Stephen Henry Hobhouse

Stephen Henry Hobhouse (5 August 1881 – 2 April 1961) was an English peace activist, prison reformer, and religious writer. Family Stephen Henry Hobhouse was born in Pitcombe, Somerset, England. He was the eldest son of Henry Hobhouse (1854–1937), a wealthy landowner and Liberal Party MP from 1885 to 1906, and Margaret Heyworth Potter. Both sides of his family included a number of reformers and progressive politicians: As an MP, his father was behind the Education Act 1902. His paternal cousin Emily Hobhouse (1860–1926) was known for bringing attention to British concentration camps in South Africa during the Second Boer War. Her views greatly influenced Stephen. His paternal cousin Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse (1864–1929) was a sociologist and one of the founders of social liberalism. His brother Arthur Hobhouse (1886–1965) was the architect of the system of National parks of England and Wales. His maternal aunt Catherine Courtney, Baroness Courtney of Penwith (1847-1929), was a social worker and internationalist. His maternal aunt Beatrice Webb (1858–1943), was a sociologist, economist, and social reformer who played key roles in founding both the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Fabian Society. His maternal grandfather Richard Potter (1817–1892) was a chairman of the Great Western Railway. His maternal great-grandfather Richard Potter (1778–1842) was a radical Liberal Party MP. Education and formative years Stephen Hobhouse was brought up as a member of the Church of England. He was educated at Eton, where he won prizes in both academics and sports, and at Balliol College, Oxford. Hobhouse attended Quaker meetings in Hampstead after graduation and officially became a member of the Society of Friends in 1909.