CELEBRATING AT TOLPUDDLE

The labour movement was rekindled in 1834 when six agricultural workers from the village of Tolpuddle were transported for seven years for forming a union. The farmers had cut wages from nine shillings to six shillings a week at a time when the average weekly family expenditure just to survive was nearly 14 shillings. The Tolpuddle farmers agreed to increase wages to 10 shillings, but soon reneged on this and cut them back to seven shillings. "The labouring men consulted together what had better be done, as they knew it was impossible to live honestly on such scanty means," said George Loveless. So, in October 1833, he and about 40 others - half the village's adult population - formed the Tolpuddle Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. Its rules specifically opposed any acts of violence or violation of the law. This, however, did not impress the so-called upholders of the law, who charged six of the union leaders under the laws of sedition and treason. The actual charge was taking a secret oath. The six in the dock were George Loveless (1797-1874), his brother James (1808-1873), James Brine (1813-1902), Thomas Standfield (1790-1864), his son John (1813-1898) and James Hammett (1811-1891). The jury was comprised entirely of hostile farmers and the men were not allowed to give evidence on their own behalf. After the verdict, Loveless, who was a Methodist lay preacher, said from the dock that they had not injured anybody or damaged any property. "We were uniting together to preserve ourselves, our wives and our children from utter degradation and starvation," he declared. As they were taken to prison ships for transportation to Australia, he scribbled down the Song of Freedom, which went: “God is our guide, from field, from wave, From plough, from anvil, and from loom; We come, our country's right to save. And speak a tyrant faction's doom; We raise the watchword, liberty: We will, we will, we will be free!" A month after the verdict, over 100,000 people marched from Copenhagen Fields in north London - as depicted on the mural on the side of The Mitre pub in Copenhagen Street, N1 - to Parliament with a petition carrying 800,000 signatures demanding the men's release. The home secretary Lord Melbourne refused to accept it, but the mass pressure could not be resisted indefinitely and, in March 1836, the men were pardoned. It was not until August 1839, however, that the last of the men returned to England. He was James Hammett, whose grave is in St John's Church, Tolpuddle. RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: october 2008 :: RMTnews 36 TOLPUDDLE: Bob Crow heads up the RMT marching band at this year’s annual march in Tolpuddle to remember and honour the Tolpuddle Martyrs. CELEBRATING AT TOLPUDDLE PEOPLE’S PUBS Mike Penterlow kicks off a new series investigating pubs named after labour movement figures with The Martyrs Inn in Tolpuddle, Dorset