Preston and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association

Last updated
Preston Weavers' Association
Preston and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association
Merged into North West Lancashire, Durham and Cumbria Textile Workers' Union
Founded1858;164 years ago (1858)
Dissolved1982;40 years ago (1982)
HeadquartersTextile Centre, 6 Sedgwick Street, Preston
Location
Members
13,000 (1920)
Parent organization
Amalgamated Weavers' Association (18841974)
Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union (19741982)

The Preston and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association was a trade union representing cotton weavers in the Preston, Lancashire, in England.

The union was founded in 1858 as the Preston Power Loom Weavers' Association, although a predecessor of the same name had operated at times from 1842 onwards. The union decided against joining the North East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Association, but in 1884 it became a founder member of the Amalgamated Weavers' Association. [1]

The union grew steadily, reaching 5,388 members in 1892, 7,300 members in 1910, and reaching a peak of 13,000 members in 1920. In 1912, the union voted to pay a political levy to the Labour Party. A minority of members objected strongly to this, and 2,340 of them split away, forming the rival Preston Power Loom Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Protection Society. Membership of this union failed to grow, and in 1921 it rejoined the Preston Weavers. [1]

The small Bamber Bridge and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association merged into the Preston Weavers in 1940, but membership fell in line with the decline in the Lancashire cotton industry, dropping to only 4,050 by 1960. It had long worked closely with the Lancaster and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association, and with another union based in Carlisle, and in 1970 these merged into the Preston Weavers. In response to its broader remit, the union renamed itself as the North Lancashire and Cumbria Textile Workers' Association. [1]

In 1982, the union merged with the Bolton and District Union of Textile and Allied Workers, the Bolton and District Power Loom Weavers', Winders', Warpers' and Loom Sweepers' Association, and the Wigan, Chorley and Skelmersdale District of the Amalgamated Textile Trades Union, forming the North West Lancashire, Durham and Cumbria Textile Workers' Union. This merged into the GMB four years later. [1]

General secretaries

1858: J. Swift
1875: Luke Park
1919: R. J. H. Riding
1920s: T. Sumner
1941: G. Gardner
1950s: Fred Fleetwood
as of 1970: G. F. Jones

Related Research Articles

The Northern Textile and Allied Workers' Union was a trade union representing cotton factory workers in northern Lancashire in England.

Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners Former trade union of the United Kingdom

The Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners and Twiners, also known as the Amalgamation, was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1870 and 1970. It represented male mule spinners in the cotton industry.

Amalgamated Textile Workers Union Trade union

The Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union (ATWU) was a trade union in Great Britain.

The Amalgamated Association of Beamers, Twisters and Drawers (AABTD) was a British trade union which existed between 1866 and 2002. It represented skilled workers in the cotton industry who were responsible for preparing warp yarns prior to weaving.

The Northern Counties Textile Trades Federation was a trade union federation in northern England.

The Blackburn and District Weavers' Winders' and Warpers' Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in Blackburn, Lancashire, in England. One of the earliest weavers' unions to endure, it formed a model that many others copied, and was at the centre of early attempts to form a regional federation of cotton trade unions.

The Nelson Weavers' Association (NWA) was a trade union representing cotton weavers in the area of Nelson, Lancashire. As the main industry in the town, the union has been influential in its history, and some of its leaders became significant national figures.

The Bolton and District Card, Blowing and Ring Room Operatives' Provincial Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in the Bolton area of Lancashire in England. The longest-established union of cardroom workers, it was central to early attempts to establish a national union for the industry.

The Ashton-under-Lyne and District Power Loom Weavers' Association was a trade union representing cotton weavers in the Ashton-under-Lyne area of Lancashire, in England.

The Bolton and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association was a trade union representing cotton mill workers in the Bolton area of Lancashire in England. The union was the first in the Lancashire cotton industry to appoint a woman as its full-time leader.

The Hyde and District Weavers', Winders', Warpers' and Doublers' Association was a trade union representing workers in the cotton industry around Hyde, then in Cheshire and Derbyshire in England.

The Oldham and District Weavers', Winders', Reelers', Beam and Sectional Warpers' Association was a trade union representing cotton workers in an area centred on Oldham in Lancashire, England.

The Chorley and District Weavers', Winders', Warpers' and Reelers' Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in the area of Chorley, Lancashire, in England.

The Padiham and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Association was a trade union representing cotton weavers in the Padiham area of Lancashire, in England.

The Accrington and District Weavers', Winders' and Warpers' Friendly Association was a trade union representing cotton weavers in the Accrington area of Lancashire, in England.

The Rochdale and District Weavers', Reelers', Beamers' and Doublers' Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in Rochdale and surrounding areas of Lancashire in England.

The Great Harwood Power Loom Weavers' Association was a trade union representing cotton weavers in the Great Harwood area of Lancashire, in England.

The Rossendale Weavers', Winders' and Beamers' Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in the Rossendale area of Lancashire in England.

The Manchester and Salford Weavers' Association was a trade union representing weavers in part of Lancashire, in England.

The North West Lancashire, Durham and Cumbria Textile Workers' Union (NWLDCTWU) was a trade union representing workers in the textile industry in part of North West England.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Marsh, Arthur; Ryan, Victoria; Smethurst, John B. (1994). Historical Directory of Trade Unions. Vol. 4. Farnham: Ashgate. pp.  113-115. ISBN   9780859679008.