Political and industrial crisis : the experience of the Tyne and Wear pitmen, 1831-1832
The coalfield of North East England was at the forefront of the industrial revolution in the early nineteenth century, in terms of both technological expertise and managerial experience in business practice. Labour relations were a source of intermittent conflict, and the conjunction of industrial unrest at the collieries, a major cholera epidemic, and the parliamentary reform campaign of 1831-1832, brought an unusual crisis. Prompted by economic deterioration, a new Tyne and Wear pitmenâs union, known after its chairman as 'Hepburn's Union', conducted a successful coal strike in the summer of 1831. But as the pitmen consolidated their victory, the House of Lords' rejection in October 1831 of a second parliamentary Reform Bill caused a major outcry, and locally raised the profile of the 'Northern Political Union', a Newcastle-based pressure group embracing all shades of pro-reform opinion. Many local pitmen gave demonstrable support to the NPU, not least at its May 1832 reform meeting in Newcastle. Meanwhile however, the previously complacent coal owners had consciously set out to destroy the pitmen's union, and after establishing an indemnity fund, provoked the pitmen into strike action in April 1832. The
Ridley, David
History
Political and industrial crisis : the experience of the Tyne and Wear pitmen, 1831-1832. The coalfield of North East England was at the forefront of the industrial revolution in the early nineteenth century, in terms of both technological expertise and managerial experience in business practice. Labour relations were a source of intermittent conflict, and the conjunction of industrial unrest at the collieries, a major cholera epidemic, and the parliamentary reform campaign of 1831-1832, brought an unusual crisis. Prompted by economic deterioration, a new Tyne and Wear pitmenâs union, known after its chairman as 'Hepburn's Union', conducted a successful coal strike in the summer of 1831. But as the pitmen consolidated their victory, the House of Lords' rejection in October 1831 of a second parliamentary Reform Bill caused a major outcry, and locally raised the profile of the 'Northern Political Union', a Newcastle-based pressure group embracing all shades of pro-reform opinion. Many local pitmen gave demonstrable support to the NPU, not least at its May 1832 reform meeting in Newcastle. Meanwhile however, the previously complacent coal owners had consciously set out to destroy the pitmen's union, and after establishing an indemnity fund, provoked the pitmen into strike action in April 1832. The
political industrial crisis experience tyne wear coalfield north_east_england forefront industrial_revolution term technological expertise managerial experience business practice labour_relation source conflict conjunction industrial_unrest colliery major cholera epidemic parliamentary_reform campaign bring unusual crisis economic deterioration new tyne wear union know chairman union conduct successful coal strike consolidate victory house_lords rejection second parliamentary_reform bill cause major locally raise profile northern political union newcastle based pressure_group embrace shade pro reform opinion many local give demonstrable support least reform meeting newcastle meanwhile however previously coal owner consciously set destroy union establish fund provoke strike action