184 ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



each side of the arch is a marble slab with words inscribed 

 thus : 



TOLPUDDLE MARTYRS. 

 ERECTED IN HONOUR " WE HAVE INJURED NO MAN'S 



Of the REPUTATION, CHARACTER, PER- 



FAITHFUL and BRAVE MEN SON OF PROPERTY J WE WERE 



of this village UNITING TOGETHER TO PRE- 



WHO IN 1834 SO NOBLY SERVE OURSELVES, AND OUR 



SUFFERED TRANSPORTATION WIVES AND OUR CHILDREN, 



in the Cause of FROM UTTER DEGRADATION AND 



LIBERTY, JUSTICE, STARVATION." 



and RIGHTEOUSNESS (GEORGE LOVELESS. Defence) 



and as a STIMULUS 



to our own 

 and FUTURE GENERATIONS 



GEORGE LOVELESS. 

 JAMES LOVELESS 

 JAMES HAMMETT. 

 THOMAS STANFIELD. 

 JOHN STANFIELD. 

 JAMES BRINE. 



UNVEILED by ARTHUR HENDERSON, M.P., 



May zjth, 1912. 1 



1 It will be remembered that these men asked for an increase in wages 

 from 8s. to QS. a week, instead of which wages were reduced to ys. a week 

 and the men were threatened with a reduction to 6s. Only then, 

 when driven down to starvation point, did these men attempt to form a 

 union. Nothing has been finer in the history of our courageous peasantry 

 than the bearing of these men during this cruel and vindictive trial. Be- 

 sides the words of George Loveless it would be interesting to record the 

 verses which James Loveless scribbled on a piece of paper and threw 

 among the crowd as he was being led away for deportation. 

 God is our guide ! no swords we draw, 



We kindle not war's battle fires ; 

 By reason, union, justice, law, 



We claim the birthright of our sires. 

 We raise the watchword Liberty, 

 We will, we will, we will be free ! 



The little Wesleyan chapel is where these men used to worship, and 

 it is interesting to note that Miss Hammett, a second cousin of James 

 Hammett, is a leader at the chapel at the present time ; and a son of 

 James Hammett still lives at Tolpuddle. 



I learn that James Loveless and Hammett spoke at one of Arch's 

 meetings, and persecution again arose and labourers were evicted from 

 their homes. Hammett's cousin then bought a field and built twelve 

 cottages on it, so that the tenants could go to chapel. and have a union if 

 they wished. 



An old lady, Mrs. Bush, the widow of a shepherd, remembers the martyrs 

 and is willing to talk of them. Later on the National Agricultural 

 Labourers' Union started a branch at Tolpuddle. 



