Unionism and Cooperation, 1785-1870

Question 1

What is an example of an early trade society and what did they do

Answer 1

The London Printers

Petitioned their masters for an increase in wages due to a high cost of living in 1793.

Gained 539 signatures, and were successful

Question 2

What were two major strikes very early in the 19th century

Answer 2

Lancashire cotton spinners in 1810 and again in 1818

Aims were not achieved in either

Question 3

What was the large trade union formed in 1834

Answer 3

The Grand National Consolidated Trades Union, with over 1 million members

Question 4

How did employers prevent unionism

Answer 4

Using ‘the document’, which had workers contractually agree not to be members of a union and could not join one

Question 5

How many members of the Grand National actually paid their fees?

Answer 5

16,000

Question 6

When did the Grand National collapse

Answer 6

1835

Question 7

When did the Grand National fail to support its members

Answer 7

In 1834, 1500 mill workers in Derby were locked out of their place of work for failing to leave their union

Despite lasting 4 months without pay, these men eventually returned because they couldn’t survive and weren’t supported enough by the Grand National

Question 8

What did the Combination Act ban

Answer 8

The actual membership or joining of a trade union that could negotiate for higher wages or lower hours was banned

Punishment was hard labour for any amount of time not exceeding 2 months

Friendly Societies, being regulated, were exempt from this

Question 9

When was the Master and Servant Act passed and what did it do

Answer 9

1823

Made the breaking of a contract an offence punishable by imprisonment, strikes included

Between 1857-1875, 10,000 prosecutions in England and Wales

Question 10

What was a knobstick

Answer 10

Also known as a ‘scab’, an Irish worker who replaced strikers

Question 11

Who were the Tolpuddle Martyrs

Answer 11

6 men who, in 1834, swore an oath to try and improve their wages.

Their employer, Frampton, lowered their wages to 6 shillings per week and had them tried and ‘transported’ to Australia.

Question 12

What was the reaction to the Martyr’s being transported

Answer 12

100,000 protestors turned up at Copenhagen fields, with 200,000 signatures seeking a pardon

Lord John Russell noticed, and began a process of democratisation in local government

Question 13

What was the first New Model Union

Answer 13

The Amalgamated Society of Engineers, 1851

12,000 members, and a fee of £1/year for membership

Branches from Lancashire to Scotland

Question 14

Which union represented miners from 1858

Answer 14

National Miners Association, working for legislation to improve safety in the pits

Helped to achieve the Mines Regulation Act 1860

Question 15

Which union almost successfully agitated for a change in the Master and Servant Law

Answer 15

Glasgow Carpenters Union

Question 16

What was the outcome of the Sheffield meeting for unions

Answer 16

Saw the formation of the United Kingdom Alliance of Organised Trades, formed in 1866, but this collapsed in 1868

Question 17

What were the Trade Councils in the TUC

Answer 17

Smaller groups which represented local interests in the TUC

Offered a broader forum for union activity but were still held back by their individuality

Question 18

What was the New Model Union set up in 1860

Answer 18

Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners

Question 19

How much did the Amalgamated Society of Engineers pay to builder to support their strike in London

Answer 19

3 donations of £1000

Question 20

When was the first meeting of the TUC and how many attended

Answer 20

1868, with 34 delegates

Question 21

What did the Molestation of Workmen Act of 1859 do

Answer 21

Gave rights to workers who picketed peacefully during strikes, conceding some rights but retaining the power of the government to imprison or act forcefully where necessary

Question 22

When were unions made entirely legal

Answer 22

Trades Union Act, 1871

Question 23

Which Trades Council was the most influential

Answer 23

The London Trades Council, with members like Robert Applegarth, leader of the Amalgamated Carpenters, and William Allen of the Amalgamated Engineers

Question 24

When was Robert Owen actually in control of New Lanark’s operation

Answer 24

1799 to 1828

The mill itself continued functioning until 1968

Question 25

How did New Lanark incentivise workers

Answer 25

A coloured block above their workstation which appealed to the workers sense of social standing

Question 26

What were work days like in New Lanark

Answer 26

From 1800, working day was 12 hours, with 3/2 hour break for meals

No children under 10 could work

Question 27

How successful was New Lanark

Answer 27

Future Tsar of Russia, Grand Duke Nicholas, visited in 1816

In 1834, Owen boasted he was able to maintain annual profits of £300,000

Question 28

What did William King do for co-operatives

Answer 28

Published a newspaper entitled ‘The Co-operator’ from 1827 to 1829

Despite the 2 year lifespan, it had a wide readership

Question 29

How many co-operatives were there by 1832

Answer 29

500

Question 30

When did the 28 Rochdale Pioneers set up their first store

Answer 30

1844

Question 31

What problems did the first Co-Operative congress of 1831 try to alleviate

Answer 31

• Unemployment
• High food prices and wage cuts
• Inequality in suffrage; workers had no voice
• Industrial and political action unsuccessful

Question 32

Who joined Friendly Societies initially, and what did they become

Answer 32

From the 17th century, working men (usually artisans and skilled workers) organised themselves into groups and paid into a mutual fund to support members who needed it at a later date

Expanded into a saving scheme and investment fund after 1817

Question 33

Where did friendly societies meet

Answer 33

ale houses and local inns

Question 34

What are some of the Friendly Societies which existed in the 19th century

Answer 34

The Royal Foresters, The Order of Buffaloes, the Hearts of Oak, and the Rechabites

Question 35

What did the government think of Friendly Societies in 1789

Answer 35

Exhibited the same radicalism as that in France

Question 36

What did the Friendly Societies Act of 1793 do

Answer 36

• Friendly Societies had to register with a local Justice of the Peace (JP)
• could not challenge the interests of the government

This act was updated to protect funds further in the Friendly Societies Act of 1855

Question 37

How much did Friendly Societies grow by

Answer 37

Due to legal recognition and protection of their funds due to the 1793 act, by 1803 around 8% of the population were members of a Friendly

By 1815, they provided insurance for 1/3 of the population

Question 38

What was the United Society, and what did it do

Answer 38

An association of numerous Friendly Societies which provided bread and meals for members who travelled around the country

Question 39

How many were in Friendly Societies compared to Trade Unions by 1870

Answer 39

Membership in Friendlies outnumbered that of Unions by 4 to 1