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Boots on the march |
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Blackleg
When the Boer War ended in 1902, Raunds suffered a dramatic fall in the demand for government boots. In order to survive, factories started to undercut each other in order to win contracts and in doing so, wages were reduced. As a result, Raunds workers were on the bread line. The Union decided that, from 1 March 1905, the manufacturers must pay Raunds and Ringstead workers 15/- (75p) a week, or 5/- (25p) a week from funds in case of a strike.
A dozen factories refused to comply and by 14 March, 1905, 500 workers had come out on strike. A week later, things had become very unpleasant. The peaceful protests became riotous and over 600 strikers barracked the strike-breakers.
Workers at Lawrence's boot factory, Raunds
© David Hall and Cyril Putt |
One of these strike-breakers was George Roberts who resolutely refused to take industrial action. Along with others in the village who worked at home, he had to run the gauntlet in order to cycle to and from Raunds to collect his “basket” or “out” work each day. He was followed home by crowds of people shouting “Traitor” and “Blackleg”. Stones were thrown at his house and every window was smashed. Things became so bad that by 29 March, a police sergeant, 10 constables and 200 men, women and children accompanied George home safely to Ringstead.
On 7 April, 1905, Thrapston Magistrates Court had a busy day when 17 separate pickets were charged with, “persistently following George Henry Roberts with a view to compel him to abstain from working as a shoemaker for Messrs. Lawrence & Co. on March 29”’. Another, Fred Phillips, faced the same charge for intimidating George Roberts on 17 March. In Court, George said he met Phillips near the factory. Phillips had said, “You won’t bring any work out today, George.”
Words: David Saint
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