Sudbury Social Democratic Federation - Suffolk 1890

Socialism came to rural towns and villages by numerous routes, the famous Clarion vans, The non-conformists, the trade unions, and in the case of Sudbury in Suffolk, via the silk weavers, who's factory owners had moved their premises out of London to  Suffolk to escape the unionisation and militancy of London weavers demanding fair pay.





Despite the factory owners best efforts, by 1890 Sudbury, Hadleigh silk weavers and those in surrounding towns in Suffolk were demanding improved pay and on strike or threatening strikes to achieve those objectives.