James Leigh Joynes

It was largely through his brother-in-law, James Leigh Joynes (29 May 1853–13 Jan 1893), that Henry Salt began to meet the more active social reformers of the day. Like Salt, Joynes was a vegetarian and a Shelleyan.

In 1882 whilst a Master at Eton College he visited Ireland with Henry George. Joynes’ account of his travels, A Political Tour of Ireland, was published in the Times, causing great scandal in Etonian circles. When Eton College , where he was a Master, learnt of his plan to publish his book The Adventures of a Tourist in Ireland, he was given the choice between remaining as a Master or leaving for his beliefs, he left Eton.

Edward Carpenter, in his autobiography My Days and Dreams, wrote of J. L. Joynes:

“Joynes and his sister [Catherine Leigh Joynes] were singularly unlike externally, yet singularly alike in the depths of their hearts and in their devotion to each other. Both were tall and long-limbed: she dark, raven-haired, with large eyes and sensitive, somewhat sad, Dante-like profile; he red-haired with high complexion, small bluish eyes, heavy features.

“She was intensely emotional, too emotional, but — as such people often are — highly musical; and her literary gift was certainly one of the most remarkable I have known — though unfortunately, except in her letters, rarely utilized.

“He was intensely logical, concentrated, determined — though underneath ran a strong current of poetic feeling — as witness his little book of excellent verses On Lonely Shores (1892).

“Both of them did good work in connection with the Socialist and Labour movement, he more especially by lecturing and writing for the Social Democratic Federation and other such organizations; and she rather more by personal sympathy and helpful friendship towards the rank and file of the workers; both of them were devoted lovers of Nature, and of a natural plain way of life; and their devotion to each other only ended with his too early death in 1893.”

Tributes

James Leigh Joynes: Some Reminiscences by Henry S. Salt, Social Democrat
J. L. Joynes – A Tribute by Harry Quelch, Social Democrat
James Leigh Joynes by Henry Mayers Hyndman, Justice

James L. Joynes Bibliography

This is an incomplete bibliography of J. L. Joynes.

Books

Articles and Pamphlets

• A Political Tour of Ireland, The Times, September 4, 1882, p. 5
• Animalcula, The Food Reform Magazine, December 1882, Vol. II No. 3, pp. 92-93
• Answer to Champion’s Article ‘The Future of Socialism in England’, Commonsense, 15 September 1887, p. 73
• Dynamite and Despair, Justice, 7 June 1884, p. 4
• Iblis Presents Himself as Cook, The Food Reform Magazine, October-December 1884, Vol. IV No. 2, pp. 57-59
• Land Nationalisation, Progress, November 1883, pp. 257-263
• Leading Socialist Theories, Our Corner, May 1, 1883, pp. 267-272
• Poisoning the Wells, Justice, 6 September 1884, p. 2
• Remedies for Poverty, The Food Reform Magazine, July-September 1883, Vol. III No. 1, pp. 15-16
• Socialism, Our Corner, June 1, 1884, pp. 331-336
• Socialist Rhymes, Modern Press, London, 1885, 16 page pamphlet
• State Socialism, Progress, January 1884, pp. 1-6
• The Fallacies Derived from the Bible and from Nature, The Food Reform Magazine, October 1882, Vol II No. 2, pp. 44-48
• The New International, Justice, 12 April 1884, p. 4
• The Red International: Review of “Die Rote Internationale” by Sacher, To-day, Volume 2 1884, No. 8 – August 1884, pp. 129-140
• The Roll Call of the Ages, Justice, 2 August 1884, p. 5; To-day, August 1884
• The Socialist Catechism, Social Democratic Federation, 16 pages – Reprinted with additions from Justice
• The Stiff-Neckedness of Certain Carnivora, The Food Reform Magazine, July 1882, Vol. II No. 1, pp. 23-26
• The Strike in Lancashire, Justice, 16 February 1884, p. 7
• The Triple Alliance: Capitalist, Economist and Priest, Progress, March 1884, pp. 129-137
• Wage Slaves on Strike, Justice, 16 February 1884, p. 4
• Was Thun? A Nihilist’s Novel, To-day, Volume 1 1884, No. 2 – February 1884, pp. 98-109

Poems

• A City Dinner, The Food Reform Magazine, October 1882, Vol 2 No. 2, p. 43
• A Colloquy, Justice, 13 February 1886, p. 3
• A Curse, Justice, 8 November 1884, p. 5
• Be of Good Cheer, Justice, 21 November 1885, p. 5
• Brotherhood, Justice, 6 December 1884, p. 5
• Dawn, Justice, 19 June 1886, p. 3
• Delusion, Justice, 30 May 1885, p. 5
• Evening Antiphous, Justice, 5 November 1892, p. 3
• Failure, Justice, 10 October 1891, p. 3
• In The Workhouse, Justice, 6 February, 1886, p. 3
• Lochiel’s Warning, Justice, 29 March 1884, p. 5
• Mrs. Grundy’s Mishap, The Commonweal, 1 May 1886, p. 36
• Not Guilty, Justice, 17 April 1886, p. 3
• Press Censorship, Justice, 25 July 1885, p. 5
• Questions, Justice, 20 June 1885, p. 5
• Requiescat, Justice, 16 January 1892, p. 3
• Song of Freedom, adapted from Arnott’s ‘Song of the Fatherland’, Justice, 6 May 1893, p. 5
• Spring, The Food Reform Magazine, July 1882, Vol 2 No. 1, p. 15
• Surplus Value, Justice, 4 July 1885, p. 5
• The Bridal of Hope, To-Day, August 1885, p. 352
• The Death of a Tyrant, To-day, Volume 3 1885, May 1885, p. 228
• The Forlorn Hope, Justice, 28 August 1886, p. 3
• The Fortress of Peter and Paul, Justice, 11 July 1885, p. 5
• The Lay of the Ledger, Justice, 14 August 1886, p. 3
• The Lord of Burleigh (From the Point of View of His Disappointed Rival), The Commonweal, 23 October 1886, p. 235; 30 October, p. 243; 6 November, p. 257; 13 November, p. 259; 20 November, p. 270.
• The Roll Call of the Ages, Justice, 21 May 1892, p. 3
• The Toiler’s Reward, Justice, 1 May 1886, p. 3
• The Wage Slave of His Wife, Justice, 30 July 1892, p. 3

Translated

• Cold Comfort, by G. Herweght; translated by J. L. Joynes
  Our Corner, VII, 1886, p. 54
• Freiligrath’s Revolution Song, “Berlin,” translated by J. L. Joynes
  To-day, November 1885, pp. 437-439
• Love while thou may’st. (poem) by Ferdinand Freiligrath; translated by J. L. Joynes
  To-day, December 1885, p. 467
• Wage-Labor and Capital by Marx, Karl; translated by J. L. Joynes
  Charles H. Kerr Co, Chicago, ca 1900, 53 pages

Biography

Dictionary of Labour Biography, Vol. VIII, edited by Joyce M. Bellany and John Saville, MacMillian Press Ltd, 1987, pp. 129-134.  Short biography including Salt’s tribute.