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University of Huddersfield Repository Walker, Martyn Solid and practical education within reach of the humblest means’: the growth and development of the Yorkshire Union of Mechanics’ Institutes 1838–1891 Original Citation Walker, Martyn (2010) Solid and practical education within reach of the humblest means’: the growth and development of the Yorkshire Union of Mechanics’ Institutes 1838–1891. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/9087/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. 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For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ ‘A SOLID AND PRACTICAL EDUCATION WITHIN REACH OF THE HUMBLEST MEANS’: THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE YORKSHIRE UNION OF MECHANICS’ INSTITUTES 1838–1891 MARTYN AUSTIN WALKER A thesis submitted to the University of Huddersfield in partial fulfilment of the requirements for degree of Doctor of Philosophy Date April 2010 The University of Huddersfield Abstract This thesis questions the generally accepted view that mechanics’ institutes made little contribution to adult working-class education from their foundation in the 1820s to the last decade of the nineteenth century when, finally, government recognised the importance of adult and further education with the passing of the Technical Instructions Acts of 1889 and 1891. It addresses the issue of what impact the mechanics’ institutes exerted upon the adult working classes in a regional context. It has also questioned research previously carried out by a number of historians who hold the view that by 1850 the mechanics’ institutes’ movement was in decline. This thesis argues that in Yorkshire the movement, through no small contribution made by the Yorkshire Union of Mechanics’ Institutes, went from strength to strength and responded to the need for relevant curricula throughout the period of study. It establishes that mechanics’ institutes of the Yorkshire Union (1838 – 1891) were not only to be found in the urban and industrialising towns, but many were also located in the rural and semi-rural areas of the Dales and Pennines. Across the Yorkshire Union as a whole there were similar patterns in growth and development. This thesis establishes that not only did mechanics' institutes support the working classes but they also provided a firm foundation for technical and further education, which was built on through the passing of the 1889 and 1891 Technical Instruction Acts. Several institutes either became technical schools or had established a tradition of adult education which was taken up by the new technical colleges of the early twentieth century. Many smaller institutes either became satellite centres for local colleges or became public libraries and museums. The nineteenth century success of the mechanics’ institutes foreshadowed the later development of adult education. i Acknowledgements I would like to thank archivists and librarians at various locations, particularly, but not exclusively, those at Bradford, Huddersfield, Keighley, Leeds and Malton. Particular thanks must go to the archivist Mrs Hilary Haigh, and librarians at the University of Huddersfield. Special thanks must also go to my Director of Studies, Professor Keith Laybourn, for all his expertise, advice and patience, and the support and encouragement given by Professor Paul Ward, my supervisor. I would like to thank Dr Roy Fisher for his interest and advice and I also appreciate the support given by Dr Sandra Daniels who was able to produce graphics and maps from my data and statistics. I would also like to thank the support given by Professor Rob Brown, of the Chemistry Department, in relation to the chemical and dye industries which gave me much insight into the subject knowledge being taught in many of the mechanics’ institutes studied, and Professor Gary Lucas for his advice regarding the hydraulics curriculum offered at institutes, both of whom work at the University of Huddersfield. I would like to thank the School of Education and Professional Development and the Consortium for Post-Compulsory Education and Training at the University of Huddersfield, for their support in regard of fees and additional costs incurred in carrying out this research. Finally, it is with much affection that I would like to thank my wife and family for their patience and understanding during my long and regular disappearing acts to research and write up the thesis. ii Contents Page Abstract i Acknowledgements ii Contents iii Chapters iii List of Tables, Maps, iv Graphs and Plates Appendices xi Bibliography xi Chapters Introduction 12 Chapter One Class Membership and the Mechanics’ Institutes 23 Chapter Two Mechanics’ Institutes and Female Membership 50 Chapter Three The Great Exhibition and the Mechanics’ Institute Movement 92 Chapter Four Curriculum Developments 141 Chapter Five Further Indicators in Support of the Success of Mechanics’ Institutes 197 Conclusion 265 Appendices 277 Bibliography 326 Tables, Maps, Graphs and Plates Chapter One Pages Table 1.1 Hobsbawm’s six factors relating to the labour aristocracy 32 Table 1.2 Neale’s Five-Class Model 34 Table 1.3 Manchester Mechanics’ Institute Occupations of Membership for 1831 35 Table 1.4 Father and Son Occupations at Bradford for 1842 36 Table 1.5 Percentage of members per occupations at Bradford Mechanics’ Institute 1859 37 Table 1.6 Occupations of those who attended Keighley Mechanics’ Institute 1840 38 Table 1.7 Occupations of those who attended Todmorden Mechanics’ Institute in 1841 38 Table 1.8 Occupations of those who attended Todmorden Mechanics’ Institute in 1843 39 Table 1.9 List of Occupations at the Huddersfield Mechanics’ Institute in 1847 39 Table 1.10 Known Occupations of the membership at Huddersfield Mechanics’ Institute 1857 40 Table 1.11 Known Occupations of the membership at Huddersfield Mechanics’ Institute 1876 41 Table 1.12 Known Occupation of the membership at Huddersfield Mechanics’ Institute 1877 42 Table 1.13 Known Occupation of the membership at Huddersfield Mechanics’ Institute 1879 43 Table 1.14 Known Occupation of the membership at Huddersfield Mechanics’ Institute 1881 43 Chapter Two Table 2.1 Sheffield Mechanics’ Institute Male to Female Membership as a Percentage 67 Table 2.2 Scientific Community supporting the Sheffield Mechanics’ Institute 67 iv Table 2.3 Leeds Mechanics’ Institute Male to Female Membership as a Percentage 68 Table 2.4 Mechanics’ Institutes in the Yorkshire Union who reported they had Female Membership in 1849 71 Table 2.5 Halifax Mechanics’ Institute Male to Female Membership as a Percentage 72 Table 2.6 Membership between Males and Females at Twenty One Yorkshire Union Mechanics’ Institutes for 1850, 1861 and 1880 74 Table 2.7 Number of Classes, Subjects offered and Number of Females attending in 1858 81 Table 2.8 Number of Members at the Huddersfield Female Institution 1849 – 1874 85 Table 2.9 Occupations of Members at the Bradford Female Education Institute 1862 88 Table 2.10 Number of Members at the Bradford Female Institution 1860 – 1876 89 Table 2.11 Census Data for Bradford and Huddersfield 1851 – 1891 89 Graph 2.1 Mean per cent of Women Members in the Twenty-One Mechanics’ Institutes listed above 75 Graph 2.2 Mean per cent of Male to Female Members in the Twenty-One Mechanics’ Institutes listed above 76 Chapter Three Table 3.1 Mechanics’ or Similar Institutions with Museums in 1850 94 Table 3.2 Classification of a selection of exhibits at the Great Exhibition 103 Table 3.3 Number of Candidates who received Prizes and Certificates following the 1857 Examinations at Huddersfield 113 Table 3.4 Candidates entered for the Society of Arts Examinations who attended the Huddersfield Institute in 1857 114 Table 3.5 Distribution of Patents 1855 – 1870 130 Table 3.6 Urban Ranking of British Patents, 1700 – 1881 132 Table 3.7 Rank Order of Towns submitting Patents per Population, 1855 -1870 133 v Table 3.8 Lancashire Patentees per 1,000 of Population 134 Table 3.9 Yorkshire Patentees per 1,000 of Population 134 Table 3.10 Rank Order of all Lancashire and Yorkshire Towns 135 Map 3.1 The distribution of mechanics’ institutes throughout the British Isles in 1850 130 Plate 3.1 Thomas Broadbent’s Suspended Patent Steam Driven Extractor 115 Plate 3.2 Plan of the Layout of the Fine Art Exhibition at the Huddersfield Technical School and Mechanics’ Institute in 1883 140 Plate 3.3 Steam engines on show in the ‘Machinery in Motion’ Hall at Huddersfield 140 Chapter Four Table 4.1 Table 4.1 Subjects offered at Keighley Mechanics’ Institute and class size in 1845 149 Table 4.2 Number of classes and students on roll at the Huddersfield Female Education Institute in 1858 156 Table 4.3 Qualifications and the Number of Students taking the City and Guilds of London Institute