Ebenezer Edwards (30 July 1884 – 6 July 1961) was a
trade unionist and
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
in
Britain.
Early life
Born in
Chevington, near
Broomhill,
Northumberland,
[''The Colliery Guardian and Journal of the Coal and Iron Trades'' (1931), Volume 143, p. 394.] Edwards went down the
coal mine at the age of 12. In 1906, he joined the
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a British political party of the left, established in 1893 at a conference in Bradford, after local and national dissatisfaction with the Liberal Party (UK), Liberals' apparent reluctance to endorse work ...
, although he left after three years. In 1908, he attended
Ruskin College in
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
for ten months, but had to leave due to a lack of finances. After leaving the course, he became an early member of the
Plebs' League and began to espouse
Marxism
Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflict, ...
.
Later life
Edwards continued working as a miner during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. A supporter of
Robert Smillie, he opposed the war. He narrowly missed election to Parliament at the
1918 Wansbeck by-election, standing as a local
Labour Party candidate, losing to
Robert Mason. He lost in
Wansbeck again at the
1918 general election.
Long active in the
Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB), Edwards was elected to increasingly important posts in the union. In
1929, he was finally elected to Parliament, as the Labour MP for
Morpeth, succeeding Smillie, but lost his seat at the
1931 election. Elected as vice-president of the MFGB in 1929, he became president in 1931 and secretary in 1932. He also served in various posts at the
Miners' International Federation.
In 1945, he attended the
World Trade Union Conference in London alongside many renowned trade unionists.
Edwards supported the MFGB's reconstitution as the
National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), and became the NUM's first secretary in 1945, but stepped down the following year to serve on the
National Coal Board, keeping this post until 1953.
References
* Andrew Taylor
"Edwards, Ebenezer (1884–1961)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
, Oxford University Press, 2004.
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Ebenezer
1884 births
1961 deaths
Trade unionists from Northumberland
Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Miners' Federation of Great Britain-sponsored MPs
UK MPs 1929–1931
General secretaries of the National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain)
Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress
Presidents of the Trades Union Congress
Presidents of the National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain)
Vice presidents of the National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain)
Plebs' League members