It was in 1834 that a group of six agricultural labourers  met under a Sycamore tree in the village of Tolpuddle, Dorset and tried to stop wage-cutting by starting a Friendly Society or a Trade Union and for this they were arrested and tried in Dorchester, where they were sentenced to deportation for taking what was then classed as an illegal oath under the 1797 Act which was intended to prevent mutiny in the Royal Navy.

The six men were James Brine, Thomas Standfield, John Stanfield, George Loveless and James Loveless and James Hammett. They were brought back in 1838 and George Loveless was made a delegate to the Chartist Convention in 1839.

In the yers between 1770 and 1830 when the enclosures act was brought into being Landowners annexed large areas of agricultural land which made more wealth from the pattern of small fields enclosed by hedges which were popular at that time. This left the local villages with nowhere to grow their own vegetables or common land to graze their single cow or pig. And the staple diet for the peasants were bread, potatoes and tea and people were badly nourished and small in stature.

The six Martyrs were paid just 9 shillings a week and they had to endure great poverty and hardship and it was George Loveless who decided to set up a Union in the village to enable the labourers to have more power in their bargaining.

But James Frampton a local landowner got together with the other landowners of the area and supported by the government set out to smash the unions thus indending to have complete control of any dissent among the workers.

In 1829 and 1830 the low wages and appalling conditions and the fact that unemployment was high coupled  with poor harvests brought about a wave of anger and unrest and this led to riots which were let by "Captain Swing" in November 1830, Captain Swing was in fact a mythical character.

James Framton was born in Moreton House near to Tolpuddle in 1769 and was from a long line of country gentlemen who were well from a well established family and he was a patriotic person who put Church, Constitution, King and Country before all else. He in fact trumped up the charge of administering the unlawful oath as he was scared that trade unions would take away the power and wealth of the landed gentry and upper classes and he was determined that he would suppress any form of rebellion no matter what the cause.

At the trial al six were sentenced to seven years transportation and were to be sent to New South Wales in Australia where they would be assigned as convict labour to the landowners. They were sent in chains to Tasmania with the exception of George Lovess who was ill at the time and on 5th April 1834 he was declared fit for travel and was sent to the York Prison hulk and on 17th May he was transported on the William Metcalfe  to Van Diemen's Land.

But they had the public behind them and pressure was brought to bear to have them pardoned and the king granted this but it took months for this to reach the authorities in Australia and they did not return until three years later.

Five of the original martyrs went to Canada and other places and the only one to remain was James Hammett and his grave can be found at the back of the church.
From these six men the Trade Union system in Britain was established and each year the TUC hold a rally here by the Sycamore tree and carry their colourful banners through the village.