Tolpuddle Martyrs
In 1830, the county of Dorset became synonymous with poorly paid agricultural labour. By that autumn, more than forty disturbances occurred in the county during the Swing Riots. Two thirds of the labouring population in some parishes joined these large numbers of labourers who were receiving poor relief. The situation worsened after the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 when 13% of the county's population received aid. Landowners temporarily increased wages as a concession but law enforcement was also increased. Many labourers were arrested and imprisoned within a short time. The gains in wages were reversed quickly by authorities.
Six men from the village of Tolpuddle founded the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers in 1833. George Loveless led this Methodist local preacher group while meeting in the house of Thomas Standfield. These labourers refused to work for less than 10 shillings a week despite wages being reduced to seven shillens. They faced further reductions down to six shillings soon after. Groups such as the Friendly Society often used a skeleton painting as part of their initiation process. A newest member would be blindfolded and made to swear a secret oath before seeing the warning image. An example of such a skeleton painting is on display at the People's History Museum in Manchester today.
James Frampton, a magistrate and local landowner in Tolpuddle, wrote to Home Secretary Lord Melbourne about the union in 1834. He recommended invoking the Unlawful Oaths Act 1797 which prohibited swearing secret oaths. This obscure law was promulgated in response to the Spithead and Nore mutinies. The six members were arrested including James Brine, James Hammett, George Loveless, James Loveless, Thomas Standfield, and John Standfield. They were tried together before judge Sir John Williams in the case R v Lovelass and Others. All six were found guilty of swearing secret oaths and sentenced to transportation to Australia.
James Loveless, the two Standfields, Hammett and Brine sailed on the Surry to New South Wales arriving in Sydney on the 17th of August 1834. George Loveless left later on the William Metcalf reaching Hobart on the 4th of September due to illness. Brine and the Standfields were assigned as farm labourers to free settlers in the Hunter Valley. Hammett worked at the Queanbeyan farm of Edward John Eyre while James Loveless went to a farm at Strathallan. George Loveless was assigned to the viceregal farm of Lieutenant Governor Sir George Arthur in Hobart. Five who landed in Sydney faced delays obtaining early sailing due to tardiness in authorities confirming good conduct with assignees.
In England they became popular heroes and 800,000 signatures were collected for their release. Their supporters organised a political march which was one of the first successful marches in the United Kingdom. All were eventually pardoned in March 1836 on condition of good conduct. Lord John Russell had recently become Home Secretary and supported the pardon. When the pardon reached George Loveless some delay was caused by no word from his wife about joining him. A letter arrived stating she was not coming so he sailed from Van Diemen's Land on the 30th of January 1837. He arrived in England on the 13th of June 1837 after waiting months.
The Lovelesses, Standfields and Brine first settled on farms near Chipping Ongar in Essex upon returning from transportation. They lived at Tudor Cottage in Greensted while James Hammett returned to Tolpuddle and died in the Dorchester workhouse in 1891. The five later emigrated to London in Upper Canada where there is now a monument in their honour. 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. He is buried in St. Marys Cemetery in St. Marys Ontario.
A monument was erected in their honour in Tolpuddle in 1934 and a sculpture made in 2001 stands before the museum. The annual Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival usually held in the third week of July features a parade of banners from many trade unions. Recent festivals have featured speakers such as Tony Benn and musicians like Billy Bragg. A mural created in 1984 in Edward Square commemorates the gathering against penal transportation painted by artist David Bangs. In 1985 a memorial plaque for the Tolpuddle Martyrs was installed in Canberra's centre at Garema Place. The courtroom where they were tried has been little altered in 200 years and is preserved as part of a heritage scheme.
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Common questions
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.