As with many of his socialist friends, Salt was introduced to Edward Carpenter by his brother-in-law, James Leigh Joynes.
Whilst at Eton he read Carpenter’s essays about Thoreau and simplification of life. Carpenter the reformer and social critic appealed greatly to him, for Carpenter reconfirmed his own growing dissatisfaction with society and its institutions.
Henry and Kate were close friends with Carpenter as their long correspondence demonstrates their easy friendship and common interests. Kate’s correspondence with Carpenter, as published in Hendrick’s Salt biography, is quite painful to read at times.
In 1910 the Salts lived close to Carpenter’s home at Millthorpe for seven years.
Salt wrote an essay for a volume after Carpenter’s death. As George Hendrick points out, “His essay is written with great honesty and perception, the work of a friend, but an objective one.”
We recommend recommend Hendrick’s Salt biography for details on the Salts friendship with Carpenter.
For more information on Edward Carpenter we’ve included two excellent websites on our links page.