Typographical Association

Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Template other The Typographical Association (TA) was a trade union representing typographers in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

History

The National Typographical Association collapsed in 1848, and delegates from across Yorkshire and Lancashire met at Angel Street in Sheffield to found the Provincial Typographical Association, intended to recreate the former Northern Typographical Union and to focus on paying benefits to members on strike. The union grew gradually from 481 members at the end of 1849 to 5,300 in 1877. In that year, it merged with a related relief association and dropped "Provincial" from its title.

Based in Manchester, the union focussed on demanding members serve a seven-year apprenticeship. In 1894, it began admitting women. In the 1910s, the Association established a branch in London, but the Trades Union Congress instituted arbitration which restricted it from a fifteen-mile radius of central London, the rival London Society of Compositors having rights to organise in the city.

By 1946, membership had reached 13,958. In 1964, the Association merged with the London Typographical Society to create the National Graphical Association.

Election results

The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in several Parliamentary elections, many of whom won election.

Election	Constituency	Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Position
1906 general election	Norwich		11,059	37.5	1
1910 Jan general election	Norwich		11,159	28.7	2
1910 Dec general election	Norwich		10,003	35.8	2
1917 by-election	Norwich		unopposed	N/A	1
1918 general election	West Bromwich		11,572	54.0	1
1922 general election	Buckingham		7,343	26.3	2
	West Bromwich		14,210	50.6	1
1923 general election	West Bromwich		12,910	44.8	1
1924 general election	West Bromwich		15,384	51.6	1
1929 general election	West Bromwich		19,621	52.1	1
1931 general election	West Bromwich		17,204	44.4	2
1935 general election	Blackburn		34,423	23.8	4
	West Bromwich		19,113	51.3	1
1945 general election	Bristol South		24,929	58.8	1
	Rossendale		15,741	43.6	1
1950 general election	Bristol South		23,456	59.9	1
	Woodford		18,740	30.0	2
1951 general election	Bristol South		24,444	63.3	1
1955 general election	Bristol South		24,954	64.1	1
1959 general election	Bristol South		27,010	60.8	1

In both the 1910 elections, Roberts was elected by taking second place in a two-seat constituency.

Leadership

General Secretaries

1849: Josephus Speak

1865: Henry Roberts

1869: Henry Slatter

1897: Richard Hackett

1900: A. W. Jones

1900: Herbert Skinner

1934: John Fletcher

1942: Harry Riding

1955: F. C. Blackburn

1957: John Bonfield

General Presidents

1852: William Dronfield

1855:

1886: Owen Connellan

1888: Daniel Bird

1889:

1891: Richard Hackett

1892:

1893: Richard Hackett

1897:

1899: O. Waddington

1902: H. Matthewman

1908: John H. Boothman

1913: Jimmy French

1934: Hugh Inglis

1949: F. C. Blackburn

1955: John Bonfield

1957: Fred Simmons

References

• Arthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions
• Albert Edward Musson, The Typographical Association: Origins and History Up to 1949

Specific

External links

• Catalogue of the TA archives, held at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick

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