The Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners and Twiners, also known as the Amalgamation, was a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

which existed between 1870 and 1970. It represented male

mule spinners The spinning mule is a machine used to spin cotton and other fibres. They were used extensively from the late 18th to the early 20th century in the mills of Lancashire and elsewhere. Mules were worked in pairs by a minder, with the help of two ...

in the cotton industry.

History

Background

The first attempts to form a trade union for cotton spinners occurred in the late 18th century, and there were numerous attempts to establish local and national unions throughout the 19th century. There had been the ''Manchester Spinners Union'' and the ''Grand General Union of Operative Spinners of the United Kingdom'' formed in 1828, by John Doherty. It only lasted two years. In 1845 several local associations in the North West and Yorkshire combined to form the ''Association of Operative Cotton Spinners, Twiners, and Self Acting Minders of the United Kingdom''. This grew to 49 local affiliates, was able to appoint a full-time secretary, Thomas Brindle, and was central to the National Association of United Trades for the Protection of Industry. However, a downturn in the industry in 1849 led most of its affiliates to leave or dissolve entirely. It appears to have ceased to function after the Bolton union left in 1850, but maintained some nominal existence and revived from 1853 under Thomas Mawdsley. The association survived with around 4,000 members until, in 1870, it called a conference to found a new organisation, seeking to include local unions such as Oldham and Bolton which did not hold membership.

Growth

The Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners, Self-Actor Minders, Twiners and Rovers of Lancashire and Adjoining Counties was formed in 1870. In 1878, James Mawdsley became the General Secretary of the Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners. Shortly after his appointment he led the operatives in south east Lancashire in a strike against a 20% reduction in wages, securing 5% of this back in early 1880. In 1885 south east Lancashire employers sought a 10% reduction in wages. Again compromise was reached and a 5% reduction imposed. The new union grew rapidly and by the late 1880s approximately 90 percent of cotton spinners were members. The union had 18,000 members at the turn of the century. By 1910 almost 100% of male mule spinners were members and its membership numbered 22000. The Amalgamation used the high level of union membership amongst mule spinners to restrict the supply of labour to employers, ensuring that their members were able to receive wages and working conditions significantly better than most British industrial employees. This elevated position within the industrial working class led to mule spinners being known as the ''Barefoot Aristocrats''. Less skilled workers in the cotton industry were generally not allowed to join the Amalgamation, instead forming their own unions. Female ring spinners were represented by the expansionist Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing and Ring Room Operatives while the powerloom weavers were represented by the Amalgamated Weavers Association which had 114,000 members. The Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners had a federal structure with strong central leadership where control was in the hands of a small group of paid officials. While many of its affiliates were small unions, based in a single town, others were organised in five provinces, each of which covered a wide area and had numerous branches: the Blackburn Province of the Operative Cotton Spinners' Association, Bolton and District Operative Cotton Spinners' Provincial Association,

Oldham Operative Cotton Spinners' Provincial Association The Oldham Operative Cotton Spinners' Provincial Association was a trade union representing cotton spinners across eastern Lancashire, in England. It was often the large spinners' union, and provided much of the leadership of the Spinners' Amal ...

Preston Provincial Operative Cotton Spinners' Association The Preston Provincial Operative Cotton Spinners' Association was a trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the co ...

, and Yorkshire Province of Operative Cotton Spinners. Union dues were high, so the fighting fund was large and the officials were skilled in defending the complex wage structures.

Decline

From the 1950s mule spinning was gradually replaced in the British cotton industry with

ring spinning Ring spinning is a spindle-based method of spinning fibres, such as cotton, flax or wool, to make a yarn. The ring frame developed from the throstle frame, which in its turn was a descendant of Arkwright's water frame. Ring spinning is a continu ...

as improvements in technology allowed it to process finer grades of cotton. The size of the British textile industry also declined dramatically during this period due to a decline in demand and competition from foreign industry. This process was accelerated dramatically by the

Cotton Industry Act 1959 The United Kingdom Cotton Industry Act 1959 aimed to reorganise the Lancashire cotton industry to prevent its further decline. It provided for grants to replace equipment. The reorganisation process was voluntary in large part to be managed by t ...

which encouraged Lancashire cotton producers to rationalise by replacing or retiring older machines, primarily spinning mules. This decline in available employment undermined the membership base of the Amalgamation and by December 1965 membership had fallen to 3,262. After considering amalgamation into the new Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union the decision was made to dissolve the union in 1970. The Amalgamation continued to function for several years, disbursing funds to former members and winding up the union's affairs, before it was finally deregistered in 1977.

Office holders

All names from Alan Fowler and Terry Wyke, ''The Barefoot Aristocrats'', p. 239

General Secretaries

:1846: Thomas Brindle (Bolton) :1848: Thomas Mawdsley (Manchester) :1875: William Heginbotham (Hyde) :1878: James Mawdsley (Preston) :1902: William Howarth (Bolton) :1904:

William Marsland William Marsland (1855 – 28 March 1917) was a British trade unionist. Born in Hurst near Ashton-under-Lyne, Marsland worked from an early age as a half-timer in a hat factory. When he was 13, he began working full-time at a cotton mill a ...

(Ashton-under-Lyne) :1917:

Henry Boothman Henry Boothman (5 February 1875''1939 England and Wales Register'' – 25 April 1953) was a British trade union leader. Born in Clitheroe, Boothman moved with his family to Burnley when he was six years old, and he began working as a half-time ...

(Oldham) :1944:

Charles Schofield Charles de Veber Schofield (14 July 1871 – 12 July 1936) was an eminent Anglican priest in the first half of the 20th century. He was educated at Windsor, Nova Scotia and Edinburgh Theological College and ordained deacon in 1897 and priest in ...

(Bolton) :1960: James W. Whitworth (Ashton-under-Lyne) :1965: Walter Lee (Oldham) :1967: Joseph Richardson (Bolton)

Presidents

:1858: William Leigh (Hyde) :1876: William Radcliffe (Mossley) :1878: Thomas Ashton (Oldham) :1913: Edward Judson (Ashton-under-Lyne) :1926:

Fred Birchenough Frederick William Birchenough (12 November 1872''1939 England and Wales Register'' – 10 January 1951) was a British trade unionist. Born in Macclesfield, Birchenough grew up in Chadderton. He joined the Oldham Operative Cotton Spinners' Assoc ...

(Oldham) :1936:

William Wood William Wood may refer to: Politicians * William Wood (MP for Berkshire), Member of Parliament (MP) for Berkshire, 1395 * William Wood (15th century MP), MP for Winchester, 1413 * William Wood, 1st Baron Hatherley (1801–1881), British state ...

(Bolton) :1940: Albert Knowles (Oldham) :1953: James W. Whitworth (Ashton-under-Lyne) :1960: Walter Lee (Oldham) :1966: Joseph Richardson (Bolton) :1967: Frederick Mayall (Oldham)

Treasurers

:1849: William Fair (Manchester) :1876: William Leigh (Hyde) :1878: William Radcliffe (Mossley) :1883: Samuel Jones (Manchester) :1893: James Robinson (Bolton) :1896: Thomas Dawson (Oldham) :1932: ''Position abolished''

References

Bibliography

External Resources

Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners Archive
at

John Rylands Library The John Rylands Research Institute and Library is a Victorian era, late-Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, neo-Gothic building on Deansgate in Manchester, England. It is part of the University of Manchester. The library, which opened to t ...

, Manchester {{Authority control Cotton industry in England Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Cotton industry trade unions Trade unions established in 1870 Trade unions disestablished in 1970 1870 establishments in the United Kingdom 1970 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Trade unions based in Greater Manchester