A memorial to Richard Cobden

By Alex Singleton | 24 January 2006

As you may be aware, Richard Cobden is our chief intellectual hero. Mark Holland has very kindly sent in some photos of a stone memorial to Cobden he visited in Midhurst (West Sussex, England), near where the great reformer lived. The memorial says:

Free trade. Peace. Goodwill among nations

Richard Cobden 1804-1865

Cobden's grave

Nearby, at Heyshott Church, where Cobden and his family worshipped, is a plaque on the back of pew:

Cobden's church pew

Mark also sent in a leaflet he picked up on his visit published by the Midhurst Society which informs us that:

In Britain we remember him [Cobden] for his success in getting the unjust Corn Laws repealed; this reduced the price of bread. His belief that free trade would bring international co-operation and peace influenced public life for 100 years, and his passionate diplomacy steered Europe into a 'common market' long before the European Union. A true internationalist, he has inspired successive generations of politicians and economists.