Friendly Society of Iron Founders of England, Ireland and Wales

The Friendly Society of Iron Founders of England, Ireland and Wales (FSIF) was an early trade union representing foundry workers in the United Kingdom.

Friendly Society of Iron Founders
Full nameFriendly Society of Iron Founders of England, Ireland and Wales
Founded1809
Date dissolved1920
Merged intoNational Union of Foundry Workers
Members11,000 (1867)
19,501 (1907[1])
AffiliationTUC
CountryUnited Kingdom

History

The union was founded in 1809 in Bolton as the Friendly Iron Moulders' Society. Unlike the many friendly societies which focused on mutual welfare, it organised workers with the aim of improving their working conditions.[2] This was illegal under the Combination Act 1799, and so in the early years, the books of the organisation were buried in a nearby peat bog between meetings, in order to evade detection.[3] By 1837, it felt able to meet publicly, and held its first delegate meeting. This meeting, in Manchester, decided to rename the union as the Friendly Society of Operative Iron Moulders of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.[2]

The union relocated from Manchester to London in 1850, and decided against joining the newly formed Amalgamated Society of Engineers. In 1852 it elected its first full-time general secretary, William Harvey, who held the office for eleven years. Although he was seen as hard-working, in particular in establishing a central register of all members and benefits, under his leadership there was little financial oversight of branches, and numerous cases of embezzlement emerged. The union's appeal committee dismissed the entire executive committee including Harvey, who nonetheless agreed to remain in office until an election was held. This was won by Daniel Guile, who became a nationally prominent figure as a member of the trade union "Junta".[4] In 1864, the union took its final name,[2] while, three years later, it claimed to have more than 11,000 members.[5]

In 1899, the union was a founder of the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU), with secretary Joseph Maddison becoming the GFTU's treasurer.[6] The union also affiliated to the Labour Representation Committee, and its member Arthur Henderson became one of the first Labour Members of Parliament.[7] However, in 1901 it was expelled from the Trades Union Congress following a dispute with the Brass Moulders.[8]

In 1905, the union relocated back to Manchester, to a purpose-built headquarters on Chorlton Road.[9] The union's entire executive was dismissed in 1912 for agreeing to pay itself expenses at 12s 6d per day, when the rules stated it was only due 7s. This led to a lengthy dispute during which former assistant general secretary Jeremiah Olive ran the union until fresh elections were held in 1914 and won by a new face, Alfred Todd.[10] Todd took the union into a merger in 1920, joining with the Amalgamated Society of Coremakers of Great Britain and Ireland and the Associated Iron Moulders of Scotland to form the National Union of Foundry Workers.[2]

Election results

The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in numerous elections, and Arthur Henderson was frequently elected.

ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePosition
1903 by-electionBarnard CastleArthur Henderson3,37035.41[11]
1906 general electionBarnard CastleArthur Henderson5,54058.81[11]
1910 Jan general electionBarnard CastleArthur Henderson6,09656.71
1910 Dec general electionBarnard CastleArthur Henderson5,86857.01[12]
1918 general electionEast Ham SouthArthur Henderson5,02426.93[13]
SmethwickJohn Davison9,38952.21
1919 by-electionWidnesArthur Henderson11,40452.31

Secretaries
By 1837: Thomas Mather
1838: Robert Denham
1840: William Harvey[14]
1841: John Wroe[14]
1843: William Glasebrook[14]
1852: William Harvey[14]
1863: Daniel Guile[14]
1883: Edward Woods[14]
1886: William Henry Hey[14]
1894: Joseph Maddison[14]
1908: William M. Lawson[14]
1912: Jeremiah Olive (acting)[14]
1914: Alfred Todd[14]

References
  1. Report on Trade Unions in 1905-1907. London: Board of Trade. 1909. p. 82-101.
  2. University of Warwick Modern Records Centre, "Friendly Society of Iron Founders of England, Ireland and Wales"
  3. Thomas Southcliffe Ashton, Iron and Steel in the Industrial Revolution, p.208
  4. Friendly Society Of Iron Founders, Centenary Souvenir: 1809 - 1909, pp.37-47
  5. Peter Carter and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions: Volume 6, p.276
  6. Friendly Society Of Iron Founders, Centenary Souvenir: 1809 - 1909, p.61
  7. Friendly Society Of Iron Founders, Centenary Souvenir: 1809 - 1909, p.66
  8. Friendly Society Of Iron Founders, Centenary Souvenir: 1809 - 1909, p.68
  9. Friendly Society Of Iron Founders, Centenary Souvenir: 1809 - 1909, p.69
  10. Hubert Jim Fyrth and Henry Collins, The Foundry Workers: a trade union history, p.135
  11. Frank Bealey and Henry Pelling, Labour and Politics, 1900-1906, pp.290-292
  12. The New Hazell Annual and Almanack, vol.26, p.361
  13. Labour Year Book (1919), pp.12-14
  14. Fryth, H. J.; Collins, Henry (1950). The Foundry Workers. Manchester: Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers.
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