Member of Parliament
Frederick "Fred" Gould MP - Frome
Frederick "Fred Gould was born 28th June 1879, one of 12 children from a family living at Midsomer Norton, Somerset, his father was a miner and a founder of the Somerset Miners Federation.
The Gould family were strong Methodist's and Fred would go onto be a lay Wesleyan preacher.
The young Fred Gould attended the local C of E school and left school aged 13 to become a "bootblack" in the household of a local ironmonger and fill in time with being a stable boy and later serving customers in the shop.
When Fred Gould left the Ironmongers, after four years at cleaning boots he started making them and until 1920 worked in various factories, finding work as a "rounder" in Ollie Edwards Boots factory at Midsomer Norton
Gould was branch secretary of the small Midsomer Norton branch of National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives union,
In 1910 he won a seat on Radstock Urban District Council and later became Labour's first Chairman of Radstock Urban District Council. he was also elected as a Poor law Guardian, school manager and was active in the Co-operative Society
At the 1917 Boot and Shoe Operatives Union conference Gould was one of the few radicals challenging the unions leadership on issues such as "Workers control" stating "are we going to control machines or are we going to let them control us"
Due to a depression in the boot and shoe trade and no-doubt his role in the union, Gould found himself unemployed. Ten months out of work ended in Fred Gould's appointment in January 1921 a Labour Party divisional agent.
When the popular Cpt Edward Gill the Frome perspective Labour parliamentary candidate for the 1923 General election died expectantly in June 1923, it was Fred Gould who was selected and who won at the frome seat for Labour at the General election held on 5th December 1923. Gould held the seat until the General Election of 1924 when he lost, however, he won the seat again in 1929 and held it this time until 1931.
The Boot & Shoe workers union who sponsored Gould then decided he would have to stand in Leicester (with its sizable Boot & Shoe union membership) in future if he wanted union support. He did stand in Leicester but was ultimately unsuccessful in regaining a seat in parliament.
Fred Gould died 23 February 1971
Fred Gould's son Ronald Gould became a teacher in Midsomer Norton and national General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers
The Frome constituency covered most of North East Somerset and was abolished in 1949
Frome town was a textile town, but the rural parts of the constituency contained areas such as Radstock that had over 50 pits (The last two pit, Kilmersdon and Writhlington, closed in September 1973)
EDWARD GILL
The Labour candidate for Frome in 1923 was expected to be Captain Edward Gill MC a popular local man he had been the Labour candidate in 1918 securing 44% of the vote, only losing because the Liberal candidate split the vote. Edward Gill died 30th June 1923
SOMERSET ILP SPEAKERS 1908
Rev G.A. Ramsay, The Rectory Writhlington, Bath
J.W. Ronayne, Frome Hill, Radstock
C. Webber, 48 St James Taunton
H.C. Caswell, Kingston Road, Rowbarton, Taunton
T. Oaten, 27 Alber Marle Road, Taunton
Rev G. A Ramsay was also chairman of the Radstock Co-operative Society,
Miners leader A. J. Cook spoke at Radstock May 1926
Street Boot & Shoe Union Branch secretary 1913 Fred Laver (active in the ILP)
Taunton NUR Banner
Other South West MP's elected at 1923 General Election 1923
Walter Ayles -Bristol North
Walter Baker - Bristol East
William Bywater — a life-long ASE member
http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/trade-us/bywater.htm
Derek Bywater sent me the following information and the images of his great-great grandfather and the certificate. My thanks to him.
Mr Derek Bywater says:—
William Bywater was a secretary in the ASE in 1850 and there is a very interesting blog on him Hayes peoples history. We have in our possession the presentation certificate [see below] and the wallet given to him when he retired in 1913. His father, Thomas Bywater, was a clothmaker in Woodhouse Leeds. He was born about 1810. William started his adult life as a blacksmith; he married and had two sons. When his wife died he moved to Bridgwater leaving his sons living with his father back in Leeds. William remarried and moved onto Nine Elms London where my grandfather {Henry, pictured above] was born. I do have all the history but some parts are missing I just wished my father had told me more. My father was a trade unionist as was I: I was in the NGA since I was a compositor by trade (now obsolete) more's the pity.
The following information is from the Hayes Peoples Blog
Amalgamated Society of Engineers (Southall) 1913
At a meeting of Southall branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) (later Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) held at Northcote Arms, Southall smoking concert occasion presentation of an award of merit
Mr Cantwell Presided
Mr Donkinson Executive member
Mr Dumbleton Branch secretary
For a larger image, click here
Mr William Bywater related a life long experience in connection with trade unionism. His stewardship commenced in 1850 in the employ of the Railway Foundry at Leeds, where he was apprenticed as smith, twelve months before the forming of the Society of Engineers. It was from that foundry the first fast express engine, the Jenny Lind went out. At the time of such locomotive taking the iron road he listened to the discussions of the advocates of trade unionism. and subsequently became one of its earliest members. He considered himself one of the ideal trade unionists. His shop was one of the finest trade unionist shops of that day, some 62 years ago when he joined as trade unionist at the age of nearly 21 years. He stood before them as a man over 80.
He had fulfilled two secretaryships, first at Leeds and secondly at Bridgwater in 1874. He had been through all the battles of trade unionism. He played an important part in the boilermakers strike at Leeds in 1866, and at Bridgwater in later years. On each occasion his Executive Council enabled him to get the workers back to their employment. In those days he was a man who stuck up for his employer. He did so because the firms were in the right and his fellow-workers in the wrong. He considered the object of an ideal trade unionist was to support the party which was in the right, and this he did in his day by upholding the employers of labour, and on each occasion he received the support of his Society at head-quarters.
He thanked the Amalgamated Society of Engineers for having founded such an excellent excellent institution which provided him with ampler means of comfortable subsistence in old age and kept him out of the poor house. When old age was creeping on with weakened intellect and diminished strength he was in a position to thank god for the provision which his Society had secured .He appreciated the gifts presented to him
At the conclusion of his remarks Mr Bywater was greeted with the singing of “He’s a jolly good fellow”
A peculiar coincidence in connection with Mr Bywater is the fact that he was formerly a blacksmith and had three uncles who were blacksmiths and he himself was known as “Uncle” to the members of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE)
In full appreciation of these facts the Chairman followed by singing the “Village blacksmith” the ringing and clanging being rhythmically taken up by the brothers in the Lodge.
The illuminated ASE address presented to Mr Bywater [see above] bore the following inscription:—
“Amalgamated Society of Engineers (Sectional Societies amalgamated 1857) present to Brother William Bywater of Southall branch by special resolution of the Executive Council for faithful services in the capacity of Branch secretary and other branch officers extending over 57 years.
Dated December 1913 Signed Robert Young, Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE) General Secretary.
Still achieving, still pursuing Learn to labour and to wait”