Strangite

Strangites are persons who believe that the study and practise of magic should be open to all who wish to embark upon that course, even to members of the lower classes — or to ladies.

The body of people interested in magic is generally divided into those who thought Gilbert Norrell's extremely conservative approach to magic was correct, and those who felt that this had cruelly and unnecessarily shackled magic's development. The former are called Norrellites, while the latter — those who sympathize with the attitudes of his former student — are called Strangites.

The development of the Strangite faction was occasioned by the appearance of Mr Strange's article in the Edinburgh Review in January 1815 [38]. While nominally a review of Lord Portishead's Essay on the Extraordinary Revival of English Magic, &c, the article was in fact a sharp rebuke of Mr Norrell's views on English magic, and particularly his view on the importance of John Uskglass in its foundation.

The following month, Mr Strange broke with Mr Norrell, despite the conciliatory tone affected by the latter during their meeting at Hanover-square [39]. This break between England's foremost and second-foremost magicians precipitated a similar division amongst the attitudes of those persons interested in magic. By March 1816, even Mr Strange was referring to the two factions as Strangites and Norrellites [49].

Following the departure of Mr Strange and Mr Norrell in early 1817, the two factions have persisted [69].