Crime and Punishment / 1834
Crime and Punishment: Tolpuddle Martyrs
Farm workers formed a union and were punished as if they were dangerous rebels.
What To Remember
- The Tolpuddle Martyrs were Dorset agricultural labourers who formed a union after repeated wage cuts.
- Joining a union was not illegal, so the authorities used an old law against secret oaths to prosecute them.
- Their transportation caused a national protest campaign and they were pardoned in 1836.
Why they organised
Life was hard for farm workers in Tolpuddle, Dorset, and wages had been cut several times.
Led by George Loveless, six men helped form the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers.
They swore an oath of secrecy and support, which gave the authorities a legal excuse to act.
Fear of protest
After the French Revolution of 1789, British landowners and politicians feared radical protest and revolution.
The Grand National Consolidated Trades Union also worried employers because it tried to unite workers across trades.
The Tolpuddle case shows how the law could be used to defend authority and property, not just punish ordinary crime.
Transportation and pardon
The six men were sentenced in 1834 to 7 years transportation to Australia.
The punishment caused anger: about 25000 people attended a London meeting and a petition gained around 250000 signatures.
The government pardoned the men in March 1836, though it took around two more years for all of them to return.
Revision Prompt
Why were the Tolpuddle Martyrs treated as dangerous criminals when their real demand was higher wages?