author
William Tebb
1830–1918
A Victorian reformer with unusually wide interests, he wrote and campaigned on public-health controversies while also becoming known for his efforts to prevent premature burial. His life sits at the crossroads of 19th-century activism, medicine, and social debate.
1 Audiobook
Premature Burial and How It May Be Prevented
by William Tebb, Edward Perry Vollum
About the author
Born in Manchester on October 22, 1830, he was an English businessman who became a prominent social reformer. Reliable biographical sources describe him as a wide-ranging campaigner whose causes included public health, social reform, and burial practices.
He is best known today for his role in the anti-vaccination movement, writing books and arguments against compulsory vaccination. He was also deeply concerned about the fear of premature burial and helped found the London Association for the Prevention of Premature Burial, a cause that brought him lasting attention in the late Victorian period.
Some sources differ on the year of his death, but the strongest readily available biographical source located here gives January 23, 1917. Whatever the exact dating used in older catalogs, his career clearly belongs to the reform culture of late 19th- and early 20th-century Britain, where he became a memorable and controversial public figure.