ABSTRACT
The Peterloo Massacre and its aftermath of general social unrest renewed Robert Owen’s determination to promote his reform plans. One of his personal friends and early supporters, the Whig MP for Southampton William de Crespigny, agreed to argue his case in Parliament. On 16 December 1819, de Crespigny presented a motion asking for Owen’s “Plan” to be examined by a Select Committee. Despite positive comments regarding the New Lanark establishment, the proposal was rejected by 141 votes to 16, as it was deemed too “utopian”. This particular event marked a shift in Owen’s public image, from respected philanthropist to the controversial “visionary”. Over the next few years, de Crespigny and many others distanced themselves from him and his ideas. The backlash thwarted Owen’s numerous attempts to put his “Plan” into practice in the years 1817–1825, and fuelled his ultimate rejection of the classical political practice.
