Author's Note. 



IN the making of this book I have had the valuable 

 assistance of Mr. Arthur W. Ashby, who has kindly 

 read the proof sheets ; and of Mr. Ernest Selley, 

 the author of Village Trade Unions in Two Centuries, 

 who has provided me with much information 

 which has been laboriously acquired. Mr. Frederick 

 Verinder generously put at my disposal the only 

 complete copies in existence, I believe, of the Red 

 Van Reports, and the Church Reformer. The 

 Presidents and Secretaries of the two great unions 

 involved, the National Agricultural Labourers' and 

 Rural Workers' Union, and the Workers' Union, 

 namely Messrs. W. R. Smith, M.P., R. B. Walker, 

 John Beard, and Charles Duncan, have allowed 

 me free access to their books and papers ; and 

 Sir Henry Rew has helped me in the compilation 

 of the Appendices. To all of these and to many 

 others, my thanks are due ; and I should like to 

 add, that I alone am responsible for the statements 

 expressed. 



F. E. G. 



