Hello all. Lorraine Standfield has more information on the Tolpuddle Martyrs to share with us. Lorraine would also like to know if someone has a copy of George Loveless's writings on the Tolpuddle Martyrs. It is perhaps called "Victims of Whiggery" or "Tolpuddle: An account through the eyes of George Loveless" or even something quite different. Cheers, Donna > > > The Tolpuddle Martyrs Story > Also known as The Dorchester Labourers. > > Tolpuddle (also called Tolpuddell and Tolpiddle) is a village and parish on > the River Trent or Piddle; it is 7 miles north-east from Dorchester. These > days it is famous for being the birthplace of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. > > Between 1770 and 1830, enclosures changed the English rural > landscape forever. Landowners annexed vast acreages, producing even greater > wealth from the small hedged fields. Peasants no longer had plots to grow > vegetables nor open commons for grazing their one cow or sheep and pigs. > > Diet was basic - tea, bread and potatoes. As a result, the people > were badly nourished and small. Low wages reduced families to starvation > level unless they could be supplemented by working wives and children. > > The labourers at Tolpuddle lived in meagre poverty on just 7 > shillings a week and wanted an increase to 10 shillings (A$1 in today's > money), but instead the wages were cut to 6 shillings a week. > > At the turn of the 19th century high corn prices and low > labourers' wages led to several years of unrest, with incidents of rural > sabotage and numerous uprisings. The Swing Riots with their brutal > punishments in the early 1830s was still fresh in people's memories, and the > men were determined to fight for their cause peacefully. > > The Whig government [which came into being after 1688 & by the > 19th C. was the Liberal Party] had become alarmed at the working class > discontent in the country at this time. The government and the landowners, > led by James Frampton, were determined to squash the society and to control > increasing outbreaks of dissent. > > Six of the Tolpuddle labourers: George and James Loveless, James > Brine, James Hammett, Thomas Standfield and his son John were arrested at > dawn on February 24 1834 - their crime being that they had created a "The > Friendly Society of Agricultural Workers", and had participated in the > taking of illegal oaths in an upper room of Thomas Standfield's cottage. The > group held a somewhat bizarre initiation rite based on a 14th century wool > combers' ceremony. The ceremony also included a solemn oath of brotherhood > and the intention of fighting for better wages. > > Although Trade Unions had been declared legal in England since > 1824 the six men were charged under the preamble to the 1797 Mutiny and > Seditions Act, which declared that anyone administering a secret oath was > committing an illegal act. This 1797 Act was intended to prevent mutiny in > the Royal Navy! > > It was George Loveless who was the leader and it was he who > established the Tolpuddle Friendly Society of Agricultural Workers. As well > as leader of the Society, he was also a Dissenter, following Wesley's > Methodism, as did his brother and the Standfields. He was a Lay Preacher, > and knew about the law. > > At their [2 day] trial at Dorchester Assizes on 17th March the > judge, Mr. Baron Williams, was openly hostile and informed a carefully > chosen jury before the proceedings began, that trade unions and everything > about them was evil. The two-day trial was a farce - with an obviously > pre-determined verdict and the six men were found guilty of administering > the secret oaths. Two local labourers, John Lock and Edward Legg, gave > evidence against them. [I believe at least one of them took the oath.] > > In March [18th]1834 the labourers were sentenced to 7 years > transportation to the penal colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen's > Land [Now Tasmania] in Australia for their activities. > > The harshness and injustice of their treatment caused massive > public outcry. On 21st April 1834, one month after the trial many public > protest meetings were held and there was uproar throughout the country at > this sentence; so the prisoners were hastily transported to Australia > without delay, shackled to thieves and murderers in convict ships- with six > convicts to a space of about 5'6" square. > > The people were incensed at this treatment, and after 250,000 > people signed a petition a procession of 30,000 people marched down > Whitehall to present the petition to the home secretary, Lord Melbourne, in > support of the labourers. He refused to accept it. > > Mounting public pressure at home, led by reformers eventually > resulted in King William IV granting the Martyrs a royal pardon. The > sentences were remitted. > > On the 14th March 1836, Melbourne's successor, the enlightened > and liberal-minded Lord John Russell, announced to Parliament that free > pardons had been granted to all six men. Due to distance and delay in > Australia, George Loveless did not return to England until the 13th June > 1837. James Loveless, James Brine and Thomas and John Stanfield came home on > the 16th March 1838 and James Hammett some time in August 1839. > > To make amends to those who were soon dubbed the Tolpuddle > Martyrs, farms had been purchased for them in Essex from a public fund, the > Dorchester Labourers' Farm Tribute. However, these brought them neither > peace nor satisfaction. Mud had been slung and it stuck. > > The neighbours were antagonistic, regarding the Tolpuddle six as > convicts, indelibly stamped with the taint of a criminal past. More > importantly, their names sprang first to reactionary minds whenever some > hint of unrest occurred in the vicinity. Worse still, the Loveless family > were linked to the latest threat to the 'ideal' unchanging society, the > Chartist Movement, which sought to secure the right to vote for every man, > however humble. > > In 1844, disgusted with the notoriety and the pointing fingers, > all the men except James Hammett emigrated to London, Ontario, Canada where > they bought land and prospered. John Standfield eventually became the Mayor > of his district. James Brine married Elizabeth, John Standfield's sister > in1839. Their descendents live there today and the name of Tolpuddle is > remembered in several local organisations. The émigrés all wrote about their > experiences. [Does anyone know if they did?] > > Only one of the six, James Hammett, settled again in Tolpuddle, > where he died in 1891. His grave is in the churchyard. > > The tree under which the 'martyrs' met is now very old and > reduced to a stump, but it has become a place of pilgrimage in Tolpuddle, > where it is known as the 'Martyrs Tree'. > > The wealthy London draper Sir Ernest Debenham erected a > commemorative seat and shelter in 1934 on the green. > > 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. Recent festivals have featured > speakers such as Tony Benn and musicians such as Billy Bragg [singer], as > well as others from all around the world. The festival is usually held in > the third week of July. > > > > > > More to follow