February 1898 edition of the Legitimation League's journal The Adult
The Legitimation League was an English advocacy organisation in the 1890s, which campaigned for the legitimation of
illegitimate children and
free love.
In 1897, the League moved its headquarters to London, where its meetings commanded larger audiences.[4] In the same year, the anarchist and
women's rights activist
Lillian Harman became President of the League.[5] Originally, the League's main focus was the legitimacy and equality of children from non-church or state-sanctioned connections, now sexual liberation became the main goal. At this time Donisthorpe (President since 1893) and Fisher (Vice President) left the association.[2]
The League's journal, The Adult was published from 1897 to 1899, with the subtitles "A Journal for the Advancement of Freedom in Sexual Relationships" and "A Crusade Against Sex-Enslavement".[3] Lillian Harman wrote multiple articles for the journal.[5] It was originally edited by League's secretary
George Bedborough, whose wife Louie was treasurer,[6] before his arrest in 1898 for selling a copy of Havelock Ellis' Studies in the Psychology of Sex Vol. 2.[7] The League as a suspected anarchist organisation, had been under surveillance by
Scotland Yard who used Bedborough's arrest as an opportunity to successfully destroy the League.[4] After pleading guilty to the charge of obscenity, Bedborough agreed to no longer be associated with the League.[8]Henry Seymour replaced Bedborough as editor until its last issue in March 1899.[8]
Publications
The Rights of Natural Children: Verbatim Report of the Inaugural Proceedings of the Legitimation League. London, Leeds: WM. Reeves, Geo. Cornwell. 1893.
Donisthorpe, Wordsworth (1894). Love and Law: An Essay on Marriage. London: WM. Reeves.
Dawson, Oswald (1898). The Outcome of Legitimation: A Lecture Delivered at the Holborn Restaurant, London, 6th December, 1897, under the Auspices of the Legitimation League, Mrs. Louie Bedborough in the Chair. London: Legitimation League.