Gorrie Collection

A selection of political memorabilia of Archibald Gorrie (c.1885-1941) relating to the Labour movement in Leicestershire in the period c.1889-1909, specifically press cuttings, posters and selected items related to the Leicester Passive Resisters League. Gorrie became the branch secretary and benefactor of the Socialist League (Branch 13, Leicester). The original Gorrie Collection is available in the University of Leicester Librarys Special Collections and consists of 2 boxes of loose papers containing many press cuttings, posters, handbills, circulars, invitations, etc. (some loosely inserted) concerning local groups such as the Leicester Radical Club, Leicester Branch of the Socialist League (of which Gorrie was a founder-member), Leicester Christian Socialist Society and the Leicester Socialist & Anarchist Society.

In addition there are 9 mounted posters advertising political meetings and demonstrations. Among the speakers at meetings were Prince Kropotkin, Bernard Shaw, Sidney Webb, John Burns, Annie Besant, representatives of striking miners and dockers, and leading Leicester socialists. Also included are manuscript notes by Gorrie of the first two meetings of the Leicester Branch of the Socialist League, 11 & 18 October 1889.