Search for a New Eden: James Pierrepont Greaves (1777-1842)

"Search for a New Eden, the first full-length study of James Pierrepont Greaves (1777-1842) and his followers, places them in the context of early nineteenth-century movements of particular interest to historians today. Greaves' Alcott House, or the Concordium, at Ham Common in Surrey was named after the American Transcendentalist and educator, Bronson Alcott, who visited it in 1842. Alcott returned to New England with two of Greaves' followers, and with his family and Charles Lane set up the short-lived experiment in communal living, Fruitlands. Alcott House, meanwhile, suffered from internal conflict and the community expired in 1848."--BOOK JACKET. "Though Greaves' most persevering followers were from the merchant class, he was supported by members of the upper class, among them Sophia Chichester, widow of a major landowner and cousin of the Ansons of Shugborough. The support she and her sister gave to Greaves is a unique case of upper-class female radicalism in early Victorian England. The account here of the sisters' unorthodox political and religious activities is an important contribution to feminist studies."--BOOK JACKET. "The story of Greaves and Alcott House is set in the wider context of contemporary efforts to sustain ideal communities in Britain and America."--BOOK JACKET.