48-559: The Tolpuddle Martyrs were six agricultural labourers from the village of Tolpuddle in Dorset , England, who were arrested and tried in 1834 for swearing a secret oath as members of a friendly society . Led by George Loveless , the group had formed the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers during a labour dispute over wage cuts that reduced their income to near-starvation levels. Such unions were technically legal, but
96-519: A royal pardon for all crews, reassignment of some of the unpopular officers, and a pay raise and abolition of the purser's pound. Afterwards, the mutiny was to become nicknamed the "breeze at Spithead". Inspired by the example of their comrades at Spithead, the sailors at the Nore , an anchorage in the Thames Estuary , also mutinied, on 12 May 1797, when the crew of Sandwich seized control of
144-571: A 50% increase in mutinies among European navies and merchant companies. Scholars have linked it to the radical political ideologies developing at the time, including the development of working class consciousness among sailors. Both explanations have been the subject of extensive academic investigation. Political analyses often emphasize the radical discourse and conduct of the Nore mutineers as evidence of their ideological motivation. Class analyses often emphasize harsh discipline and economic grievances of
192-581: A French port in the West Indies. Other mutinies took place off the coast of Ireland and at the Cape of Good Hope and spread to the fleet under Admiral Jervis off the coast of Spain. On HMS Defiance , a court martial took the evidence of the oaths of allegiance to the United Irishmen and eleven men were sentenced to hang for it. In the years following Spithead and the Nore, there was about
240-411: A flotilla of fifty loyal ships to prevent the mutineers moving on the city of London. It was largely fear of this blockade moving down river that made the mutineers reconsider their actions and begin to waver. The mutineers expanded their initial grievances and blockaded London, preventing merchant vessels from entering the port, and the principals made plans to sail their ships to France, alienating
288-438: A friendly society that operated as a trade-specific benefit society , led by George Loveless , a Methodist local preacher , and meeting in the house of Thomas Standfield . Groups such as the Friendly Society would often use a skeleton painting as part of their initiation process, where the newest member would be blindfolded and made to swear a secret oath . The blindfold would then be removed and they would be presented with
336-507: A letter was received to the effect that she was not coming and Loveless sailed from Van Diemen's Land on 30 January 1837, arriving in England on 13 June 1837. In New South Wales, there were delays in obtaining an early sailing due to tardiness in the authorities confirming good conduct with the convicts' assignees and then getting them released from their assignments. James Loveless, Thomas and John Standfield, and James Brine departed Sydney on
384-738: A mural was created in Edward Square, off Copenhagen Street, Islington, to commemorate the gathering of people organised by the Central Committee of the Metropolitan Trade Unions to demonstrate against the penal transportation of the Tolpuddle Martyrs to Australia. The mural was painted by artist David Bangs . In 1985 a memorial plaque for the Tolpuddle Martyrs was installed in Garema Place in
432-634: A plaque made by Clifford Harper at a ceremony in March 2020. Agricultural labourer Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 545547276 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:36:50 GMT Spithead and Nore mutinies The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of
480-547: A political march, one of the first successful marches in the United Kingdom, and all were eventually pardoned in March 1836 on the condition of good conduct, with the support of Lord John Russell , who had recently become Home Secretary . When the pardon reached George Loveless some delay was caused in his leaving due to no word from his wife as to whether she was to join him in Van Diemen's Land. On 23 December 1836,
528-755: A popular cause for the early union and workers' rights movements. Annual events in Tolpuddle honour their legacy. In 1799 and 1800, the Combination Acts in the Kingdom of Great Britain had outlawed "combining" or organising to gain better working conditions, passed by Parliament because of a political scare following the French Revolution . In 1824, the Combination Acts were repealed due to their unpopularity and replaced with
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#1732772210474576-601: A tyrant faction's doom: We raise the watch-word liberty; We will, we will, we will be free! James Loveless, the two Standfields, Hammett and Brine sailed on the Surry to New South Wales , where they arrived in Sydney on 17 August 1834. George Loveless was delayed due to illness and left later on the William Metcalf to Van Diemen's Land , reaching Hobart on 4 September. Of the five who landed in Sydney, Brine and
624-527: Is buried in St. Marys Cemetery, St. Marys, Ontario . Hammett returned to Tolpuddle and died in the Dorchester workhouse in 1891. The Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum in Tolpuddle, Dorset, features displays and interactive exhibits about the martyrs and their effect on trade unionism. The Shire Hall in Dorchester , where the Tolpuddle Martyrs were tried, is now a museum, including material about them. A monument
672-885: The John Barry on 11 September 1837, reaching Plymouth (one of the departure points for convict transport ships) on 17 March 1838. A plaque next to the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth's historical Barbican area commemorates the arrival. Although due to depart with the others, James Hammett was detained in Windsor , charged with an assault, while the others left the colony. It was not until March 1839 that he sailed, arriving in England in August 1839. The Lovelesses, Standfields and Brine first settled on farms near Chipping Ongar , Essex , upon their return from transportation, with
720-636: The Articles of War , eventually expanding to a demand that the King dissolve Parliament and make immediate peace with France. These demands infuriated the Admiralty, which offered nothing except a pardon (plus the concessions already made at Spithead) in exchange for an immediate return to duty. Captain Sir Erasmus Gower commissioned HMS Neptune (98 guns) in the upper Thames and put together
768-553: The Channel Fleet , commanded by Admiral Lord Bridport , protested against the living conditions aboard Royal Navy vessels and demanded a pay rise, better victualling , increased shore leave, and compensation for sickness and injury. On 26 April a supportive mutiny broke out on 15 ships in Plymouth , who sent delegates to Spithead to take part in negotiations. Seamen's pay rates had been established in 1658, and because of
816-603: The Combinations of Workmen Act 1825 , which legalised trade union organisations but severely restricted their activity. By the start of the 19th century the county of Dorset had become synonymous with poorly paid agricultural labour. In 1815, after the end of the Napoleonic Wars , 13% of the county's population were receiving poor relief , and this worsened in the subsequent agricultural recession. By 1830 conditions were so bad that large numbers of labourers joined
864-596: The Royal Navy in 1797. They were the first in an increasing series of outbreaks of maritime radicalism in the Atlantic World . Despite their temporal proximity, the mutinies differed in character. The Spithead mutiny was a simple, peaceful, successful strike action to address economic grievances, while the Nore mutiny was a more radical action, articulating political ideals as well, which failed. The mutinies were extremely concerning for Britain , because at
912-471: The Swing Riots that affected southern England that autumn; more than forty disturbances occurred in the county, involving two thirds of the labouring population in some parishes. A few landowners temporarily increased wages as a concession, but law enforcement was also increased and many labourers were arrested and imprisoned, and within a short time the gains in wages were reversed. In 1833 six men from
960-542: The Unlawful Oaths Act 1797 , an obscure law promulgated in response to the Spithead and Nore mutinies which prohibited the swearing of secret oaths. The Friendly Society's members: 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. They were tried together before the judge Sir John Williams in
1008-568: The British government, wary of organised labour , invoked an obscure 1797 law against " unlawful oaths " to bring charges. In R v Loveless and Others the men were convicted and sentenced to penal transportation in Australia. They were pardoned in 1836 after mass protests by sympathisers and support from Lord John Russell , and returned to England between 1837 and 1839. Most of the men later emigrated to Canada. The Tolpuddle Martyrs became
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#17327722104741056-725: The Lovelesses and Brine living at Tudor Cottage in Greensted Green . The five later emigrated to the town of London , Upper Canada (in present-day Ontario ), where there is now a monument in their honour and an affordable housing co-op and trade union complex named after them. George Loveless and Thomas Standfield are buried in Siloam Cemetery on Fanshawe Park Road East in London, Ontario. James Brine died in 1902, having lived in nearby Blanshard Township since 1868, and
1104-590: The Royal Navy". HMS Defiance , which had been part of the "floating republic" at Spithead, did see United Irish oaths administered (according to court-martial evidence) in a further mutiny during the Irish rebellion in the early summer of 1798 . Eleven of the crew were hanged and ten sentenced to transportation . In September 1797, the crew of Hermione mutinied in the West Indies , killing almost all
1152-575: The Spithead mutiny, the government and the Admiralty were not inclined to make further concessions, particularly as they felt some leaders of the Nore mutiny had political aims beyond improving pay and living conditions. The mutineers were denied food and water, and when Parker hoisted the signal for the ships to sail to France, all of the remaining ships refused to follow. Meanwhile, Captain Charles Cunningham of HMS Clyde , which
1200-627: The Standfields were assigned as farm labourers to free settlers in the Hunter Valley . Hammett was assigned to the Queanbeyan farm of Edward John Eyre , and James Loveless was assigned to a farm at Strathallan. In Hobart, George Loveless was assigned to the viceregal farm of Lieutenant Governor Sir George Arthur . In England they became popular heroes and 800,000 signatures were collected for their release. Their supporters organised
1248-639: The Valentine Joyce in question was Irish and a republican has been disputed, and while that "rebellious paper, the Northern Star " (from Belfast) may have circulated as reported among the mutineers, no evidence has emerged of a concerted United Irish plot to subvert the fleet. In Ireland there was talk of seizing British warships as part of a general insurrection, but it was only after the Spithead and Nore mutinies that United Irishmen awoke to "surprising effectiveness" of formulating sedition within
1296-487: The additional time at sea greatly altered the rhythm and difficulty of seamen's work. The Royal Navy had not made adjustments for any of these changes, and was slow to understand their effects on its crews. Impressment (a common practice) meant that some of the seamen were onboard ship against their will. Finally, the new wartime quota system meant that crews had many landsmen from inshore (including some convicted criminals sent in lieu of punishment) who did not mix well with
1344-406: The blockade, and only Royal Navy victualling (i.e., supply) ships be detained. The ostensible reason provided in the order was that "the release of the merchant vessels would create a favourable impression on shore", although this decision may have had more to do with such a wide and complex undertaking as interdicting all the merchant traffic on the busy Thames . After the successful resolution of
1392-469: The career seamen, leading to discontented ships' companies. The mutineers were led by elected delegates and tried to negotiate with the Admiralty for two weeks, focusing their demands on better pay, the abolition of the 14-ounce " purser's pound " (the ship's purser was allowed to keep two ounces of every true pound —16 ounces—of meat as a perquisite , equivalent to 57 g in every 454 g), and
1440-481: The case R v Lovelass and Others . All six were found guilty of swearing secret oaths and sentenced to transportation to Australia. When sentenced to seven years' penal transportation, George Loveless wrote on a scrap of paper lines from the union hymn "The Gathering of the Unions": 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
1488-518: The centre of Australia's capital city Canberra. Comrades is a 1986 British historical drama film directed by Bill Douglas and starring an ensemble cast including James Fox , Robert Stephens and Vanessa Redgrave . Through the pictures of a travelling lanternist, it depicts the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. A workshop production, based on the film Comrades , was performed at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter on 23 March 2023 and told
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1536-465: The last dog watch , as that had been the signal to begin the mutiny. The authorities were more than ready to see in the mutinies, not only the hand of English radicals but also among the large contingent of Irish sailors, the hand of the United Irishmen . Much was made of Valentine Joyce, among the delegates at Spithead, described by Edmund Burke as a "seditious Belfast clubist". That
1584-419: The mutiny and go to sea immediately if French ships were spotted heading for English shores. Because of mistrust, especially over pardons for the mutineers, the negotiations broke down, and minor incidents broke out, with several unpopular officers sent to shore and others treated with signs of deliberate disrespect. When the situation calmed, Admiral Lord Howe intervened to negotiate an agreement that issued
1632-485: The officers in revenge for a number of grievances, including throwing into the sea, without proper burial, the bodies of three men killed by falling from the rigging in a desperate attempt not to be the last men on deck, which was punishable by flogging. The Hermione was taken by the crew to the Spanish port of La Guaira . On 27 December, the crew of Marie Antoinette murdered their officers and took their ship into
1680-453: The regular English sailors and losing more and more ships as the mutiny progressed. This gave rise to a fear in the Admiralty that ships still at sea might be taken to France, but that was generally unfounded. When word of the mutiny reached the squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren , cruising off Ushant, the crew of HMS Galatea seized her, confining her captain, Richard Goodwin Keats , but
1728-462: The removal of a handful of unpopular officers. Neither flogging nor impressment was mentioned in the mutineers' demands, even though ending impressment had been one of the motivations for the Mutiny. The mutineers maintained regular naval routine and discipline aboard their ships (mostly with their regular officers), allowed some ships to leave for convoy escort duty or patrols, and promised to suspend
1776-521: The reprisals that followed, 29 were hanged, 29 were imprisoned, and nine were flogged , while others were sentenced to transportation to Australia. One such was surgeon's mate William Redfern who became a respected surgeon and landowner in New South Wales. The majority of men involved in the mutiny were not punished at all, which was lenient by the standards of the time. After the Nore mutiny, Royal Navy vessels no longer rang five bells in
1824-438: The ship. Several other ships in the same location followed this example, though others slipped away during the mutiny despite gunfire from the ships that were attempting to use force to hold the mutiny together. The mutineers had been unable to organise easily because the ships were scattered along the Nore (and were not all part of a unified fleet, as at Spithead), but they quickly elected delegates for each ship. Richard Parker
1872-522: The skeleton painting to warn them of their own mortality but also to remind them of what happens to those who break their promises. An example of such a skeleton painting is on display at the People's History Museum in Manchester. In 1834, James Frampton, a magistrate and local landowner in Tolpuddle, wrote to Home Secretary Lord Melbourne to complain about the union, who recommended Frampton invoke
1920-510: The stability of wages and prices, they were still reasonable as late as the 1756–1763 Seven Years' War ; however, high inflation during the last decades of the 18th century had severely eroded the real value of the pay. Pay raises had meanwhile been granted to the army, militia, and naval officers. At the same time, the practice of coppering the submerged part of hulls , which had started in 1761, meant that British warships no longer had to return to port frequently to have their hulls scraped, and
1968-519: The story of The Tolpuddle Martyrs up to the time of their arrest. It was written and directed by Tony Lidington and performed by drama students from the University of Exeter . A musical drama by Alan Plater and Vince Hill , 'Tolpuddle', was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 16 October 1982. The Tolpuddle Martyrs also find reference in a poem by Daljit Nagra : "Vox Populi, Vox Dei". The men who returned to Plymouth from Australia were commemorated with
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2016-586: The time the country was at war with Revolutionary France , and the Navy was the main component of the war effort. There were also concerns among the government that the mutinies might be part of wider attempts at revolutionary sedition instigated by societies such as the London Corresponding Society and the United Irishmen . The mutiny at Spithead (an anchorage near Portsmouth ) lasted from 16 April to 15 May 1797. Sailors on 16 ships in
2064-417: The village of Tolpuddle founded the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers as a friendly society to protest against the gradual lowering of agricultural wages. These Tolpuddle labourers refused to work for less than 10 shillings a week, although by this time wages had been reduced to seven shillings and were due to be further reduced to six. The Friendly Society's rules show it was clearly structured as
2112-552: The whole squadron nonetheless followed orders to return to Plymouth. There was seemingly no thought of treason – the men just wanted improvements in their conditions. When they returned to shore Keats was released and once prize money was secured and other matters of pay were settled, they returned to their station. Although the port of Brest was unwatched for some weeks the French missed the opportunity to get to sea. On 5 June, Parker issued an order that merchant ships be allowed to pass
2160-649: The world. The courtroom where the martyrs were tried, which has been little altered in 200 years, in Dorchester's Shire Hall, is being preserved as part of a heritage scheme. The story of Tolpuddle has enriched the history of trade unionism, but the significance of the Tolpuddle Martyrs continues to be debated since Sidney and Beatrice Webb wrote the History of Trade Unionism (1894) and continues with such works as Bob James's Craft Trade or Mystery (2001). The following places are named in their honour: In 1984,
2208-667: Was elected "President of the Delegates of the Fleet". According to him, he was nominated and elected without his knowledge. Parker was a former master's mate who was disrated and court-martialled in December 1793 and re-enlisted in the Navy as a seaman in early 1797, where he came to serve aboard the brig-sloop Hound . A list of eight demands was formulated and on 20 May 1797, and presented to Admiral Charles Buckner , which mainly involved pardons, increased pay, and modification of
2256-715: 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 Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum. The annual Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival is usually held in the third week of July, organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and features a parade of banners from many trade unions, a memorial service, speeches, and music. Recent festivals have featured speakers such as Tony Benn , musicians such as Billy Bragg , and local folk singers including Graham Moore, as well as others from all around
2304-413: Was there for a refit, persuaded his crew to return to duty and slipped off to Sheerness . This was seen as a signal to others to do likewise, and eventually, most ships slipped their anchors and deserted (some under fire from the mutineers), and the mutiny failed. Parker was quickly convicted of treason and piracy and hanged from the yardarm of Sandwich , the vessel where the mutiny had started. In
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