Edward
Aveling,
the son of a Congregational
minister, was born in Stoke Newington, London, on 29th November, 1849.
Aveling was educated at Harrow School and
the Faculty of Medicine at University College, London.
An excellent student and after he graduated he was appointed as a
Lecturer in Comparative Anatomy at London Hospital.
Aveling was influenced by the theories of Charles
Darwin and lost his religious beliefs. He joined the Secular
Society and became friendly with Charles
Bradlaugh and Annie Besant. Aveling
contributed articles on scientific subjects to Bradlaugh's journal,
The
National Reformer
and wrote a book on evolution called The
Student's Darwin
(1881). Aveling's public statements on his atheism resulted in him
being removed from his post at London Hospital.
Annie Besant was impressed by Aveling's
ability to communicate complex subjects and she organised a series
of Sunday lectures on science and religion throughout Britain. Aveling
also helped Charles Bradlaugh in his
struggle to be allowed to take his seat in the House
of Commons after he was elected to represent Northampton
in the 1880 General Election.
In 1881 Aveling met Charles Darwin and
had several long meetings with him about science and religion. Aveling
published the results of these discussions in a book The
Religious Views of Charles Darwin.
Controversially, Aveling claimed in his book that Darwin was a atheist.
Annie Besant introduced Aveling to H.
H. Hyndman, the leader of the Social Democratic
Federation (SDF). When Aveling was a candidate for the London
School Board elections in November, 1882, members of both the Secular
Society and the SDF campaigned for him. Aveling, whose main policy
was the free, elementary schooling for the working class, was elected
to the School Board.
Some members of the Secular Society and
the Social Democratic Federation, disapproved
of Aveling's moral behaviour. Aveling, who had married Isabel
Frank
in 1872, had a number of relationships with women, including Annie
Besant and Eleanor Marx. In 1883 Aveling
and Marx began to live together. Although Marx saw this as the same
as if someone was officially married, Aveling continued to have affairs
with other women.
Aveling became a member of the Social Democratic
Federation but disagreed with H. H. Hyndman
about a wide range of different issues. At a SDF
meeting on 27th December, 1884, the executive voted by a majority
of two (10-8), that it had no confidence in Hyndman. When Hyndman
refused to resign, some members, including Aveling, William
Morris, and Eleanor Marx left the party
and formed a new organisation called the Socialist
League. Aveling also worked closely
with Morris to produce the Socialist League's journal, Commonweal.
As well as writing for the Commonweal
Aveling helped translate Das
Kapital into English and co-authored
The Woman Question
(1886) with Eleanor Marx. Aveling was an unpopular
figure in the Socialist
League and after one dispute in May
1886 he left the organisation. Later that year Aveling and Marx went
on a tour of the United States organised by the Socialist
Party of America. Although
the couple drew large crowds, Aveling became involved in a conflict
with party leaders over what they considered to be his extravagant
claims for expenses.
When Edward Aveling
returned to England he joined with Friedrich
Engels to form a new Marxist working class party. However, by
this time, Aveling was completely distrusted by socialists in Britain
and received little support for the venture.
Disillusioned with politics, Aveling became a playwright. Four of
his plays were performed but none of them were successful. Aveling
also joined with Eleanor Marx to put on Henrik
Ibsen's play, A
Doll's House. The production
was attacked by critics who claimed that it was "destructive
of family life".
In 1895, Aveling became seriously ill with
kidney disease and Eleanor spent many months nursing him back to health.
After Aveling recovered he left Eleanor and moved in with Eva
Frye, a 22 year old actress. However, after a few months, Aveling,
who was deeply in debt, returned to Eleanor who had recently been
left money by Friedrich Engels.
Aveling became ill again in 1898 and had to have major surgery. Eleanor
Marx once again had the job of looking after him. Soon after he
recovered, Aveling told Eleanor that he had secretly married Eva Frye
and was returning to her. Unable to bear the pain of this latest betrayal,
Eleanor committed suicide on 31st March, 1898. Edward Aveling, who
was now completely ostracized by the labour movement, had a relapse
and died on 2nd August, 1898.
(1) Edward Aveling and Eleanor
Marx, The Woman Question (1887)
The truth, not fully recognized even by those anxious to do good to
women, is that she, like the labour classes, is in an oppressed condition;
that her position, like theirs, is one of merciless degradation. Women
are the creatures of an organized tyranny of men, as the workers are
the creatures of an organised tyranny of men, as the workers are the
creatures of an organized tyranny of idlers.
Both the oppressed classes, women and the immediate producers, must
understand that their emancipation will come from themselves. Women
will find allies in the better sort of men, as the labourers are finding
allies among the philosophers, artists, and poets. But the one has
nothing to hope from man as a whole, and the other has nothing to
hope from the middle class as a whole.
(2) Ben
Tillett, Memories and Reflections (1931)
Another of our helpers at headquarters (during the London Docker's
Strike) was Karl Marx's daughter, Eleanor, the tragic wife of Edward
Aveling. Brilliant, devoted and beautiful, she was Marx's youngest
daughter, and a Londoner by birth. At the time of our strike, she
was only thirty years old. She lived with Aveling under very unhappy
conditions, which did not break her spirit, or cause her to waver
in her devotion to the working-class cause. She was active in support
of the efforts we were making to organize unskilled labour in the
East End of London. She was destined, poor girl, within a few years
to put an end to her unhappiness by taking her own life.
Not many of us knew, at the time, about the wretchedness of her relations
with Aveling. He was a man of exceptionally brilliant intellect, a
scholar, and a scientist, who taught chemistry, physiology and comparative
anatomy at University lecturer. He had an Irishman's charm, but he
was wayward, unstable, with darker traits in his character which spelt
misery and emotional strain for the woman associated with him.
(3)
Henry Snell, Men Movements and Myself
(1936)
Eleanor
Marx was a woman of heavy build, very dark, widely read and widely
travelled, and it was a privilege to talk with her about her distinguished
father and his famous friends, Engels, Bebel, and others. Of her husband,
Dr. Edward Aveling, little need be said. He was a man of great capacity,
a magnificent speaker with a wonderful voice, but his sense of responsibility
towards others, or to whatever cause he elected to serve, was quite
undeveloped. It was through my acquaintance with Dr. Aveling that
I first realised that a fine education and a powerful mind did not
of necessity make a fine man.
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