The Tolpuddle Martyrs Tree

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The ANCIENT TREEANCIENT TREE COLUMN column Each month we feature an ancient British tree. This month the Ancient Tree Forum introduces us to the... The Tolpuddle Martyrs Tree It was under this sycamore tree in Dorset that six agricultural labourers, who later became known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs, met in 1834 to form the first trade union in The iconic Britain. It was very common at that time for meetings to take place under village trees sycamore and and the sycamore on the green in Tolpuddle would already have been a good size. little village of The struggle of the Tolpuddle six to improve the conditions and thatched cottages wages of their fellow farmworkers led to their arrest and the men are a place of were charged under the Mutiny Act and transported to Australia. pilgrimage for Three years later, after many petitions and protest meetings the trade unionists government allowed the men to be returned to Britain and they and socialists were able to spend the rest of their lives in their home village. The iconic sycamore and this little village of thatched cottages are still associated with the trade union movement and are a place of pilgrimage for trade unionists and socialists. Every July at the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival, thousands take part in a march and rally. The National Trust manages this special heritage tree to try to increase its longevity. It is pollarded on a regular cycle to reduce weight on the branches and as a result, growth in the crown is vigorous and healthy. Metal cable bracing was put through the hollow trunk in the twentieth century to hold together the thin shell of living sapwood and a former split in the trunk has now grown over. It is hoped that with careful management the Tolpuddle Martyrs Tree will continue to grow for at least two hundred years more. Its successor is already in place on the other side of the green, planted from a seed taken from the original sycamore. The Ancient Tree Forum champions the biological, cultural and heritage value of Britain’s ancient and veteran trees, and provides advice on their value and management at www.ancient-tree-forum.org.uk. WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM Pro Arb | January 2015 43.

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Final Copy 2020 02 17 Baker
This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information.bristol.ac.uk Author: Baker, Leonard Title: Spaces, Places, Custom and Protest in Rural Somerset and Dorset, c. 1780-1867. General rights Access to the thesis is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International Public License. A copy of this may be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode This license sets out your rights and the restrictions that apply to your access to the thesis so it is important you read this before proceeding. Take down policy Some pages of this thesis may have been removed for copyright restrictions prior to having it been deposited in Explore Bristol Research. However, if you have discovered material within the thesis that you consider to be unlawful e.g. breaches of copyright (either yours or that of a third party) or any other law, including but not limited to those relating to patent, trademark, confidentiality, data protection, obscenity, defamation, libel, then please contact [email protected] and include the following information in your message: •Your contact details •Bibliographic details for the item, including a URL •An outline nature of the complaint Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item in question will be removed from public view as soon as possible. Spaces, Places, Custom and Protest in Rural Somerset and Dorset, c. 1780-1867 Leonard John Baker A dissertation submitted to the University of Bristol in accordance with the requirements for award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts School of Humanities September 2019 Word Count: 79,998 Abstract This thesis examines how material space, meaningful place and custom shaped the forms and functions of protest in rural Somerset and Dorset between 1780 and 1867.
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“ Where the Spirit The story of the ‘Martyrs’ of the Lord is... of Tolpuddle in Dorset there is freedom!” is one of courage and 2 Corinthians, chapter 3 verse 17 strength, shaped by faith. What was the secret What moved of their resilience? The Martyrs? The Tolpuddle Martyrs believed in the justice of their cause because they could see the oppression around them and knew it themselves. As Christians, they believed in the freedom and dignity of working men and women. As followers, they were fired up by the freedom that comes from believing in Jesus. Their Bible study and preaching in the chapel taught them that willingness to suffer in a good cause (as Jesus did) is the true way of service and that, as John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, said: ‘ The best of all is – God is with us’ For more information about visiting the Tolpuddle Methodist Chapel, and links to Tolpuddle Old Chapel and the annual Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival, visit: www.dsw.church © 2019 0791 Tolpuddle DL leaf1 v03.indd 1 04/02/2019 10:44 Where did their Christian conscience take the Tolpuddle Martyrs? The word ‘martyr’ means In the early nineteenth century, Acts of Parliament put The union they formed was perfectly legal, but downward pressure on the living conditions of the members had to swear a secret oath of loyalty ‘witness’ – a person who countryside poor. The Enclosures Acts took away their and this proved to be their downfall. The local use of community common land for growing their own magistrates used laws intended to prevent mutiny in is willing to stand up for vegetables, as field hedges and walls were extended by the Navy to catch them out.
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Recorder 5 O Oo □33
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PRESS RELEASE: Embargoed Thursday 15Th August 2019 - 08:00
PRESS RELEASE: Embargoed Thursday 15th August 2019 - 08:00 Legacy of Tolpuddle Martyrs saved thanks to National Lottery The National Lottery Heritage Fund today confirmed a grant of £329,300 to help save Tolpuddle Old Chapel, the meeting place of the Dorsetshire Labourers before the events that saw them help spark the Trade Union movement and become known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs. The Grade II* Listed building is of international importance but it is in a poor state of repair and on Historic England’s ‘At Risk Register’. The National Lottery funding will secure its future. After four years of dedicated hard work by trustees, volunteers, project managers, consultants, architects, Friends of Tolpuddle Old Chapel and financial sponsors, TOCT has raised over £290,000 for the project, with £36,000 left to raise for the project which will cost £655,000 in total. The National Lottery funding success finally puts The Trust in a strong position to realise its vision of renovating and extending Tolpuddle Old Chapel. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the project will renovate and extend the former chapel to provide the potential for the appropriate re- use of the building as a 'quiet place in the heart of this historic Dorset village', as well as creating interpretation and community engagement activities to tell the history of the building and its connection to the Dorsetshire Labourers later known as The Tolpuddle Martyrs. Stuart Hobley, Area Director London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Over two centuries old, Tolpuddle Old Chapel represents a fascinating chapter of the story of Dorset, the Tolpuddle Martyrs and social justice.
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