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Questions about Tolpuddle Martyrs

Short answers, pulled from the story.

Who were the six men convicted for unionising in Tolpuddle?

The six men convicted for unionising in Tolpuddle were James Brine, James Hammett, George Loveless, James Loveless, Thomas Standfield, and John Standfield. They founded the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers in 1833 to resist wage cuts.

When did the Tolpuddle Martyrs arrive in New South Wales and Hobart?

James Loveless, the two Standfields, Hammett and Brine arrived in Sydney on the 17th of August 1834. George Loveless reached Hobart on the 4th of September due to illness while sailing on the William Metcalf.

Why were the agricultural labourers sentenced to transportation to Australia?

Magistrate James Frampton recommended invoking the Unlawful Oaths Act 1797 which prohibited swearing secret oaths. The court found all six guilty of this charge and sentenced them to transportation to Australia.

What happened to the Tolpuddle Martyrs after they received a pardon in March 1836?

All six members were pardoned in March 1836 on condition of good conduct by Home Secretary Lord John Russell. George Loveless sailed from Van Diemen's Land on the 30th of January 1837 and arrived in England on the 13th of June 1837.

Where are the graves of the Tolpuddle Martyrs located today?

George Loveless and Thomas Standfield are buried in Siloam Cemetery on Fanshawe Park Road East in London Ontario. James Brine is buried in St. Marys Cemetery in St. Marys Ontario where he died in 1902.