Henry Richard and Anti-Militarism in Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington

'HENRY RICHARD,

BORN AT TREGARON,

CARDIGANSHIRE

3, APRIL 1812.

MINISTER OF MARLBOROUGH CHAPEL, LONDON,

1835–1850.

SECRETARY TO THE SOCIETY

FOR PROMOTING PERMANENT AND UNIVERSAL PEACE,

1848–1884.

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

FOR MERTHYR TYDFIL,

1868–1888.

DIED 20, AUGUST 1888,

AGED 76 YEARS.'

I had not as far as I'm aware heard of Henry Richard, who wrote several books – one of them on the abolitionist Joseph Sturge – until last month, when by chance I discovered his tomb in Abney Park Cemetery. Richard was widely known as 'The Apostle of Peace', and this post is particularly relevant in that this year marks the bicentenary of his birth. I was a little too late, as the celebration took place on 1 April this year.

Diane Abbott was present at the ceremony, and she's MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. She's also the first black woman to enter the House of Commons, but more importantly she was a Labour MP in a New Labour government who voted against the destruction of Iraq, as of course Henry Richard would have done.

Below is a list of MPs who voted for or against that action, which is very revealing.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
MPs voting for or against the destruction of Iraq