The Bright family were Quaker cotton spinners from Rochdale, Lancashire. Over five years John attended four Quaker schools including Ackworth, where he found the regime harsh and Bootham, which he loved. His father came from humble beginnings and had worked to become the owner of his cotton mill. At fifteen John joined him.
He remained a man of the people, fiercely against inequality and poverty and the powerlessness that resulted. He showed a natural talent for oratory and by the mid 1830’s had started to make a name for himself in local politics. As a lot of his own education had been through independent study, he was a keen supporter of better educational provision. He was asked by Richard Cobden, a wealthy cotton trader who shared his interests, to speak at a meeting about education. They became firm friends. Bright was also passionate in his opposition to the setting of a rate of donation to church funds in Rochdale as he felt that the vicar should use his own resources for this. The struggle reached a climax when Bright and the Vicar climbed on the tombstones in St Chad’s churchyard to deliver their speeches. Although Bright’s speech won the day, the rate was imposed at a subsequent meeting.
Bright’s reputation as a leader of political dissent in Rochdale did not help him in his private life. He fell in love with fellow Quaker Elizabeth Priestman but her family initially opposed the marriage because of his political notoriety. They eventually married in 1839 and had a daughter, Helen. Sadly Elizabeth died in 1841.
