The North Staffordshire Miners' Federation 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 ( ...

representing miners in the area of

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...

, located in

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

, in England. The union was established in 1869 as an affiliate of the

Miners' National Association The Miners' National Union (MNU) was a trade union which represented miners in Great Britain. History The union was founded in November 1863 at a five-day long conference at the People's Hall in Leeds. It was originally known as the National Ass ...

(MNA). The association sent William Brown, an experience organiser, to become the union's first agent and secretary. Brown was highly successful at recruitment, raising membership to more than 12,000 by 1871. The union also affiliated to the more radical

Amalgamated Association of Miners The Amalgamated Association of Miners (AAM) was formed in 1869 in Lancashire, at a time of increasing industrial conflict in the British coalfields. History The union was founded by Thomas Halliday and William Pickard, two miners' union agents who ...

, although Brown personally favoured avoiding industrial disputes. By 1874, the price of coal had fallen, along with miners' wages, and union membership. Brown faced criticism for not taking a cut in his own wages. Some lodges left the union, but Brown kept the majority together, reorientating it back towards the MNA. In 1886, the union was a founder constituent of the

Midland Counties Miners' Federation The Midland Counties Miners' Federation was a trade union, representing coal miners in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of England. History The union was founded in 1886. It initially had seven affiliates, including the North Sta ...

, and through this became an affiliate of the

Miners' Federation of Great Britain The Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) was established after a meeting of local mining trade unions in Newport, Wales in 1888. The federation was formed to represent and co-ordinate the affairs of local and regional miners' unions in Engla ...

(MFGB). Membership reached a peak of 16,709 in 1907, then gradually fell. In 1945, the union became the North Staffordshire District of Midland Area of the National Union of Mineworkers, with far less autonomy than before.

General Secretaries

:1869: William Brown :1874: James Hand :1877:

Enoch Edwards Enoch Edwards may refer to: * Enoch Edwards (trade unionist) Enoch Edwards (April 1852 – 28 June 1912) was a British trade unionist and politician. Biography Edwards was born at Talk-o'-the Hill Staffordshire on 10 April 1852. He was the ...

:1912:

Samuel Finney Samuel Finney (1857 – 14 April 1935) was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. Life and career Born at Talk-o'-th'-Hill, Finney began working when he was ten years old, and later became a coal miner. In 1881, he was appointed ...

:1930s:

Frederick James Hancock Frederick James Hancock (born 1873) was a British trade union leader. Hancock was born in Talke in Staffordshire. He attended the Butt Lane National School, and then spent some time studying at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania. Hancock worked ...

:1941: Hugh Leese

References

{{National Union of Mineworkers (UK) Mining trade unions National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain) Politics of Staffordshire 1869 establishments in England Mining in Staffordshire Trade unions established in 1869 Trade unions based in Staffordshire