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Boots on the march |
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A man of principle
George was a singular man and enjoyed the occasional drink. He and his wife were married in St Mary’s Church, Ringstead and continued to worship there. These are important points because the rest of George’s family were non-drinking non-conformists! His Christian outreach led him to organise and run a welfare club in Ringstead, through which he collected money to enable subscribers to afford medical care.
Emblem of the National Union of Boot and Shoe Rivetters and Finishers
© Courtesy of J R Betts - Raunds & District History Society |
In spite of this altruism and community spirit, and the fact that he was a keen member of the village cricket team, he was known as a narrow-minded bigot who was extremely unpopular in the village. Indeed, his 80-year-old great nephew, Paul, claims that he never heard anyone say a good word about poor George.
One thing cannot be denied however, George may have been unpopular, but he had principles and he stuck to them. His spirit and his beliefs were tested to the extreme when, in the early years of the last century, industrial relations pitched employee against employer, neighbour against neighbour and brother against brother.
The boot and shoe industry was some way behind other industries in accepting mechanisation and the workers, who operated mostly from home on small machines rented from employers, were ready to accept lower wages than many in comparative trades. The National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives was already in existence to protect the rights of workers.
Words: David Saint
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