Background
William King was born on the 17th of April, 1786 in Sunderland, United Kingdom.
William King
archaeologist geologist university professor
William King was born on the 17th of April, 1786 in Sunderland, United Kingdom.
William King is best known as an early supporter of the Cooperative Movement. By 1827, Robert Owen had taken his ideas of a co-operative movement to the United States. But they were picked up and amplified by Doctor King.
King founded a cooperative store in Brighton.
Then in 1828 William King started a paper, The Company-operator to promote these ideas. The Company-operator had a wide circulation and a great influence in the emerging movement.
Though only published for slightly over two years, the paper served to educate and unify otherwise scattered groups. King"s articles in the paper gave the movement some philosophical and practical basis that it had lacked before.
King"s overriding rationale for the movement is best illustrated by the phrases repeated on the masthead of every issue of The Company-operator:
"Knowledge and union are power.
Power, directed by knowledge is happiness. Happiness is the end of creation."
King lived at 23 Montpelier Road in the Montpelier area of Brighton.