I'm doing research for my history essay and came across some stuff on the RSPCA, not really relevent but I think it's kind of interesting. Some snippets:
"It is not merely for animals that this Society is instituted but it is for ourselves." (Annual Meeting, 1866) By encouraging kindness to animals, the Society hoped eventually to civilize manners, and hence to make the masses more receptive to religious instruction."
Between 1830-1839 there were 1357 prosecutions, between 1890-1899 71657
"By 1832, the society's patrons already included seven earls, one marquess and six other peers. It never lost it's connection with "high society". In the 1840's, it's inspectors were often sent to the provinces at the request of wealthy local supports"
"the accused, who is often described in hostile terms: "a brutal-looking fellow", "a lubberyy looking fellow", a "dirty-looking fellow", "a rough, dirty, brutal-looking fellow" (1839-1857)
"Attempts to arrest working men for cruelty were often voilently resisted. Ramsgate donkey drivers in 1840 avenged themselves on one R.S.P.C.A. informant by assulting his son twice in three weeks. Gompetze urged animal lovers not to intervene against cruelty in the London streets unless they could hold their own in a fight."
"in 1863 it prosecuted the marquess of Hastings for promoting cockfights at Donington Hall"
from: B. Harrison (1967) Religion and Recreation in Nineteenth-Century England
"It is not merely for animals that this Society is instituted but it is for ourselves." (Annual Meeting, 1866) By encouraging kindness to animals, the Society hoped eventually to civilize manners, and hence to make the masses more receptive to religious instruction."
Between 1830-1839 there were 1357 prosecutions, between 1890-1899 71657
"By 1832, the society's patrons already included seven earls, one marquess and six other peers. It never lost it's connection with "high society". In the 1840's, it's inspectors were often sent to the provinces at the request of wealthy local supports"
"the accused, who is often described in hostile terms: "a brutal-looking fellow", "a lubberyy looking fellow", a "dirty-looking fellow", "a rough, dirty, brutal-looking fellow" (1839-1857)
"Attempts to arrest working men for cruelty were often voilently resisted. Ramsgate donkey drivers in 1840 avenged themselves on one R.S.P.C.A. informant by assulting his son twice in three weeks. Gompetze urged animal lovers not to intervene against cruelty in the London streets unless they could hold their own in a fight."
"in 1863 it prosecuted the marquess of Hastings for promoting cockfights at Donington Hall"
from: B. Harrison (1967) Religion and Recreation in Nineteenth-Century England