British Culture - User contributions [en]

Ellen Wilkinson

2011-12-27T15:17:59Z

AnnaWertenbruch:

Ellen Wilkinson is probably best known for being the Labour MP that led the [[Jarrow March]] in 1936. She was an active trade unionist, feminist and Socialist.

She was born in Manchester on 8th October 1981 and died in 1947. Her parents Richard Wilkinson, a worker in a textile factory and later an insurance agent, and Ellen Wood, a dress-maker, were both devout Methodists and had four children. The daughter of the working class family later did not share her parent’s religious beliefs. After an elementary education Ellen won a scholarship to attend Ardwick Higher Grade School, which was later renamed “Ellen Wilikinson Highschool” in her memory. In 1906 she even won a bursary to study at Manchester Day Training College and joined the Independent Labour Party (ILP) in 1907. In 1910 she gained a scholarship to read history at the University of Manchester, which was a considerable achievement for a working class young woman, and in 1912 Ellen Wilkinson became a member of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) and was recruited as one of its district organisers. Wilkinson also ran the local branch of the Fabian Society and was the first woman to emplyed as an official by the Amalgamated Union of Cooperative Employees, which eventually joined the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers (NUDAW), today’s USDAW. During the First World War Ellen supported the Non-Conscription Fellowship and joined the Communist Party at its foundation. In 1923 she was elected to Manchester City Council on a Labour ticket and left the Party in 1924 after she was elected as an MP for Middlesborough East. When she opposed the National Government formed by MacDonald, Ellen lost her seat in the election in 1931.

Ellen Wilkinson wrote several novels (“Clash”, published in 1929; “Peeps at Politicians” published in 1931; “The Terror in Germany” published in 1933 and “The Division Bell Mystery” published in 1932) and was a fluent speaker with an impish sense of humor and a lively temperament. Ellen Wilkinson became known as Red Ellen (both for the colour of her hair and her politics).

In 1935 Ellen re-entered Parliament as MP for Jarrow and led the march to London where she presented a petition to parliament and later wrote an account of the Jarrow Crusade and its result called “The Town That Was Murdered” (1939).

Ellen supported anti-fascist unity and was active in Spanish relief committees and a member of the International Commission of Enquiry into the Reichstag. Though these activities put her in a state of some tension with the Labour’s leadership, she was made Minister of Education by the new Prime Minister in 1945 when the Labour Party won the general election with a huge majority. In 1946 Ellen was successful in getting the School Milk Act through the Commons which provided a free third pint of milk every day to every child in the country.

However, her plan to increase the school-leaving age to sixteen was abandoned in favor of fifteen and Ellen must have been to be depressed over the course of her career and the failure to achieve serious reforms as a Labour politician.
Ellen Wilkinson died suddenly on 6th February 1947 during one of the worst winters of the century. The official cause was pneumonia, although there were rumors that she had taken an overdose of barbiturates because of her state of mind.

Sources:

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUwilkinson.htm (Stand: 26.12.2011)

http://www.marxists.org/glossary/people/w/i.htm#wilkinson-ellen (Stand: 26.12.2011)

http://radicalmanchester.wordpress.com/2010/02/19/ellen-wilkinson/ (Stand: 26.12.2011)

Jarrow March

2011-12-26T22:42:22Z

AnnaWertenbruch:

A protest march against unemployment and extreme poverty from Jarrow to London in 1936.

In the 1930s Britain was affected by the world-wide economic Depression. Areas of heavy industry, like Jarrow, suffered the most.
In 1935 Jarrow’s steel work, Palmer’s shipyard, has been closed down and most of the inhabitants of the town lost their job, because the yard had been Jarrow’s major source of employment. The town was already beset by problems and the closure even compounded poverty, overcrowding, poor housing and high mortality rates.

To demonstrate against the bad situation in town, on 5 October 1936 207 unemployed men of Jarrow started to march 300 miles to London. Women were not allowed to join the march and the marchers were carefully chosen and had to be medically examined before they could begin to protest.

The men from Jarrow who marched with two banners bearing the words "Jarrow Crusade" wanted Parliament and the people in the south to understand that they were orderly, responsible citizens and just lived in a region with too many difficulties. At that time Jarrow had an unemployment rate with an average of 75 per cent and really suffered from the Depression and the related closure of the steel work. Therefore the men wanted a new steel work to be built and bring back jobs to their town. [[Ellen Wilkinson]], the local MP, headed the 25-days march and carried the petition for presentation to the House of Commons which was signed by 11,572 people. The march attracted unprecedented coverage by the media and was supported by the towns the marches went through so that a further petition was collected en route.

But despite public sympathy, the crusade made only little impact when the Jarrow marchers reached London. Ellen Wilkinson alone presented their petition on 4 November only watched by some of her fellow protesters in the gallery. Although the petition was accepted no specific proposal was made to help Jarrow.

Later in 1938 a ship-breaking yard and engineering works were established in Jarrow and a company finally started a steelwork there in 1939. But the Depression in Jarrow continued until the Second World War and until industry got on again as a consequence of the country’s need for rearmament.

Sources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwone/jarrow_01.shtml (Stand: 26.12.2011)

Pickard, Tom: ''Jarrow March''. London: Alison & Busby, 1982.

Ellen Wilkinson

2011-12-26T22:42:12Z

AnnaWertenbruch:

Ellen Wilkinson is probably best known for being the Labour MP that led the Jarrow March in 1936. She was an active trade unionist, feminist and Socialist.

She was born in Manchester on 8th October 1981 and died in 1947. Her parents Richard Wilkinson, a worker in a textile factory and later an insurance agent, and Ellen Wood, a dress-maker, were both devout Methodists and had four children. The daughter of the working class family later did not share her parent’s religious beliefs. After an elementary education Ellen won a scholarship to attend Ardwick Higher Grade School, which was later renamed “Ellen Wilikinson Highschool” in her memory. In 1906 she even won a bursary to study at Manchester Day Training College and joined the Independent Labour Party (ILP) in 1907. In 1910 she gained a scholarship to read history at the University of Manchester, which was a considerable achievement for a working class young woman, and in 1912 Ellen Wilkinson became a member of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) and was recruited as one of its district organisers. Wilkinson also ran the local branch of the Fabian Society and was the first woman to emplyed as an official by the Amalgamated Union of Cooperative Employees, which eventually joined the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers (NUDAW), today’s USDAW. During the First World War Ellen supported the Non-Conscription Fellowship and joined the Communist Party at its foundation. In 1923 she was elected to Manchester City Council on a Labour ticket and left the Party in 1924 after she was elected as an MP for Middlesborough East. When she opposed the National Government formed by MacDonald, Ellen lost her seat in the election in 1931.

Ellen Wilkinson wrote several novels (“Clash”, published in 1929; “Peeps at Politicians” published in 1931; “The Terror in Germany” published in 1933 and “The Division Bell Mystery” published in 1932) and was a fluent speaker with an impish sense of humor and a lively temperament. Ellen Wilkinson became known as Red Ellen (both for the colour of her hair and her politics).

In 1935 Ellen re-entered Parliament as MP for Jarrow and led the march to London where she presented a petition to parliament and later wrote an account of the Jarrow Crusade and its result called “The Town That Was Murdered” (1939).

Ellen supported anti-fascist unity and was active in Spanish relief committees and a member of the International Commission of Enquiry into the Reichstag. Though these activities put her in a state of some tension with the Labour’s leadership, she was made Minister of Education by the new Prime Minister in 1945 when the Labour Party won the general election with a huge majority. In 1946 Ellen was successful in getting the School Milk Act through the Commons which provided a free third pint of milk every day to every child in the country.

However, her plan to increase the school-leaving age to sixteen was abandoned in favor of fifteen and Ellen must have been to be depressed over the course of her career and the failure to achieve serious reforms as a Labour politician.
Ellen Wilkinson died suddenly on 6th February 1947 during one of the worst winters of the century. The official cause was pneumonia, although there were rumors that she had taken an overdose of barbiturates because of her state of mind.

Sources:

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUwilkinson.htm (Stand: 26.12.2011)

http://www.marxists.org/glossary/people/w/i.htm#wilkinson-ellen (Stand: 26.12.2011)

http://radicalmanchester.wordpress.com/2010/02/19/ellen-wilkinson/ (Stand: 26.12.2011)

Ellen Wilkinson

2011-12-26T22:37:57Z

AnnaWertenbruch:

Ellen Wilkinson is probably best known for being the Labour MP that led the Jarrow March in 1936. She was an active trade unionist, feminist and Socialist.
She was born in Manchester on 8th October 1981 and died in 1947. Her parents Richard Wilkinson, a worker in a textile factory and later an insurance agent, and Ellen Wood, a dress-maker, were both devout Methodists and had four children. The daughter of the working class family later did not share her parent’s religious beliefs. After an elementary education Ellen won a scholarship to attend Ardwick Higher Grade School, which was later renamed “Ellen Wilikinson Highschool” in her memory. In 1906 she even won a bursary to study at Manchester Day Training College and joined the Independent Labour Party (ILP) in 1907. In 1910 she gained a scholarship to read history at the University of Manchester, which was a considerable achievement for a working class young woman, and in 1912 Ellen Wilkinson became a member of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) and was recruited as one of its district organisers. Wilkinson also ran the local branch of the Fabian Society and was the first woman to emplyed as an official by the Amalgamated Union of Cooperative Employees, which eventually joined the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers (NUDAW), today’s USDAW. During the First World War Ellen supported the Non-Conscription Fellowship and joined the Communist Party at its foundation. In 1923 she was elected to Manchester City Council on a Labour ticket and left the Party in 1924 after she was elected as an MP for Middlesborough East. When she opposed the National Government formed by MacDonald, Ellen lost her seat in the election in 1931.
Ellen Wilkinson wrote several novels (“Clash”, published in 1929; “Peeps at Politicians” published in 1931; “The Terror in Germany” published in 1933 and “The Division Bell Mystery” published in 1932) and was a fluent speaker with an impish sense of humor and a lively temperament. Ellen Wilkinson became known as Red Ellen (both for the colour of her hair and her politics).
In 1935 Ellen re-entered Parliament as MP for Jarrow and led the march to London where she presented a petition to parliament and later wrote an account of the Jarrow Crusade and its result called “The Town That Was Murdered” (1939).
Ellen supported anti-fascist unity and was active in Spanish relief committees and a member of the International Commission of Enquiry into the Reichstag. Though these activities put her in a state of some tension with the Labour’s leadership, she was made Minister of Education by the new Prime Minister in 1945 when the Labour Party won the general election with a huge majority. In 1946 Ellen was successful in getting the School Milk Act through the Commons which provided a free third pint of milk every day to every child in the country.
However, her plan to increase the school-leaving age to sixteen was abandoned in favor of fifteen and Ellen must have been to be depressed over the course of her career and the failure to achieve serious reforms as a Labour politician.
Ellen Wilkinson died suddenly on 6th February 1947 during one of the worst winters of the century. The official cause was pneumonia, although there were rumors that she had taken an overdose of barbiturates because of her state of mind.

Ellen Wilkinson

2011-12-26T21:22:51Z

AnnaWertenbruch: Created page with 'MP who headed the Jarrow March'

MP who headed the Jarrow March

Jarrow March

2011-12-26T21:22:00Z

AnnaWertenbruch:

A protest march against unemployment and extreme poverty from Jarrow to London in 1936.

In the 1930s Britain was affected by the world-wide economic Depression. Areas of heavy industry, like Jarrow, suffered the most.
In 1935 Jarrow’s steel work, Palmer’s shipyard, has been closed down and most of the inhabitants of the town lost their job, because the yard had been Jarrow’s major source of employment. The town was already beset by problems and the closure even compounded poverty, overcrowding, poor housing and high mortality rates.

To demonstrate against the bad situation in town, on 5 October 1936 207 unemployed men of Jarrow started to march 300 miles to London. Women were not allowed to join the march and the marchers were carefully chosen and had to be medically examined before they could begin to protest.

The men from Jarrow who marched with two banners bearing the words "Jarrow Crusade" wanted Parliament and the people in the south to understand that they were orderly, responsible citizens and just lived in a region with too many difficulties. At that time Jarrow had an unemployment rate with an average of 75 per cent and really suffered from the Depression and the related closure of the steel work. Therefore the men wanted a new steel work to be built and bring back jobs to their town. [[Ellen Wilkinson]], the local MP, headed the 25-days march and carried the petition for presentation to the House of Commons which was signed by 11,572 people. The march attracted unprecedented coverage by the media and was supported by the towns the marches went through so that a further petition was collected en route.

But despite public sympathy, the crusade made only little impact when the Jarrow marchers reached London. Ellen Wilkinson alone presented their petition on 4 November only watched by some of her fellow protesters in the gallery. Although the petition was accepted no specific proposal was made to help Jarrow.

Later in 1938 a ship-breaking yard and engineering works were established in Jarrow and a company finally started a steelwork there in 1939. But the Depression in Jarrow continued until the Second World War and until industry got on again as a consequence of the country’s need for rearmament.

Sources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwone/jarrow_01.shtml

Pickard, Tom: ''Jarrow March''. London: Alison & Busby, 1982.

Jarrow March

2011-11-14T17:45:32Z

AnnaWertenbruch:

A protest march against unemployment and extreme poverty from Jarrow to London in 1936.

In the 1930s Britain was affected from the world-wide depression. Areas of heavy industry, like Jarrow, suffered the most.
In 1935 Jarrow’s steel work, Palmer’s shipyard, has been closed down and most of the inhabitants of the town lost their job, because the yard had been Jarrow’s major source of employment. The town was already beset by problems and the closure even compounded poverty, overcrowding, poor housing and high mortality rates.

To demonstrate against the bad situation in town, on 5 October 1936 207 unemployed men of Jarrow started to march 300 miles to London. Women were not allowed to joing the march and the marchers were carefully chosen and must be medically examined before they could begin to protest.

The men from Jarrow who marched with two banners bearing the words “Jarrow Crusade” wanted Parliament and the people in the south to understand that they were orderly, responsible citizens and just lived in a region with too many difficulties. At that time Jarrow had an unemployment rate with an average of 75% and really suffered from the depression and the related closure of the steel work. Therefore the men wanted a new steel work to be built and bring back jobs to their town. Ellen Wilkinson, the local MP, headed the 25-days march and carried the petition for presentation to the House of Commons which was signed by 11.572 people. The march attracted unprecedented coverage by the media and was supported by the towns the marches went through so that a further petition was collected en route.

But despite public sympathy, the crusade made only little impact when the Jarrow marchers reached London. Ellen Wilkinson alone presented their petition on 4th November only watched by some of her fellow protesters in the gallery. Although the petition was accepted no specific proposal was made to help Jarrow.
Later in 1938 a ship-breaking yard and engineering works were established in Jarrow and a company finally started a steelwork there in 1939. But the depression in Jarrow continued until the Second World War and until industry got on again as a consequence of the country’s need for rearmament.

Sources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwone/jarrow_01.shtml

Pickard, Tom: ''Jarrow March''. London: Alison & Busby, 1982.

Jarrow March

2011-11-14T17:45:02Z

AnnaWertenbruch:

A protest march against unemployment and extreme poverty from Jarrow to London in 1936.
In the 1930s Britain was affected from the world-wide depression. Areas of heavy industry, like Jarrow, suffered the most.
In 1935 Jarrow’s steel work, Palmer’s shipyard, has been closed down and most of the inhabitants of the town lost their job, because the yard had been Jarrow’s major source of employment. The town was already beset by problems and the closure even compounded poverty, overcrowding, poor housing and high mortality rates.
To demonstrate against the bad situation in town, on 5 October 1936 207 unemployed men of Jarrow started to march 300 miles to London. Women were not allowed to joing the march and the marchers were carefully chosen and must be medically examined before they could begin to protest.
The men from Jarrow who marched with two banners bearing the words “Jarrow Crusade” wanted Parliament and the people in the south to understand that they were orderly, responsible citizens and just lived in a region with too many difficulties. At that time Jarrow had an unemployment rate with an average of 75% and really suffered from the depression and the related closure of the steel work. Therefore the men wanted a new steel work to be built and bring back jobs to their town. Ellen Wilkinson, the local MP, headed the 25-days march and carried the petition for presentation to the House of Commons which was signed by 11.572 people. The march attracted unprecedented coverage by the media and was supported by the towns the marches went through so that a further petition was collected en route.
But despite public sympathy, the crusade made only little impact when the Jarrow marchers reached London. Ellen Wilkinson alone presented their petition on 4th November only watched by some of her fellow protesters in the gallery. Although the petition was accepted no specific proposal was made to help Jarrow.
Later in 1938 a ship-breaking yard and engineering works were established in Jarrow and a company finally started a steelwork there in 1939. But the depression in Jarrow continued until the Second World War and until industry got on again as a consequence of the country’s need for rearmament.

Sources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwone/jarrow_01.shtml

Pickard, Tom: ''Jarrow March''. London: Alison & Busby, 1982.

Jarrow March

2011-11-09T14:40:50Z

AnnaWertenbruch:

hunger or protest march against unemployment and extreme poverty in London

Jarrow March

2011-11-09T14:38:40Z

AnnaWertenbruch: Created page with 'protest march against unemployment and extreme poverty.'

protest march against unemployment and extreme poverty.