The Temperance movement in Bath & Bristol

From Hogarth’s vivid depiction of the gin craze and as pubs and beer shops grew up in Victorian England there arose a desire for self-improvement combined with Evangelicalism as an alternative. This led to taking the pledge for temperance becoming a movement for total abstinence by the 1830s and the talk will cover its origins and evolution, looking at how the various organisations in Bath and Bristol grew, the institutions created, the relationship with religious denominations and national politics and the slow decline in national affairs during the early 20th century.

The Rebecca drinking fountain by the Abbey in Bath is just one example of what is left from the many branches of the Temperance Movement that evolved, including Temperance Halls, Coffee Houses and Hotels, and the wide range of activities undertaken by temperance societies.