216 ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



A remarkable letter also appeared in the Press, 1 written 

 by Mr. James Middlehurst, senr., a farmer of Great Chester- 

 ford, who said : " Why should the labourer not form a 

 union if he likes ? What business is it of anybody but him- 

 self ? Suppose he should say to his farmer-employer, ' If 

 you do not leave your Chamber of Agriculture you shall 

 not harvest your crops.' What would the farmer think 

 and do?" 



There was trouble also brewing amongst the 145. a week 

 labourers of Norfolk, the dramatic side of which was in- 

 creased by the King being involved in it. But we will 

 finish with the Helion Bumpstead strike first. 



The farm labourers of Helions Bumpstead adopted primi- 

 tive but picturesque methods to win solidarity in the neigh- 

 bouring villages. When as the result of a ballot all the 

 men in the neighbourhood voted in favour of the strike 

 that is between 350 and 400 farm workers groups of men 

 went round the villages at midnight and at the break of 

 dawn rousing the inmates of cottages by bell, whistle and 

 tin can, declaring the strike to have begun. 



The chief demands of the men were now as follows : the 

 labourer should get i6s. ; stockmen i8s. to 2os. ; horsemen 

 aos. ; overtime, at 6d. an hour ; harvest work, 8 for 4 

 weeks, and 55. a day beyond 4 weeks ; weekly half-holiday ; 

 holidays on recognised Bank holidays ; and the tied cot- 

 tage to be held on a three months' tenancy. 



June arrived, when the luscious grass was ready for 

 cutting, but rather than give way the farmers were pre- 

 pared to lose the harvest. They imported police to afford 

 protection to themselves whilst working in the hayfield. 

 The Bishop of Chelmsford tried to settle the strike at Haver- 

 hill at a conference of masters and men, but the farmers 

 refused to deal with any men who were branch secretaries. 8 



" The men have formed the Union to rebel against their 

 masters, and I won't have none on't," said one employer, 

 which fittingly expressed the mentality of the Bumpstead 

 farmer. Eight men were prosecuted and fined by the 

 Bench for leaving work without proper notice. These men, 



Daily Citizen, March 13, 1914. Morning Post, July 12, 1914- 



