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1867 - The Sheffield Outrages
 By 1867 the Chartist movement was defeated. These social
and political reformers had not achieved all they set out
to do but they had had some victories, not least the setting
up of the first town council in 1843 (and eventually all but
one of the points on their charter became law).
However, social and working conditions were not improving
and the unrecognised trade unions struggled to protect the
interest of their members.
This gave rise to great unrest.
Occasionally, workmen used violent methods to punish unpopular
employers or workers who wouldn't join the union. In 1867
there was a Commission of Enquiry into these outrages, with
a promise of immunity for all who gave evidence.
The secretary of the Sawgrinders' union, William Broadhead,
was one of those who gave evidence to the commission. He described
how he had paid two workmen £5 to murder a man called Linley
who had taken on too many apprentices; a method of acquiring
cheap labour. Broadhead went to live in the USA after the
enquiry into the outrages.
See
William
Henry Smith |
