W. Boyd Hornidge was a British

British people

The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

 trade unionist.

Born in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, Hornidge left school before the age of nine. In 1876 he became a last

Last

A last is a form in the approximate shape of a human foot, used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs, and throughout their history have been made from many materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, and, more recently, high density...

er, joining the National Union of Boot and Shoe Riveters and Finishers (NUBSRF), and serving on its London branch committee. However, he struggled to find work an, in search of employment, he moved to Northampton

Northampton

Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...

. He became President of its local branch in 1891 and, two years later, was elected General President of the national union. He was known for his commitment to liberalism

Liberalism

Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...

, and focussed on arbitration

Arbitration

Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...

 as a solution to industrial disputes. He was also active in the National Secular Society

National Secular Society

The National Secular Society is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no-one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of religion. It was founded by Charles Bradlaugh in 1866...

.

In 1899, Hornidge narrowly beat Thomas Frederick Richards

Thomas Frederick Richards

Thomas Frederick Richards was a British trade unionist and Labour Party politician. Born in Wednesbury, in the English Black Country, he was the son of a commercial traveller. Following an elementary education, he started work at the age of eleven. He moved to Leicester, a centre for the...

 to become the General Secretary of the renamed National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives

National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives

The National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives was a trade union in the United Kingdom.The union was founded in 1873, when many riveters and finishers left the Amalgamated Association of Boot and Shoemakers . They were dissatisfied by their low status within the old union, and instead formed the...

, and he served as President of the Trades Union Congress

President of the Trades Union Congress

The President of the Trades Union Congress is a prominent but largely honorary position in British trade unionism.The President is elected at the annual conference of the Trades Union Congress . They officially fill the office for the remainder of the year and then preside over the following...

 in 1903. However, he suffered increasingly from bronchial asthma, found difficulty in fulfilling his duties, and was asked to stand down from his union office in late 1908. He died a few months later.