medals

[interested]

I have just found among my mother's belongings two medals, one inscribed 'Warrington Womens Unionist Tariff Reform League' and the other Warrington Unionists Association'. I'm assuming they belonged to my Grandmother who was born in 1867 and died in 1942. Has anyone any ideas as to what these Associations were?

[indy]

 

Mary, visit www.jamesbalme.co.uk

 

[ 08.10.2007, 19:46: Message edited by: indiana James ]

[Peter T]

James,

If you do, perhaps you could share the results with us.

[Mary]

I was going to write a thread on something quite similar - my aunt gave me a few medals that are for King Edwards VII coronation commemoration and as he did not take the throne are they worth anything? Also have a few Queen Victoria copper pennies from 1887=97 - anyone know where I can look to find out their worth?

[Goonerman]

Two possibilities. The Trade Unions, or, given the term UnionIST, it might mean an association wanting to hold the UK together, not least in the context of the Irish Home Rule Crisis. What could clinch it one way or the other is to find out which political party she supported. If she supported the fledgling Labour movement, then the answer is the former. If however she was a Tory, then it is the latter, as during the years of the Irish Home Rule Crises (1886, 1892 and 1914), the Tories called themselves the Unionist Party. (Versus the pro-Irish Home Rule Liberal Party.) Indeed, the Tories up until 1984 called themselves the Conservative and Unionist Party. Meanwhile I'll do my own bit of sleuthing....

 

For me, however, the reference to "Tariff Reform League" suggests the former, the Trade Unions...

 

[ 09.10.2007, 17:48: Message edited by: GUNNER ]

[Steve the Original]

Originally posted by Mary:

I was going to write a thread on something quite similar - my aunt gave me a few medals that are for King Edwards VII coronation commemoration and as he did not take the throne are they worth anything? Also have a few Queen Victoria copper pennies from 1887=97 - anyone know where I can look to find out their worth?

Mary send me the dates of the coins and if poss a pic, the closer the better and then i can tell you if they arwe worth anything but most likley not, unless they are as New

 

Steve

[Goonerman]

Gordon Gandy refers to the former group having an outing in New Brighton in 1911, so he might help.

 

Email:

 

gigan@mywarrington.me.uk

[Goonerman]

I'm not sure if this is of relevance, but here is a newspaper report on the Women's Unionist Association in Broseley near Shrewsbury in 1909:

 

"A successful and enthusiastic meeting in connection with the Women?s Unionist Association was held at Whitehall, Broseley, on Saturday last. There was a. large attendance. An excellent tea was provided.

 

Subsequently a meeting was held, under the presidency of Mrs. Boon (who occupied the chair in the unavoidable absence of the Hon. Mrs. Forester), who gave a brief but appropriate introductory address.

 

Captain Forester, in a forcible speech, drew attention to the more vital matters which are at present absorbing the attention of the people. He criticised the Budget, and said it was such a wonderful one that its author had apparently not yet fully grasped all its intricacies, as he had just required a fortnight?s respite to further decipher his own concoction, which became more unintelligible the more it was discussed. So far only a fragment of the land clauses had been considered, and all praise was due to the little band of Unionists, who had fought so gallantly and successfully against the wild hordes and overwhelming odds surrounding them, that they had succeeded in extorting several valuable concessions. (Applause.) Mr. Asquith and his Government were indebted to the Unionist party for saving them from their own tail of Little Englanders and Socialists, who combined with the Nationalists to endeavour to stop the passing of the Navy vote, a vote not to maintain our fleet up to the Two-Power standard-that standard had gone by the board long since-but to give it a bare margin over one other Power for the insurance of our national security. (Applause.) The Chancellor of the Exchequer stood self-convicted for forgetting that although deception was always a contemptible vice, to deceive the poor was the meanest of all. (Laughter and applause.) He deceived the poor in representing to them that the cause of their distress lay in the recognition by the State of private property. He was deceiving the poor when he talked about raising money to provide against the evil of unemployment, without hinting that there was any connection between his methods of taxation and the lack of employment. But the most heinous deception of all was to depict as the natural enemies of the people that class which from time immemorial has been associated with the highest traditions of the English nation, which has always stood by the people in their hour of need, and always will stand by the people, while there is one of them left. (Loud applause.) To come to another subject, they were often told that Tariff Reform was dead; it was not only killed after the last General Election, but there was a special debate held in the House of Commons to give it an impressive funeral service! It was killed by Mr. Winston Churchill the other day, and not only burried, but he said- ?That it was making ?tailway?, and long may it continue to do so?. He (Captain Forester) could only suggest that he was thinking of the gentleman who insisted on his mother-in-law being buried face-downwards, and remarking that in case she did come to life again, ?the more ?er scratted the deeper er?d go?, and wishing in his heart the same thing could happen in the case of Tariff Reform. (Laughter.) Somehow he did not think it would happen, because he believed that the people of this country now realised that as they had been paying so long for the social reforms in Germany and other countries it was about time that Germany and the other countries did a bit of paying for social reform here. (Applause.) He knew which policy those present had chosen, and it was the right one, and he trusted that they would relax no effort to secure the return to Parliament of the man who would assist to carry it out. (Loud applause.)

 

A resolution condemning the Budget proposals was proposed by Mr. Rowland Hunt., M. P., and seconded by Captain Wood, who thanked the ladies for their energy in the work, and trusted that their efforts would lead to success at the next election."

 

And :

 

"LIBERAL AND LABOUR CLUB.- ?The Taxation of Land Values and Progress? was the subject of an interesting paper read by Mr. Joseph Jones (Broseley) on Monday in the Fox Room, under the auspices of the of the local Liberal and Labour Club. Mr J. E. Hartshorne presided over a fair attendance. In the course of his remarks Mr. Jones said that if progress was to continue it was necessary that land values should be taxed. The taxation of land values by itself would not accomplish everything, but experience seemed to teach that without such a reform one need not expect to accomplish anything. So far, progress had failed to eliminate poverty, and there was good reason for doubting if it had even modified the poverty problem. The social problem to face today was want in the midst of plenty. That some of this poverty might be due to ignorance, to intemperance, or to improvidence one might take for granted. When that had been allowed for, there remained the involuntary poverty which came from misgovernment and the sins of Society. When one looked around and noted the increase which had gone to swell the hoards of the leisured classes, and took into account the meagre benefit which had come to the active industrial classes, he said one was forced to conclude that progress had been one-sided in its benefactions. The position of many workers was worse than the position of some paupers. It one were to take the sum necessary to maintain the average family in the poorhouse, it would be found that the income of many families outside did not reach that amount. He gave illustrations which he said showed the need for the taxation of land values.- Mr. A. Malpas, in a vigorous speech, endeavoured to show (from statistics, &c. obtained from Tariff Reform sources) that the land was unduly taxed already, and that if an additional tax was added thereto, not only would it be an act of injustice upon the landowner, but it would recoil upon the tenants by increased rentals. It would also discourage thrift, and impoverish the shopkeepers in rural districts.- Mr. Malpas was accorded a fair hearing, but the meeting did not appear to endorse his views on the subject under discussion. No vote was taken."

 

"LIBERAL AND LABOUR ASSOCIATION.?Under the auspices of this association Councillor B. Maddox (Mayor) gave an address on "Social Reform?and not Tariff Reform?the great Need of the Working Classes", on Monday, in the Liberal and Labour Club-room. Mr. J. E. Hartshorne presided over a large attendance. In the course of his remarks the speaker said that Tariff Reform would not benefit the working classes, but would improve the position of the millionaire. Referring to roofing tiles,- he maintained the statement he had previously made that they were not imported into this country. Some people, he said, would compel the Government, if they could, to pass an Act of Parliament to prevent all slates coming into this country, and making it compulsory for everybody to buy Broseley tiles, thus raising the price of the latter, and seriously crippling the building trade. Tariff Reformers, he said, were repeating exactly the same arguments that were used by Protectionists in 1846. He urged his hearers not to let the freedom of buying where they liked, and from whom they liked, pass from them. Whilst a generous Providence had provided sufficient for all he contended that it was a crime for some men to live in luxury, and others to be permitted to die of starvation. Speaking of old-age pensions, he said it was a grand stroke of social reform, which had proved a veritable God-send to thousands of the aged poor, notwithstanding that it is condemned by the Conservatives, who wanted to know where the money was coming from. The Conservatives did not put that question, said the speaker, when they were squandering public money in a wicked and fruitless war. Touching upon labour exchanges, he said they would do something towards raising men's social position. Speaking of the benefits of Trades Unionism, Mr. Maddox said that since its adoption, it had been the means of raising the wages of the workers considerably. (Applause.)"

 

Again, these took place in Broseley in Shropshire in 1909.

 

steve@broseley.org.uk

 

Email the guy above as he is part of the Broseley Historical Society and surely will know something of the wider issues surrounding the organisations of which the Warrington branches were part.

[Mary]

Thanks Steve next time I go to my aunts house I will take pictures and send them to you - I think they are like new according to her - we will see!

[Steve the Original]

Just hope she hasnt polished them!!!if she has then they are worthless!!..

 

you can have a look here as well!!

 

Coins and more

 

Steve