The Tolpuddle Martyrs were a group of 19th century British labourers who were arrested for and convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 The rules of the society show it was clearly structured as a friendly society and operated as a trade-specific benefit society. A friendly society (sometimes called a mutual society, benevolent society or fraternal organization) is a mutual association for insurance-like A benefit society or mutual aid society is an Organization or Voluntary association formed to provide Mutual aid, benefit or Insurance But at the time, friendly societies had strong elements of what we now consider is the predominant role of trade unions. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming The Tolpuddle Martyrs were subsequently sentenced to transportation to Australia. Transportation or penal transportation refers to the deporting of Convicted Criminals to a Penal colony, for example by France For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.
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The historical events
In 1824 the Combination Acts, which made "combining" or organising in order to gain better working conditions illegal, had been repealed, so trade unions were no longer illegal. The Combination Act of 1799, titled An Act to prevent Unlawful Combinations of Workmen (short title 39 Geo In 1832, the year of a Reform Act which extended the vote in England but did not grant universal suffrage, six men from Tolpuddle in Dorset founded the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers to protest against the gradual lowering of wages in the 1830s. Tolpuddle is a small village in the southern English county of Dorset, situated in the Piddle valley, eight Miles east of Dorchester Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast Events and trends Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday. They refused to work for less than 10 shillings a week, although by this time wages had been reduced to seven shillings a week and were due to be further reduced to six shillings. The society, led by George Loveless, a Methodist local preacher, met in the house of Thomas Standfield. A Methodist local preacher is a lay person who has been accredited by a Methodist church to lead worship on a regular basis
In 1834 James Frampton, a local landowner, wrote to the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, to complain about the union, invoking an obscure law from 1797 prohibiting people from swearing oaths to each other, which the members of the Friendly Society had done. Year 1834 ( MDCCCXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom William Lamb 2nd Viscount Melbourne, PC, FRS (15 March 1779 &ndash 24 November 1848 was a British Whig Statesman who Year 1797 ( MDCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common An oath (from Anglo-Saxon āð, also called plight) is either a Promise or a Statement of Fact calling James Brine, James Hammett, George Loveless, George's brother James Loveless, George's brother in-law Thomas Standfield, and Thomas's son John Standfield were arrested, found guilty, and transported to Australia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.
When sentenced to seven years' transportation, George Loveless wrote on a scrap of paper the following lines:
God is our guide! from field, from wave, From plough, from anvil, and from loom; We come, our country's rights to save, And speak a tyrant faction's doom: We raise the watch-word liberty; We will, we will,we will be free!
They became popular heroes and all, except James Hammett, were released in 1836, with the support of Lord John Russell, who had recently become Home Secretary. Year 1836 ( MDCCCXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap John Russell 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC (18 August 1792 &ndash 28 May 1878 known as Lord John Russell before 1861 was an English The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office Four of the six returned to the UK, disembarking at Plymouth, a popular stopping point for transportation ships. A plaque next to the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth's historic Barbican area commemorates this.
Hammett was released in 1837. Year 1837 ( MDCCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Meanwhile the others moved, first to Essex, then to London, Ontario, Canada, where there is now a monument in their honour and an affordable housing co-op/ trade union complex named after them. London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor with a metropolitan area population of 457720 the city proper Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page They are buried in a small London, Ontario, cemetery on Fanshawe Park Road East. Hammett remained in Tolpuddle. He died in the Dorchester workhouse in 1891. A workhouse, colloquially known as a spike was a place where people who were unable to support themselves could go to live and work
Cultural and historical significance
A monument was erected in their honour in Tolpuddle in 1934, and a sculpture of the martyrs, made in 2001, stands in the village in front of the Martyrs Museum there. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.
An annual festival is held in Tolpuddle, organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) featuring a parade of banners from many trade unions, a memorial service, speeches and music. The Trades Union Congress (TUC is a national trade union centre, a federation of Trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade Recent festivals have featured speakers such as Tony Benn and musicians such as Billy Bragg, as well as others from all around the world. Anthony "Tony" Neil Wedgwood Benn (born 3 April 1925 formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British Socialist Politician. Stephen William Bragg (born December 20, 1957 in Essex, England) better known as Billy Bragg, is an English musician who The festival is usually held in the third week of July - see Tolpuddle Martyrs festival
The story of Tolpuddle has enriched the history of trade unionism, but the significance of the Tolpuddle Martyrs continues to be debated since Sidney Webb and Beatrice Webb wrote the History of Trade Unionism (1890) and continues with such works as Dr Bob James's Craft Trade or Mystery (2001). The Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival is an annual free festival held in Dorset, England, which celebrates the memory of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. Sidney James Webb 1st Baron Passfield PC ( 13 July, 1859 &ndash 13 October, 1947) was a British socialist economist and reformer This article is about the socialist politician For the children's author see Beatrix Potter.
The Tolpuddle Martyrs were portrayed in the 1987 film Comrades, directed by Bill Douglas. William Gerald Forbes (Bill Douglas ( April 17, 1934 - June 18, 1991) was a Scottish Film director.
There are streets named in their honour in:
Image gallery
 The Tolpuddle Martyrs' Museum. Islington is the central district of the London Borough of Islington. Taunton is the County town of Somerset, England. The Unparished area (or former Municipal borough) of Taunton has a Population Allerton is a suburb of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England. It is located southeast of Liverpool city centre bordered by |
 The cottage of George Loveless. |
 Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival in 2004. |
References
- Tolpuddle Martyrs' Story Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum Trust
- History of Trade Unionism (1890) Sidney and Beatrice Webb
- Craft Trade or Mystery (2001) Dr Bob James
- The Book of the Martyrs of Tolpuddle 1834-1934, London : The Trades Union Congress General Council (1934) — Memorial Volume (printed by the Pelican Press) 240 pages. Modern reprint (1999) Tolpuddle Martyrs Memorial Trust, ISBN 1-85006-501-2
- Marlow, Joyce, The Tolpuddle Martyrs, London : History Book Club, (1971) and Grafton Books, (1985) ISBN 0-586-03832-9
- Tolpuddle - an historical account through the eyes of George Loveless. Contemporary accounts, letters, documents, etc. , compiled by Graham Padden, TUC, 1984, updated 1997.
- "The Martyrs of Tolpuddle - Settlers in Canada". Geoffrey R. Anderson 2002. A privately published 70 page booklet available at the London Public Library, and also at the Regional Collection, UWO
See also
External links
- The Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum
- The Wrong End of the World, The stirring story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs: An epic documentary drama with traditional music, for Salisbury Playhouse, 1987, by Graham Padden. The Peterloo Massacre (or Battle of Peterloo) occurred at St Peter's Field Manchester, England on 16 August 1819 when cavalry charged into For chartism in financial markets see Technical analysis, and for the British socialist journal see Chartist (magazine Chartism was
- Tolpuddle Martyrs Online
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