Instead, he engaged in many philanthropic activities and the concerns of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) from 1854.
[4] In 1862 and 1863, he served as Clerk to the annual national gathering of Quakers known as London Yearly Meeting.
[5] Backhouse, who held Liberal political views, was a leading supporter of Sunderland Infirmary, and of temperance work.
[2][3] The political views of Backhouse were shared by Samuel Storey and other leading local politicians of the day.
His political opinions eventually led Backhouse to become one of the original seven founders of the Radical-run Sunderland Echo in 1873.