The Tolpuddle Martyrs

The Tolpuddle story is about how ordinary farm working people in West Dorset, combined together to defend their families from unfair pay cuts.

Life in villages like Tolpuddle during the 1830s was extremely hard and getting steadily worse. Some farm workers could bear the cuts in pay no longer and fought back by smashing the new threshing machines which caused them to be punished severely.

In 1834, farm workers in west Dorset formed a trade union, but the leaders were arrested and sentenced to seven years transportation. Thousands of people marched through London, signed petitions and held protest meetings to demand their freedom.

This was the start of the trade union movement in Great Britain as the Tolpuddle Martyrs were returned home in triumph due to the campaign.

The Tolpuddle Martyrs are celebrated in Tolpuddle museum on the 19-21^st July 2013 and are the subject of a new drama production for Townsend Productions.

We were delighted to have been able to provide some very authentic looking costumes for a photo-shoot depicting life for the farm workers in the 1830’s.

For more information on our excellent range of authentic period clothing and historical costumes, please give us a call on 01908 372504 or visit our website www.admiralcostumes.co.uk

Pictures with kind permission from Townsend Productions