E. Dolby Shelton

E. Dolby Shelton
Shelton in 1891
Born	Edward Dolby Shelton 1856 (1856) Peterborough, England
Died	1944 (1945) (aged 88) Essex, England
Occupations	Printer publisher activist
Known for	Advocacy for temperance and vegetarianism
Spouse	Frances Elizabeth Stroulger ​ ​ (m. 1885)​
Children	1

Edward Dolby Shelton (1856 – 1944) was an English printer, publisher, and activist. He was known for his advocacy of temperance and vegetarianism. Shelton's career included managing Alexander Thomson's printing business in Manchester and co-running a printing and publishing venture on the Isle of Wight. He notably managed the Ventnor Vegetarian Hotel there, which hosted prominent figures like Mahatma Gandhi. Later in life, he focused on business and church activities in Ely, Cambridgeshire, while continuing to promote vegetarianism alongside his wife, Frances.

Biography

Early life

Edward Dolby Shelton was born in Peterborough in 1856. He was educated at the British School there, until the age of 11.

Activism and career

Shelton became a vegetarian after being influenced by a lecture given by J. M. Skinner, a fellow Good Templar and temperance advocate, during Shelton's time in Leicester. His commitment to vegetarianism deepened after joining the Vegetarian Society upon moving to Northampton.

In 1880, Shelton moved to Manchester, where he worked at Alexander Thomson's printing business. During this period, he connected with leading figures in the vegetarian community and lived with the strict vegetarian Joseph Alley. Shelton became an active member of the Vegetarian Society, eventually joining its executive committee through the encouragement of R. Bailey Walker.

In the second quarter of 1885, Shelton married Frances Elizabeth Stroulger; they had one son, Percival. Shelton relocated to London in May of the same year. Initially, his household was divided on the subject of vegetarianism, but over time, his wife came to accept the lifestyle. In 1888, the family moved to Ventnor on the Isle of Wight for health reasons. There, Shelton co-managed the Isle of Wight Express, a publication that eschewed alcohol advertisements and prioritised social issues. He was also engaged in a printing and publishing business with William Briddon that dissolved in 1888. Despite these efforts, the venture was not financially successful, and Shelton had to rely on his income from running the Ventnor Vegetarian Hotel, which hosted notable guests such as Mahatma Gandhi and other vegetarians from Manchester and London.

After the challenges in Ventnor, Shelton moved to Ely, Cambridgeshire. Here, Shelton shifted focus to business and church activities, stepping back from active vegetarian propaganda. Nevertheless, he remained involved in the Cambridge Vegetarian Society, though his vegetarian lifestyle led to them being regarded as "freaks and fanatics" by some in the local community.

From 1893 to 1905, Shelton partnered with John P. Tibbitts in publishing and printing under Shelton and Tibbitts. Shelton was involved in producing works like Gems of Ely Cathedral (1900) and the Ely Red Book (1894), as well as local postcards featuring scenes like the Soldiers' Memorial in Ely Cathedral. His contributions are noted in directories of early Cambridgeshire publishers and photographers.

Later life and death

Around the age of 50, Shelton became a seer for the Trustees of the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion, a position he held well into the 1930s. Both Shelton and his wife continued to advocate for vegetarianism; she contributed a regular column to The Vegetarian, and Shelton attended cookery lessons to further promote the cause.

Shelton died in Essex in 1944, at the age of 88. His life and work were commemorated in an article in The Vegetarian Messenger (1935) and his obituary in Vegetarian News.

External links

• 19 letters from E. Dolby and Percy Shelton to Oscar Browning, 1900 - 1912
• 1931 letter to Shelton from Gandhi