In response to the question from Larua Kennon regarding the significance of the Tolpuddle Lovelesses.... Dorset and Kent are both on the southern extremity of England and are awashed by the English Channel It goes something like this: Cornwall> Devonshire> Dorsetshire> Hampshire> Sussex> Kent [partial quote] "Violence on picket lines and bloody battles between striking workers and police would seem to have little in common wth a little village green in Dorset,yet beneath a giant sycamore at Tolpuddle six farm labourers banded together in 1831 and made a pact which was the beginning of Trade Unionism in England. There was no violence, they were good men and had deep Christian beliefs, but decided to ask for 3 extra shillings a week to 'save their families from starvation and utter degradation.' A judge at Dorchester sent George Loveless and his companions to a penal colony in Australia for 7 years, 'not for anything they had done, but as an example to others.' They were later pardoned." <http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/btomp/tolpuddl.htm [another exerpt] "Tolpuddle is famous as the 'birthplace' of the Trades Union movement throughout the world. In 1834 six farm labourers whose already meagre eages were threatened with a cut, met in Tolpuddle to discuss joint action. Their leaders, James and George Loveless, helped them establish a lodge of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. The six (the others were James Brine, Thomas Stansfield and his son John, and James Hammett) were arrested for unlawful assembly and charged with 'administering unlawful oaths.' At Dorchester Assizes in March 1834 they were sentenced to seven years transportaiton to the penal colony in Australia However the six men became popular heroes, and a large protest movement formed. In March 1836, the Government was forced to remit the sentences in the face of public pressure. Only one of the six, James Hammett, settled again in Tolpuddle, where he died in 1891. His grave is in the churchyard. Among the others, three emigrated to East London, Ontario, Canada, where John Stanfield eventually became the Mayor of his district after a career as a hotel propietor. George Loveless and his brother James settled on a farm near the small settlement of Siloam, where George died in 1874. For years no one in the area was aware of their past history as they had resolved on reaching Canada not to talk about their transportation. Their descendents live there today." <http://www.dorset-cc.gov.uk/tolpudd.htm> Analysis of the Tolpuddle census listings for 1851/1861/1871 shows a continued proximity and overlapping of the households of Hammetts/Loveless/...my interest comes through the WAY intermarriage into the Loveless line.... If there's interest, I'd be willing to post more, but this may be 'enough, already!' Jacki Keck - Williston ND USA <[email protected]>