The  TUC Commemorative Seat

Alongside Poole, Bournemouth and Portland, Tolpuddle is one of the counties most famous villages for it was here that the trade union was born.

Tolpuddle also called Tolpuddell and  Tolpiddle is a parish and a village standing on the  River Trenet or as it was originally name the River Piddle seven miles east of Dorchester. It is famous for the Tolpuddle Martyrs where six farm workers who were eaning nine shilling a week tried to establish a trade union.

The church is dedicated to St John and there used to be a post officer here.

IMAGES OF THE CHURCH OF ST JOHN

The Church of St John		The wooden frame on which hung the bell and other antiquities
The Interior of the church
The Roof Beams		The Altar
The pulpit, lectern and a beautifully carved chair		The squint and a piscina
The Font		James Hammett Tolpuddle Martyr Pioneer of Trades Unionism Champion of Freedom Born 11 December 1811 Died 21 November 1891

The story began in 1831 when a group of six farm labourers met under a huge Sycamore tree to discuss what to do about creating a union as they were earning a few shillings a week. They were perfectly normal honest hardworking men and had deep Christian beliefs and all they wanted was an extra three shillings a week so as to save their families from starvation, but unbeknown to them this would lead to them becoming the most famous martyrs in the whole of British history.

The group had elected George Loveless as their leader and he and his band were arrested and tried in D orchester and sentenced to serve seven years transportation to Australia. They were all however eventually pardoned and set free.

These men were said to be martyrs of Trade Unionism and in 1934 the Trade Union Congress (TUC) built a group of six cottages just off the main road of the village and later a memorial seat and a plaque were sited on the village green and each year there is a commemorative march past the green by the leading trade unionists of the country who are honoured to be carrying their union banners.

This is a pretty little village of thatch and some lovely countryside surrounding it.

THE TOLPUDDLE MARTYRS

IMAGES OF TOLPUDDLE VILLAGE

The Ruined Chapel		Cottages in the village
Thatched cottages opposite the church		The Martyrs Inn
Martyrs Cottages		The sign on Martyrs Cottages
The Martyrs Museum		The Museum
Statue representing the six martyrs and the one that came back to the village		Representing James  Hammett
The entrance to the village with the bus shelter		The Trades Congress seat
This is a seedling from the original tree		The plaque by the seedling tree
The Original Sycamore		The Plaque by the original sycamore