56 ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



called the Lincolnshire Labourers' Union, a compromise 

 was arrived at, though it should be remembered that Lin- 

 colnshire enjoyed higher wages. The struggle lasted until 

 the end of July when the unfortunate labourers were beaten. 



It could not have been carried on as long as eighteen weeks 

 but for public sympathy, and especially the subscrip- 

 tions from industrial unions, one of which, the Amalgamated 

 Society of Engineers, voted 1,000 to the lock-out fund. 

 The cost and extent of the lock-out may be judged from 

 the " authentic " list of grants made to various districts 

 by the Central Executive at Leamington between the 

 months of March and August, 1874. l 



But not all this money came from outside sources ; 5,595 

 was raised by the Agricultural Unions by special levies, 

 which, considering the low wages the men were receiving, 

 was a very creditable performance. 



One interesting feature of the lock-out was the Pilgrims' 

 March of agricultural labourers through the heart of England. 



Some hundreds of locked-out labourers met at The Sev- 

 erals, at Newmarket, on June 30, 1874. There they were 

 addressed by Henry Taylor, the General Secretary of the 

 National Labourers' Union, who undertook to lead the men 

 from the eastern counties by easy stages to the large towns 



Wisbech . 



Bedford . 



Halstead, Essex 



Sawston, Cambs 



Market Rasen, I 



Luton 



Aylesbury 



Old Buckenha: 



Norwich . 



East Dereham 



Wolverton 



Banbury 



Spalding . 



Dorset 



Market Harborough 



Andover . 



Farringdon 



Alton 



24,432 10 7 

 The Agricultural Lock-out, 1874 by F. Clifford. 



