George Mudie

Who is George Mudie?

George Mudie was an Owenite, cooperator and publisher.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1788, Mudie became a supporter of Robert Owen's cooperative principles. In 1818 he was a member of a discussion group that met in St Andrew's Chapel, Edinburgh, and he tried to persuade that group to form a newsroom. When the group refused to take up this idea, he apparently left Scotland in disgust and travelled to London, where he became a part-time publisher and editor of The Sun.

On 23 January 1821 he met a group of printers at Mitchell's Assembly Rooms, London, where he outlined a plan to form a community. The idea was taken up, a committee was formed, and the group began to raise money. To help with the fund-raising Mudie began a weekly journal, the Economist, starting 21 January 1821.

By 17 November 1821 the 'Spa Fields Congregational Families' had taken a number of properties at Guildford Street East, Bagnigge Wells Road and Spa Fields, and had begun to live together. George Hinde was chairman of the community and one of its most prominent members was Henry Hetherington, a London printer.

By March 1822 Mudie's work on the Economist had become slovenly due to his workload with the community, and he ceased publication of the periodical. In 1824 he was forced by the proprietors of The Sun to either resign as editor or abandon the community. He chose the latter and the Spa Fields community was dispersed.