but will also benefit those whose studies cover other areas of temperance, as well as children’s studies and religious studies.