b. 20 March 1805. d. 15 July 1892. Nationality: English. VIAF.
Chartist, poet, novelist, and religious lecturer. Father was a dyer, and Thomas was
born illegitimately. Worked as a shoemaker and then a schoolmaster, until turning
to journalism. Known as “Cooper the Chartist,” he was arrested for involvement in
Chartist riots in Leicester in 1842 and received a 2-year prison sentence in 1843.
During his sentence he wrote *The Purgatory of Suicides* (1845). On his release he
moved to London and embraced radical religious views as a lecturer and writer. Biographical
information: *ODNB*, Lohrli 237. (AC)