Bartholomew Walsh (1890 – 13 December 1959) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

trade unionist 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 Employee ben ...

. Born in Ferndale in the

Rhondda Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), is a former coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley ('' ...

, Walsh began working at a colliery as his father had before him. He joined the

South Wales Miners' Federation The South Wales Miners' Federation (SWMF), nicknamed "The Fed", was a trade union for coal miners in South Wales. It survives as the South Wales Area of the National Union of Mineworkers. Forerunners The Amalgamated Association of Miners (AA ...

(SWMF) in 1904. In 1929, he was promoted to a more senior role at his workplace, and so left the SWMF, joining the

National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers The National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers (NACODS) is an organisation representing former colliery deputies and under-officials in the coal industry. History NACODS was established as a national trade union in 1910. P ...

(NACODS).''Annual Report of the 1960 Trades Union Congress'', p.316 Walsh was soon elected to the national executive of NACODS, and in the 1940s became its first full-time general secretary. He worked hard to improve mine safety whilst in post. He also represented the union at the

Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national tra ...

(TUC), and served on the

General Council of the TUC The General Council of the Trades Union Congress is an elected body which is responsible for carrying out the policies agreed at the annual British Trade Union Congresses (TUC). Organisation The council has 56 members, all of whom must be proposed ...

in 1950, and again from 1957 until he died, late in 1959. In his spare time, Walsh was active in the Labour Party, the Wesleyan

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...

, a volunteer fireman in the local community and served as a

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

. He also sat on the Safety in Mines Research Advisory Board and a government committee investigating the Coal Mines (Explosives) Order.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Bartholomew 1890 births 1959 deaths Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taf Welsh trade unionists