The General Strike 1926

Teachers’ notes

Connections to the Curriculum

  • Working with historical primary sources
  • Learning about a national event with local importance

Sources

Source 1 Transcript of speech by Ellen Wilkinson MP (Labour), in an address to Parliament on 29th June 1926, speaking against the Coal Mines Bill. Hansard—Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1926/jun/29/coal-mines-bill#column_1023

Source 2 Two Photographs: ‘William Willcocks wearing guss and crook’ and ‘Working the seam’ Radstock, Midsomer Norton & District Museum Society Collection at Radstock Museum

Source 3 An historic page from the archives of the Bath Chronicle, 8th May 1926, Bath & North East Somerset Council

Source 4 Unusual Scenes. An historic page from the Bath Chronicle and Herald May 15 1926 Bath Records Office

Source 5 Pitman Rower on Footplate. Photograph. Bath Chronicle and Herald May 15 1926. Bath Records Office

Source 6 Idle tramworkers. Photograph (colourised) Bath Chronicle and Herald May 8 1926. Bath Records Office/Bristol Radical History Group

Supporting notes

The general strike was a major event in British society and pitched different groups in society against each other. We might expect the primary sources of the time to reflect these divisions and the strong opinions of the time.

Source 1: Verbatim record of a politician’s speech. Ms. Wilkinson has direct evidence about working conditions from people in Somerset, but as a Labour MP may be using her information about the Somerset Collieries to make political points. Could lead on to discussion about how we need to ask questions about all sources, even those from an official record and ideally find corroboration.

Source 2: Photographs are a record of what was in front of the photographer (no photo manipulation in 1926) but may be posed/taken for a particular reason etc. These photographs show difficult cramped conditions with no safety gear. Miners wear little clothing because of the heat underground.

Source 3: Contemporary newspapers can provide evidence about people’s lives and give insights into what were important issues for people living at the time. Newspapers may have strong editorial opinions or be affiliated with particular political groups so it is important to distinguish between fact and opinion in selected newspapers or articles.

Most of the articles on this page are about keeping everyday life going and the availability of resources. With regards to the strike itself; there is a parliamentary report questioning of the legality of the strike, an article warning that tram workers may lose their jobs if they don’t return to work and a description of the local incident involving a bus driver which ‘caused much alarm’.

We learn that many special constables are being employed and that two naval vessels are to be detained for service in Bristol; indications of the seriousness of the situation.

Pupils could discuss what overall picture they think the ‘Bath Chronicle and Herald’ is portraying about the General Strike.

Source 4: This source gives more general information about how the Chronicle is portraying the strike.

The photograph at bottom right shows people outside a house listening to the radio. In 1926 very few working people would have had radios, large groups gathered where they were available to get updates about the strike.

Pupils could discuss the difficulties and implications of organising the strike and keeping the country running in a time before the general use of telephones and no social media!

Source 5: Pitman was a former member of the Oxford crew in the Oxford/Cambridge boat race. Most of the volunteers who helped keep the country running were from the middle and upper classes, often university students and white-collar workers. The newspaper might have felt it would be reassuring for people to know who was volunteering and their background.

There were some accidents and mishaps as a result of untrained and inexperienced people taking on skilled work.

Source 6: This photograph has been relatively recently colourised but hand colouring was common practice until the mid 20th century when colour film was developed. Hand colouring might be used to increase the drama or impact of photographs. There would not have been any colour printing used in the Bath Chronicle and Herald of the time.

Pupils could discuss the use of the phrase ‘idle tramway men’

To finish: pupils could discuss the questions which arise when using primary historical sources, the information which we infer from them and the ways in which we could investigate more deeply.

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