hi all my understanding was that Tolpuddle boys were expected to work for 6 shillings a week, and it was this that spurred it all on. In 1830 the labourer's wages were nine, then eight, and seven until 1834 the threat of six being introduced. Since 1824 unions alone were not illegal, but the Mutiny Act of 1797 forbad the taking of unlawful oaths, and this is where they were trapped. Cheers from sunny and warm (for once) West London, England. Sally ----- Original Message ----- From: "Donna King" <emily04@rogers.com> To: <TOLPUDDLE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2005 4:25 PM Subject: [TOL] MARCH 18, 1834 > Hello all. I was forwarded this by Greg Lovelace, and it concerns our own > Tolpuddle Martyrs. I will never look at the day after St Patricks Day the > same way anymore. > > Donna > > > >Subject: March 18, 1834 > > > > > >1834 Tolpuddle Martyrs banished to Australia > > >In England, six English agricultural laborers are sentenced to seven > years of > > > banishment to Australia's New South Wales penal colony for their trade > > > union > > > activities. > > >In 1833, after several years of reductions in their agricultural wages, a > > >group of workers in Tolpuddle, a small village east of Dorchester, > England, > > >formed the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. Led by George > > >Loveless, a > > >farm laborer, the union rapidly grew in the area, and it was agreed that > the > > >men would not accept work for less than 10 shillings a week. With the > urging > > >of the British government, which feared a repetition of the rural unrest > of > > >1830, local authorities arrested Loveless and five others on charges of > > >taking > > >an unlawful oath, citing an outdated law that had been passed in the > late > > >18th century to deal with naval mutiny. In March 1834, these six men, > > >including > > >one who had never taken the oath, were sentenced to seven years > imprisonment > > >at an Australian penal colony. > > >Public reaction throughout the country made the six into popular heroes, > and > > >in 1836, after continual agitation, the sentence against the so-called > > >"Tolpuddle Martyrs" was finally remitted. Only one of the six returned to > > >Tolpuddle; the rest emigrated to Canada, where one Tolpuddle Martyr--John > > >Standfield--became mayor of his district. The popular movement > surrounding > > >the Tolpuddle > > >controversy is generally regarded as the beginning of trade unionism in > > >Great Britain. > > > > > > --- > > [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] > > > > > > > > ==== TOLPUDDLE Mailing List ==== > LOVELESS/LOVELACE GENEALOGY PAGE - > UNITED KINGDOM/CANADA/AUSTRALIA > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~martyrs > > >