This study describes the way in which the various Methodist groups contributed to the English agricultural labourers coming to trade unionism in the early 1870s. It is concerned both with the genesis and the subsequent growth of this movement which extended from 1872 until 1896, and is commonly denoted "The Revolt of the Field". This is a local study being concerned with the three East Anglian counties of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, and it examines the fortunes of two major agricultural unions both of which operated in each of those counties. Attempt has been made to utilise as much primary source material as possible both for Methodism and Agricultural Unionism. Much use has been made of letters, questionnaires and unstructured interviews. It has been the writer's endeavour to show how and why the fortunes of the rural labourer in our chosen area became entwined with Methodism, and how this in turn helped to give birth to agricultural unionism. The study is in two parts. In the first of these, attention is focussed on some of the specific ways in which Methodism contributed to the origin of agricultural unionism by such means as providing a rudimentary education, opportunities for public speaking, leadership and organisation, or by the loan of chapel premises for meetings. In the second part, attempt has been made to illustrate the continuing impress of Methodism on the subsequent progress of the movement. Throughout, specifically Methodist phenomena have been a particular focus of attention. Such aspects as for example, Methodist conversion experience, Methodist organisation, and Methodist views with regard to the Millennium have been treated in some detail. Attention has also been given to the contemporary Methodist attitudes both to the unions themselves as well as to related matters of union policy such as Temperance or the loan of buildings.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:471833 |
| Date | January 1975 |
| Creators | Scotland, Nigel |
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=194781 |
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