Sheffield Outrages
Encyclopedia
Sheffield
's early success in steel production had involved long working hours, in desperately unpleasant conditions which offered little or no safety protection. "The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844" quotes a local doctor, Dr. Knight, regarding the so-called "Grinder's Asthma" suffered by the Sheffield cutlery workers in the mid 19th. century: "They usually begin their work in the fourteenth year, and if they have good constitutions, rarely notice any symptoms before the twentieth year. Then the symptoms of their peculiar disease appear. They suffer from shortness of breath at the slightest effort in going up hill or up stairs, they habitually raise the shoulders to relieve the permanent and increasing want of breath; they bend forward, and seem, in general, to feel most comfortable in the crouching position in which they work. Their complexion becomes dirty yellow, their features express anxiety, they complain of pressure on the chest. Their voices become rough and hoarse, they cough loudly, and the sound is as if air were driven through a wooden tube". It was, perhaps, no coincidence, therefore, that the city became one of the main centres for trade union
organisation and agitation in the United Kingdom
. By the 1860s, industrial unrest culminated in the Sheffield Outrages, the nadir of which was a series of explosions and murders carried out by a small group of militants.
By the mid-late 1860s the preponderance of the objectives of the Chartist movement had largely been frustrated. These social and political reformers had not accomplished all they had hoped to, except in small measure. These had included the establishment of the first town council in 1843. (Eventually, the great majority of the items of their 'charter' did, in fact, become law).
Social and working conditions in industrial England were not showing any significant improvement and the, as yet unrecognised, trade unions struggled to protect the interests of their members. These conditions provoked great discontent and eventually militant action. In some isolated incidents, workmen even began to use violence to punish employers and also those fellow-workers who would not become union members; the so-called "Sheffield Outrages".
The trade unions themselves sought a formal inquiry to establish the facts of the matter, largely as a result of accusations in the newspapers of complicity in these outrages resulting from investigations by W. C. Leng
of the Sheffield Daily Telegraph. On November 17. 1866 a delegation, which included members of the Sheffield Trades Council and the London Trades Council
, requested that the Home Secretary take the necessary measures to investigate.
This led to a Special Commission of Enquiry into these occurrences in May 1867. Immunity was offered to all who gave evidence and, as a result a number of people were encouraged to testify. Among these was William Broadhead
, the Secretary of the Sawgrinders' Union at that time, who described how he had paid two workmen £5 to murder a man called Linley who had taken on too many apprentices; in practice, a method of acquiring cheap labour.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
's early success in steel production had involved long working hours, in desperately unpleasant conditions which offered little or no safety protection. "The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844" quotes a local doctor, Dr. Knight, regarding the so-called "Grinder's Asthma" suffered by the Sheffield cutlery workers in the mid 19th. century: "They usually begin their work in the fourteenth year, and if they have good constitutions, rarely notice any symptoms before the twentieth year. Then the symptoms of their peculiar disease appear. They suffer from shortness of breath at the slightest effort in going up hill or up stairs, they habitually raise the shoulders to relieve the permanent and increasing want of breath; they bend forward, and seem, in general, to feel most comfortable in the crouching position in which they work. Their complexion becomes dirty yellow, their features express anxiety, they complain of pressure on the chest. Their voices become rough and hoarse, they cough loudly, and the sound is as if air were driven through a wooden tube". It was, perhaps, no coincidence, therefore, that the city became one of the main centres for trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
organisation and agitation in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. By the 1860s, industrial unrest culminated in the Sheffield Outrages, the nadir of which was a series of explosions and murders carried out by a small group of militants.
By the mid-late 1860s the preponderance of the objectives of the Chartist movement had largely been frustrated. These social and political reformers had not accomplished all they had hoped to, except in small measure. These had included the establishment of the first town council in 1843. (Eventually, the great majority of the items of their 'charter' did, in fact, become law).
Social and working conditions in industrial England were not showing any significant improvement and the, as yet unrecognised, trade unions struggled to protect the interests of their members. These conditions provoked great discontent and eventually militant action. In some isolated incidents, workmen even began to use violence to punish employers and also those fellow-workers who would not become union members; the so-called "Sheffield Outrages".
The trade unions themselves sought a formal inquiry to establish the facts of the matter, largely as a result of accusations in the newspapers of complicity in these outrages resulting from investigations by W. C. Leng
W. C. Leng
William Christopher Leng, known as W. C. Leng was a newspaper publisher in Sheffield.Leng was born and educated in Hull, before being apprenticed as a pharmacist and setting up his own business. During this period, he contributed anonymously to the Hull Free Press, calling for reforms such as...
of the Sheffield Daily Telegraph. On November 17. 1866 a delegation, which included members of the Sheffield Trades Council and the London Trades Council
London Trades Council
The London Trades Council was an early labour organisation, uniting London's trade unionists. Its modern successor organisation is the Greater London Association of Trades Councils...
, requested that the Home Secretary take the necessary measures to investigate.
This led to a Special Commission of Enquiry into these occurrences in May 1867. Immunity was offered to all who gave evidence and, as a result a number of people were encouraged to testify. Among these was William Broadhead
William Broadhead
William Broadhead was a British trade unionist and saw grinder.Born in Whirlow, Sheffield, Broadhead worked as a saw grinder from childhood, later becoming the landlord of a public house in Owlerton...
, the Secretary of the Sawgrinders' Union at that time, who described how he had paid two workmen £5 to murder a man called Linley who had taken on too many apprentices; in practice, a method of acquiring cheap labour.