Sarah Leach - Botwell Sisterhood

Mrs Sarah Leach
Botwell Sisterhood and Labour Party

31st March 1939 Advertiser & Gazette

Mrs S. E.Leach well known Labour and religious worker in the Hayes district for many years. Mrs Sarah Elizabeth Leach died at the age of 68 at Middlesex Hospital in Sunday 26th March 1939.

Mrs Sarah Leach came to Hayes in 1913 and moved to 7 Eastcote Lane, Northolt in 1933.

She was a member of the Botwell Infant Welfare committee since its inception and Chairman of Hayes Labour Party Women's section for several years.

For a long time she was President of the Botwell Sisterhood and president of West Middlesex Brotherhood Federation.

She was an elected Hayes Labour Party repressentstive on the Uxbridge Board of Guardians until its functions were passed on to Middlesex County Council,

In her earlier years Mrs Leach was a Sunday School teacher.

her sympathetic character endeared her to all among whom she worked.

Mrs Leach's funeral was held at Northolt Parish church on Wednesday 5th April 1939


NOTES

Robert John Leach, 1 Clarevillas, Clarendon Road, Hayes, (Engineer). Chairman of Hayes Labour Party and Labour Councillor in the 1920's (first elected 1920)
Vice Chairman Hayes UDC 1921-1922 and 1924-1925. Chairman 1922-1923 and for six months 1925-1926.

BOTWELL BROTHERHOOD

Hayes or Botwell Brotherhood, a non conformist interdenominational religious grouping, was founded in or around April 1908 with Mr J.T. Catherwood as Honoray Secretary, Rev F. Robinson as President.
Meetings of Botwell Brotherhood were initially held in the Wesleyan Chapel in Morgan's Lane, Hayes, Middlesex.

The Botwell Brotherhood Hall finally moved to it's own Brotherhood Hall in Neild Road , Hayes opening in November 1915. Botwell Brotherhood moved to a new Brotherhood Hall in Coldharbour Lane in 1932.

Botwell Sisterhood was established in 1910


At the 1912 annual meeting of Botwell Brotherhood over 100 people attended, reports were read on the Brotherhoods Benevolent society, Coal and Sick club.

After the 1912 reports Uxbridge and Hayes Brotherhood Orchestra played and Thomas Chellew(London) presided, supported by Mr J. H. May (Harlesden), Mr Wolseley Hutt (Baritone- Queens Hall) Mr A. Maud (Uxbridge). Percy Langton (Founder of Hayes Labour party) and Miss Olive Langton (piano) others involved included Mrs Ward, Mr Backhouse,
BOTWELL BROTHERS:-Mr Catherwood, Mr Warr, Mr Gardner, Mr Loader, Mr Langton, Mr Mardlin, Mr Brown (Junior), Brown (Senior), Reeves, Nicholls, Nightingale, Bristowe, Winter, Darby, Oakley, Jeremy, Rogers, Dix, Catherwood, Brown Junior, Darby, Brown (senior), Winter, Bosher, Chandler, D. Brown, Bristowe, Pullin and Langton.

Other names associated with the Botwell Botwell movement in 1914 included
Mrs Austin, Mrs J. Matson, Mrs Lovell, Mrs A. Maison, Mrs Kemp

also involved Mr Jabez Osbourne of Uxbridge.

BOTWELL BROTHERHOOD BRASS BAND
Botwell Brotherhood Brass Band established around 1912. It was reported at the January 1915 annual meeting of Botwell Brotherhood that they had managed to repay the £10 cost for musical instruments for the Brass band and the President congratulated the band on "the splendid progress it had made considering the very unsettled state of things at present, and also taking into consideration that the War had taken away six of its most active members". The Band later became the Harlington Silver and is now known as the Denham Hendon Brass Band, and enjoy considerable susses. They now rehearse at Denham.


Southall Brotherhood had been established circa 1907 and meet in the Wesleyan Hall, Southall, under the leadership of Mr T. J. Owens.

Their seems to have been a strong Welsh connection to the Brotherhood Movement in West Middlesex.

Uxbridge (active circa 1912 and Yiewsley Brotherhood active circa 1915, Harefield Circa 1914.

Mr F. Read of West Ealing Brotherhood stated "The Brotherhood should see that there were Christan statement and Christan Labour leaders, so that they could make clear and sure progress. (Botwell Brotherhood 27 February 1920).

"Among the problems which the Brotherhood must apply itself to was unemployment, industrial reform and the re population of the rural areas".
Rev Tom Sykes

Daily Express Editorial 30th May 1910

"Puritan manifesto of non conformist anti socialists atheists received applause when denying Christ before Christian congregation and pagan seditious permitted to supplement the worship of god on Sunday afternoon.

Preparations were already being made in a campaign of insult against the late Sovereign no other class of meeting can the non conformist find today where blackguardly abuses his country is so lavish as with a free church Sunday afternoon men's meeting or PSA"

This editorial was denounced by Percy Langton in the local paper.

Botwell Brotherhood was also quick to recognise the dangers of "jingoism" at the start of World war One, one letter to the local paper states....
"Do they believe all the lies and calumnies spread by the daily Liar and Daily Distress against the German nation who are the nearest allied to us by both blood and principle. What can the Brotherhood say of those pathetic and unauthorised meetings between British and German solders on Christmas Day 1914 ? Will they not agree that such an occurrence in itself condemns the war by blundering ambition have no enmity and are jolly fellow on each side" (Botwell Brotherhood February 1915).


"Nothing did more harm to religion than people going to worship looking as if the they were going to the dentist".
Rev Tom Sykes, Brotherhood - National Secretary 1922

Picture Botwell Brotherhood Hall 2002 for sale. The Botwell Brotherhood had dwindled to just five members and closed circa 2001.

Robert William Gunton - Hayes Housing Pioneer

Councillor Robert William Gunton
Hayes Housing Pioneer

Robert William Gunton was one of the most prominent and influential members of Hayes Labour Party leader and pioneer of Council housing in Hayes.

R. W. Gunton was a Civil Servant and came to Hayes in 1913, living at 1 Westgate Villas, Park Road.

(Picture R.W Gunton and J.C. Drenon - Friday March 26th 1915 Advertiser)





His tenacity in pushing through the first large council housing scheme in 1920 was vital to the well being of many future Hayes residents.

Gunton was clear about the important task of securing decent Housing for Hayes in February 1915 he boldly states:-

"It was their desire to build up a clean and health town.....
Where its citizens might under ideal conditions and wish that their children might look back with pleasure to the early work of the Hayes Labour Party and be able to say with truth that the Foundation stone was well and truly laid"

Gunton was fully committed to turnin the Hayes Labour Parties commitment to affordable council housing in Hayes into a reality and to build on the work of the first Labour Chairman of Hayes Council Councillor Juan Drenon 1914-1915.

"They were determined that these houses at Botwell should not be built as barracks but on town planning, each laid out in a decent healthy way"
R.W. Gunton March 1915

Councillor Gunton stated that one of the first things the first Labour Council had done when elected in 1914 was to appoint a sanitary inspector to "compel landlords to put their houses in a proper state of repairs".

Labour had secured a majority on Hayes Council from 1914 onwards, with only the occasional interruption, Hayes being one of the First labour Councils in Britain.

In 1916 Robert Gunton was elected Vice Chairman of Hayes Urban District Council and Hayes Urban District Council Chairman for the period 1917-1918 and accordingly became one of the very first Labour leaders of an English Council.

(Juan Drenon had been elected the first Labour Chairman in 1914)

The Advertiser referring to Councillor Gunton election as Chairman in 1917 " that he was a zealous and level headed leader and on whose abilities have been well proved during his service as a member (of the Council)".

In April 1919 Gunton was involved in ensuring "May Day" became an official Council holiday, seconding the resolution he referred to Oliver Cromwell having done away with it because of heavy drinking. "They had reached a stage he thought when working class did behave themselves better". Hayes became one of the first councils in Britain to allow their employees to enjoy International Workers Day, May 1st as a public holiday.

It was Councillor Gunton who moved the resolution at the Special Hayes Urban District Council held on 12th July 1919 not to participate in the national "Peace Celebrations" on July 1919, on the grounds of cost and glorification of war, an all most unprecedented move. Those voting in favour of not participating Gunton, Mason, Fowler, Manley and Davies.

Councillor R.W. Gunton along with early Hayes Labour Councillors Juan Drenon, Henry Palmer and Percy Langton had pioneered the building of council housing in Hayes and it was Gunton as Chairman of Housing who was present when Dr Addison, Minister for Health laid the first brick of the planned 2,000 council house estate on the Glebe Field and Townfield Estate, Hayes (around what would become Central Avenue).



On the cold but bright morning of Friday 20th February 1920 Dr Addison, laid the first brick stating "I think that is well and truly laid", an act the local Advertiser & Gazette referred to as a "birth of a new city".

Such was the speed of the final agreement to build the Council houses in Hayes, that a building contractor had to be found within fourteen days and the contractor that came forward was Robert McAlpine.

The building site was feed by a siding from the Great Western Railway, a network of light railway lines criss crossed the site. Each Council house was estimated to cost £675 and it was expected that two houses a day would be built, however due to the shortage of bricklayers they initially completed just three quarters of a house.

The situation with the bricklayers took a disastrous turn in April 1920 when the bricklayers went on strike. Councillor Gunton once again came to the rescue and secured agreement from both sides to end the dispute winning the praise of Sir Robert McAlpine.

Councillor Gunton was keen that the new Council estate would enjoy facilities such as shops as well as a Council run Cinema and a Public House (Pub) run on the Carlisle lines (Carlisle had successfully and profitably put its pubs under state control during the war to regulate alcohol (especially spirits) consumption as a safety measure as Carlisle was a Munitions town).

But not everyone supported the Council Housing scheme the local Conservatives argued that the workers houses should be but by factory owners and not paid for by the ratepayers.

The Council had previously built a few Council houses at Rosedale Avenue (Wood End) 51 houses in 1913 and in 1919 some 20 houses at Yeading (Melior Cottages).

Such was the support for the Council housing scheme locally that by April 1920 the local newspaper could announce that every member of Hayes Council was now a Labour Party member - 100% Labour.

In January 1921 Councillor Gunton could claim with some justification that

"Hayes was one of the few and probably only councils in the country that could say there were no slums existing in their district"

The Council house scheme was so popular, that delegations flooded in to see the developments, delegations from councils across the United Kingdom and as far away as America Austria and Japan.

Despite the cost, Councillor Gunton could boast in 1924 "The Labour Party was generally associated by the reactionary press with high rates, well the rates in Hayes did not happen to be high rates".

Robert William Gunton states in 1925

"convinced that every branch of the Council's work it was necessary to illuminate private contractors as far as possible.......Working people ought to be proud of the work of the Council in cleaning away slums, demolishing them, so that no reactionary Council could open them again.....The decline of the death rate (in Hayes) since the Council houses had been errected"

R.W. Gunton was Hon Secretary of Southall-Norwood "Old Contemptibles" of ex servicemen founded in 1925.

1924 Gunton states "The Labour Party was generally associated by the reactionary press with high rates, well the rates in Hayes did not happen to have high rates".

In 1924 It was reported that Councillor Robert William Gunton was not standing for Hayes Urban District Council as he was soon to move to Watford, but this does not seem to have materialised and he remained heavily involved in Hayes affairs being elected up until 1936 (?). In 1935 Councillor Gunton had been once gain elected Vice Chairman of the Hayes Urban District Council (a position he had previously held in 1916-1917, and 1919-1920).

Finally R.W. Gunton was elected as a Labour Middlesex County Councillor Alderman during the first Labour controlled Middlesex County Council in 1946.

Given Councillor Gunton's role in pioneering and securing large scale affordable and good quality housing for many generations of Hayes residents, it is a shame his work and deeds are not better known.

Michael Walker

END

The 1901 census
Possible match - Robert W Gunton aged 18 in 1901 born at Penge, South East London and a Teller at Somerset House.

Foretold the Holocaust 1941

Uxbridge Rotary Club
Speaker Tells of Forthcoming Holocaust

The Sorry Plight
of Seven Million Jews

"It is calculated that something like seven million Jews have been reduced to abject misery by the War. I do not use the word degradation because a Jew does not lose his spiritual morale even if his world falls about him in ruins."

Thus declares Mr Cyril Henriques M.Inst C.E. speaking at Uxbridge Rotary Club on Thursday 7th November 1941.
Mr Cyril Henriques "could not call to mind a single English statesman who had made any definite reference to the suffering of the Jews." "There seemed to be a conspiracy against it and he was forced to the conclusion that it was deliberate." Uxbridge


Advertiser & Gazette 14th November 1941


NOTES


In September 1939 Conservative controlled Middlesex County Council banned a film about the treatment of Jewish people in Germany by a Russian film company from cinemas in the County because it would offend (Germany) "a friendly nation" - It should be recalled that large sections of the British establishment including the Daily Mail, Conservative Party Lords and MPs and some Royals were supportive of Nazi Germany and a number members of the secret pro Nazi,Clivden Set.

FIGHTING FASCISM - OLYMPIA 7th JUNE 1934

The Daily Worker stated on 26th May 1934

“In connection with the great anti-fascist demonstration which is being organised by the London District Committee of the Communist Party on 7th June 1934, when Mosley’s Blackshirts are holding a fascist rally at Olympia, the following are the arrangements. Marches will be organised from five different parts of London in the late afternoon, to arrive in Hammersmith Road, in the vicinity of Olympia, at 6.30pm.”.

At this Fascist Rally held in the heart of London, supported by sections of the "establishment", British Union of Fascist stewards brutally beat anti fascist hecklers, a turning point in the anti fascist struggle in Britain, Two years later the anti fascists would deliver a decisive blow at the famous Battle of Cable Street on Sunday 4 October 1936.

Robert William Gunton - Hayes Housing Pioneer

Councillor Robert William Gunton
Hayes Housing Pioneer

Robert William Gunton was one of the most prominent and influential members of Hayes Labour Party leader and pioneer of Council housing in Hayes.

R. W. Gunton was a Civil Servant and came to Hayes in 1913, living at 1 Westgate Villas, Park Road.

(Picture R.W Gunton and J.C. Drenon - Friday March 26th 1915 Advertiser)



His tenacity in pushing through the first large council housing scheme in 1920 was vital to the well being of many future Hayes residents.

Gunton was clear about the important task of securing decent Housing for Hayes in February 1915, just before his election as a Labour Councillor he boldly stated:-

"It was their desire to build up a clean and health town.....
Where its citizens might under ideal conditions and wish that their children might look back with pleasure to the early work of the Hayes Labour Party and be able to say with truth that the Foundation stone was well and truly laid"

Gunton was fully committed to turning the Hayes Labour Parties commitment to affordable council housing in Hayes into a reality and to build on the work of the first Labour Chairman of Hayes Council Councillor Juan Drenon 1914-1915.

"They were determined that these houses at Botwell should not be built as barracks but on town planning, each laid out in a decent healthy way"
R.W. Gunton March 1915

Councillor Gunton stated that one of the first things the first Labour Council had done when elected in 1914 was to appoint a sanitary inspector to "compel landlords to put their houses in a proper state of repairs".

Labour had secured a majority on Hayes Council from 1914 onwards, with only the occasional interruption, Hayes being one of the First labour Councils in Britain.

In 1916 Robert Gunton was elected Vice Chairman of Hayes Urban District Council and Hayes Urban District Council Chairman for the period 1917-1918 and accordingly became one of the very first Labour leaders of an English Council.

(Juan Drenon had been elected the first Labour Chairman in 1914)

The Advertiser referring to Councillor Gunton election as Chairman in 1917 " that he was a zealous and level headed leader and on whose abilities have been well proved during his service as a member (of the Council)".

In April 1919 Gunton was involved in ensuring "May Day" became an official Council holiday, seconding the resolution he referred to Oliver Cromwell having done away with it because of heavy drinking. "They had reached a stage he thought when working class did behave themselves better". Hayes became one of the first councils in Britain to allow their employees to enjoy International Workers Day, May 1st as a public holiday.

It was Councillor Gunton who moved the resolution at the Special Hayes Urban District Council held on 12th July 1919 not to participate in the national "Peace Celebrations" on July 1919, on the grounds of cost and glorification of war, an all most unprecedented move. Those voting in favour of not participating Gunton, Mason, Fowler, Manley and Davies.

Councillor R.W. Gunton along with early Hayes Labour Councillors Juan Drenon, Henry Palmer and Percy Langton had pioneered the building of council housing in Hayes and it was Gunton as Chairman of Housing who was present when Dr Addison, Minister for Health laid the first brick of the planned 2,000 council house estate on the Glebe Field and Townfield Estate, Hayes (around what would become Central Avenue).

On the cold but bright morning of Friday 20th February 1920 Dr Addison, laid the first brick stating "I think that is well and truly laid", an act the local Advertiser & Gazette referred to as a "birth of a new city".

Such was the speed of the final agreement to build the Council houses in Hayes, that a building contractor had to be found within fourteen days and the contractor that came forward was Robert McAlpine.

The building site was feed by a siding from the Great Western Railway, a network of light railway lines criss crossed the site. Each Council house was estimated to cost £675 and it was expected that two houses a day would be built, however due to the shortage of bricklayers they initially completed just three quarters of a house.

The situation with the bricklayers took a disastrous turn in April 1920 when the bricklayers went on strike. Councillor Gunton once again came to the rescue and secured agreement from both sides to end the dispute winning the praise of Sir Robert McAlpine.

Councillor Gunton was keen that the new Council estate would enjoy facilities such as shops as well as a Council run Cinema and a Public House (Pub) run on the Carlisle lines (Carlisle had successfully and profitably put its pubs under state control during the war to regulate alcohol (especially spirits) consumption as a safety measure as Carlisle was a Munitions town).

But not everyone supported the Council Housing scheme the local Conservatives argued that the workers houses should be but by factory owners and not paid for by the ratepayers.

The Council had previously built a few Council houses at Rosedale Avenue (Wood End) 51 houses in 1913 and in 1919 some 20 houses at Yeading (Melior Cottages).

Such was the support for the Council housing scheme locally that by April 1920 the local newspaper could announce that every member of Hayes Council was now a Labour Party member - 100% Labour.

In January 1921 Councillor Gunton could claim with some justification that

"Hayes was one of the few and probably only councils in the country that could say there were no slums existing in their district"

The Council house scheme was so popular, that delegations flooded in to see the developments, delegations from councils across the United Kingdom and as far away as America Austria and Japan.

Despite the cost, Councillor Gunton could boast in 1924 "The Labour Party was generally associated by the reactionary press with high rates, well the rates in Hayes did not happen to be high rates".

Robert William Gunton states in 1925

"convinced that every branch of the Council's work it was necessary to illuminate private contractors as far as possible.......Working people ought to be proud of the work of the Council in cleaning away slums, demolishing them, so that no reactionary Council could open them again.....The decline of the death rate (in Hayes) since the Council houses had been errected"

R.W. Gunton was Hon Secretary of Southall-Norwood "Old Contemptibles" of ex servicemen founded in 1925.

1924 Gunton states "The Labour Party was generally associated by the reactionary press with high rates, well the rates in Hayes did not happen to have high rates".

In 1924 It was reported that Councillor Robert William Gunton was not standing for Hayes Urban District Council as he was soon to move to Watford, but this does not seem to have materialised and he remained heavily involved in Hayes affairs being elected up until 1936 (?). In 1935 Councillor Gunton had been once gain elected Vice Chairman of the Hayes Urban District Council (a position he had previously held in 1916-1917, and 1919-1920).

Finally R.W. Gunton was elected as a Labour Middlesex County Councillor Alderman during the first Labour controlled Middlesex County Council in 1946.

Given Councillor Gunton's role in pioneering and securing large scale affordable and good quality housing for many generations of Hayes residents, it is a shame his work and deeds are not better known.

Michael Walker

END

The 1901 census
Possible match - Robert W Gunton aged 18 in 1901 born at Penge, South East London and a Teller at Somerset House.

Euro Election 1984 - Pat Healy

Pat Healy Labour Candidate London North West European Constituency 1984

Pat Healy Journalist on the Times Newspaper

Keith Toms was the Labour Candidate in 1989

Tariq Ali (International Marxist Group - IMG) stood as a revoluntinary socialist candidate for this seat

Harmondsworth Labour Party 1927

HARMONDSWORTH LABOUR PARTY
ESTABLISHED 1927

Harmondsworth branch of the Labour Party was established in 1927 as part of the Spelthorne Divisional Labour Party with Mr L.M. Benen-Stock as Secretary

Benen- Stock stated that he "Felt sure that the new party (Harmondsworth) would soon rank as one of the finest in the Spethorne Division".

Mr John Guild was Spelthorne Labour Party Divisional Chairman and Mr Lovett was Divisional Secretary.

At the Spelthorne Labour Party AGM in 1929 it was stated that it was the view of many local Labour councillor's that "a great obstacle in the area ti the election of labour members was the fact that such councils held their meetings during the day time, therefore, debarring the ordinary worker from attending".

1977: L.M. Benen-Stock OBE, BSc made Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Spelthorne. A road in Staines is called Benen Stock.

Prominent Labour Councillor Keith Dobson of Candover Close, Harmondsworth lived and is buried in the village.

Hayes Urban District Council 1929 Election

HAYES
URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL 1929

LABOUR CANDIDATES

Election Saturday 23rd March 1929



EAST WARD
Douglas Page, 40 Central Avenue, Hayes (Beltman Engineer) (ELECTED)
Edward George Hartley, 23 West Walk, Hayes (Railway Foreman) (ELECTED)


SOUTH WARD
George Marshall, 9 Hunters Grove (Railway Supervisor) (ELECTED)
Charles Harvey Kelf, 27 Drenon Square (Carpenter & Joiner) (ELECTED)

WEST WARD
Anna Begitta Greenhead, 7 Second Avenue, Hayes (Married Women)

Election Saturday 23rd March 1929

* George Marshall was the Chairman of Hayes UDC 1928-1929 (photo April 20th 1928 Advertiser & Gazette)


YIEWSLEY
LABOUR CANDIDATES 1929

Samuel Thorn, 12, Horton Road (Insurance Agent) (ELECTED)
Hubert Beaumont, "Crows Nest" Garden City (Lecturer)
George Varley, 18 St Stephen's Road (Railway Clerk)


NOTE
YIEWSLEY

Samuel Thorn was one of the pioneer's of the Labour Party in Yiewsley and Captain Hubert Beaumont would later be elected in 1934 as a Labour Councillor and Member of Parliament for Batley & Morley (and in 1929 Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Harrow, He had stood at Aldershot for Labour 1924 )

George Varley of 18 St Stephen's Road, Yiewsley was a well known Yiewsley Labour councillor elected in 1932, born in London, He was employed as railway clerk on the Great Western Railway. He came to Yiewsley in 1921 and was one of the youngest ever Justices of the Peace aged under 40. A Keen supporter of Allotments and Swimming

UXBRIDGE 1929
LABOUR CANDIDATES

HILLINGDON WEST
Mrs Sarah Ann Dubberley, 9, Waterloo Road, Uxbridge (Married Women) (ELECTED)
Richard Thomas Dubberley, 9 Waterloo Road, Uxbridge (Railway Foreman)
Cecil Robert Bond, 36 Cowley Mill Road (Electrician)
Stanley Walter Morgan, "Somercot" Harefield Road (Clerk)
Charles Oughton, Manor Waye Uxbridge (Stores Clerk)
Charles James Peer, Elmdene, Milton Road, Ickenham (Journalist)



NOTES
* Mrs Sarah Ann Dubberley was the first Labour councillor on the new Uxbridge Urban District Council (Mrs Dubberley had been elected as an Uxbridge Board of Guardian's in 1925)

The local Advertsier & Gazette stated "Labour was only successful in getting one member returned - Mrs Dubberley who now earns her reward for much brave perseverance, for Hillingdon West."


* Cecil Bond is "Dickie" Bond and according to the Advertise & Gazette was standing as a Labour candidate

*Charles Peer (Journalist) of Ickenham, had previously lived at Harrow Weald and had along with Ramsay MacDonald (later Prime Minister) been the founder of Harrow Independent lLbour Party (ILP) branch in the late 1890's. The meeting was held over tea at Hillcrest, Harrow View at the invitation of Mr Harry Phillips who was the endeavouring to establish a branch of the Independent Labour Party in Harrow.

HILLINGDON EAST

Frederick William Carter, "Willow Vale" Hillingdon Heath (Secretary)
William Henry Catherwood, 1 Mirabella Cottages, Gutteridge Street, (Process Engineer)
Eileen Muriel Courtenay Vulliamy, Elm Tree Cottage, Sweetcroft Lane, (Married Woman)

UXBRIDGE WARD
Ethel Morgan "Somercot" Harefield Road, Uxbridge (Married Woman)
Albert Edwin Taylor, 10 Montague Road, Uxbridge (Railwayman)
Frederick Waite, 47 Manor Way Uxbridge (Printer)

COWLEY WARD
Thomas House, Myrtle Cottage, High Street, Cowley (Railwayman)
Frank Tomlinson, School house, High Street Cowley (Printer)

ICKENHAM WARD
Edgar Hawkins Davey, Milton Cottage, High Street, Ickenham (Electrical worker)
James William Hall, 11 Glebe Avenue, Ickenham (Railway Booking Clerk)


RUISLIP 1929
LABOUR CANDIDATES

RUISLIP WARD
Harry King, 20 Manor Way, Ruislip (Insurance Agent)

*Mr Haley was Ruislip Labour Party Chairman and Mr F.W. Roques Ruislip Labour Party Secretary

*Mr Catford, Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers (ASW) organiser was prominent member of Ruislip Labour Party- This was period of soaring unemployment, especially amongst those in the building trade.



A NEW LABOUR NEWSLETTER 1929

A Labour organ for the Uxbridge Division

A monthly journal has been published by the Uxbridge Divisional Labour party at one penny per copy.

In the March 1929 issue there appeared an articles by Reginald Bridgeman the Prospective Labour candidate and by Councillor Ernest Hamblin of Southall on the Housing problem and notes and news from the districts in the constituency. Messages of success printed from Mr Ben Tillett and Mr Ramsay MacDonald

Ramsay MacDonald wrote :-
"I am glad to hear that good work is being done in the Uxbridge on behalf of the Labour party and its principles.

Your neighbourhood will not be an easy one to move, but a combination of labour experience and intellectual keenness in everything that concerns the honour and well being of the country cannot be always resisted even by London outskirts.

The Labour appeals to all sorts and conditions of people who really feel that the community is of importance and that only in so far as it is active and intellectual can there be individual liberty, enterprise or well being.

The appeal that the Tory party makes is that whoever happens to have ought to have a chance of having more, and that the great masses should be perfectly well content at the end of their days they have managed to keep body and soul together.

I wish the Labour party well in Uxbridge and hope that your new venture in journalism will be thoroughly successful"

Uxbridge Divisonal Labour Party Newsletter March 1929

HARMONDSWORTH LABOUR PARTY ESTABLISHED 1927

Harmondsworth branch of the Labour Party was established in 1927 as party of the Spelthorne Divisional Labour Party with Mr L.M. Benen-Stock as Secretary who stated "Felt sure that the new party (Harmondsworth) would soon rank as one of the finest in the Spethorne Division"

Mr John Guild, Spelthorne Labour Party Divisional Chairman and Mr Lovett was Divisional Secretary. Local councillor's stated that it was the view of many local Labour councillor's that "a great obstacle in the area ti the election of labour members was the fact that such councils held their meetings during the day time, therefore, debarring the ordinary worker from attending".

1977: L.M. Benen-Stock OBE, BSc made Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Spelthorne.

NORTHWOOD LABOUR PARTY 1928

Fenner Brockway, Independent Labour Party (ILP) spoke in April 1928 to Northwood branch of the Labour Party the meeting held at Brewsters rooms, Northwood.

Secretary of Harrow Trades Union Council 1928 was Mr G. Hales

Mr F.G. Temple of the National Union of Railwayman (NUR) (Labour candidate for Mid Bucks)

George Belt - Daily Herald

SLOUGH 1926
LABOUR CANDIDATES

Kate Lydia Mapstone, 32 Montague Road (Married Woman)
Edith Liza Mitchel,l 15 Stoke Poges Lane (Married woman)
Lillian Maud Wailey, 76 Montague Road (Teacher)
William James Templeman, 40 Ragstone Road (Sanitary Engineer)
Henry Pierce Dodds, 14 Herachel Street (Fish Store proprietor)
Arthur John Frenchum, 32 Gilbert Road (Railway Clerk0

*William Templeman was already a sitting Labour councillor in Slough
*Kate Mapstone husband William Mapstone had been elected as a Labour Councillor in 1924


WEST MIDDLESEX BOARD OF GUARDIANS COMMITTEE 1930
ALL MEMBERS - PARTY NOT KNOWN

Acton
Mr R.J. Hewitt; Mr J.H. Brown; Mr A.G. Keen; Mr R. Yarwood

Ealing -
Mr H. M. Sayers, 44 Warwick Road, Ealing
Mrs Taylor, Hilcrest, Grove Ave, Hanwell
Mr C.R. Davies, 12 Kings Ave, Greenford
Mr W.J. Skinner Cox, 27 Sutherland Rd, Ealing
Mr J. Smith, 7 Golden Manor, Hanwell
Mr H. Talfer, Wilcox, Oldfield, Greenford

Hayes
Mr C. Kelf, 27 Drenon Square, Hayes

Ruislip & Northwood
Mrs G. Smedley, Avon Grange Church, St Ruislip

Southall - Norwood
Mrs I. M. Waddington, 26 Osterley Park Road, Southall

Southall
Mr W. Garrod, 18 Stratford Rd, Southall

Uxbridge
Mr G.J. Crook, 62 High St, Uxbridge
Mrs N.B. Hinkley, 133 High Street, Uxbridge

Yiewsley & West Drayton
Mr T. Hancock, 81 (or 31) Otterfield Rd, Yiewsley

also appointed from Middx County Council
Mrs Anna Begitta Greenhead, 7, Second Avenue, Hayes
and others




YIEWSLEY & WEST DRAYTON LABOUR HEADQUARTERS 1937

In 1937 it was reported in the local newspaper that Yiewsley & West Drayton Labour Party had established a fund to secure a new home as the present one was under threat by the widening of Colham Bridge - It was reported that "It seems land has already been acquired for this purpose"

Hayes Urban District Council 1926 Election

HAYES URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL
LABOUR CANDIDATES 1926

Douglas Page, 40 Central Avenue (Beltman Engineer)
George Marshall, 9 Hunters Grove Great Western Garden Village (Railway Supervisor)
Albert Edward Knight, The Nursery Pistill's Lane (Insurance Agent)

ALSO POSSIBLE HAYES LABOUR CANDIDATES
George Alfred Manley, Kenwyn Hose, Uxbridge Road (Insurance Agent) (Need to confirm)
William John Smith, 13 Third Avenue (Organ Builder) (Need to confirm)

*Fairly positive both Labour candidates

YIEWSLEY
LABOUR CANDIDATES 1926

Samuel Thorn, 12 Horton Road (Insurance Agent)
Albert Hunt, 56 Ernest Road (Carpenter)
Thomas Littleworth, 61 Albert Road, (Labourer)

UXBRIDGE
LABOUR CANDIDATES 1926

Sarah Ann Dubberley, 9 Waterloo Road (Married Woman)
Charles Oughton, 111 Manor Waye (Labourer)
Frank Toplis, 118 Cowley Mill Road (Carpenter)
George Augustus Kingsford, 63 Chilton View Road (Salesman)

Mrs Sarah Ann Dubberley had been elected to the Uxbridge Board of Guardians unopposed in 1925
Mrs Dubberley was finally elected in 1929 as first Labour Councillor on (new) Uxbridge Councillor. First elected Labour Councillors in Uxbridge 1910.

RUISLIP - NORTHWOOD
LABOUR CANDIDATES 1926
Joseph Otho Young, 172 Hilliard Road Northwood (Railway Clerk)
Henry Herbert Hirst, Blithewood, Edward Avenue, South Ruislip (Mathematical Tutor)
Alfred Wheatsheaf Telling, Lime Grove Eastcote (Plastering contractor)


WEALDSTONE 1926
LABOUR CANDIDATES

Kathleen Mary Davies, 19 Harrow View (Married Woman)
Sydney Bleaney ,58 Graham Road (Railway Carman)
Thomas Irwin Ellis, 3 Haverlock Road (Painters Assistant)
Henry George Gange, 19 Peel Road (clerk)

*Mrs A Belshaw, (Labour) 32 Claremount Road, Wealdstone (Elected) in 1925 HARROW 1926

HARROW 1926
LABOUR CANDIDATES

Wallace Frederick Clarke, 7 Kingsfield Terrace (Gas Service Layer)
Francis Alfred Coles, 75 Parkfield Road (Civil Servant)
Sarah Rebecca Ludbrooke, 23 Sumner Road (Married Woman)
William Frederick Oliver, 22 Grange Road (Gas Worker)
Frederick William Perkins, 4 Gayton Road (Solistor)

* Mrs Sarah Ludbrooke had only narrowly lost at the last Harrow election (1925) being elected as a Labour Councillor. Ludbrooke had been the first woman candidate from any Party to stand for election in Harrow in 1924.

SLOUGH 1926
LABOUR CANDIDATES

Kate Lydia Mapstone, 32 Montague Road (Married Woman)
Edith Liza Mitchell, 15 Stoke Poges Lane (Married Woman)
Lillian Maud Whiley (Wailey?), 76 Montague Road (Teacher)
William James Templeman, 40 Ragstone Road (Sanitary Engineer)
Henry Pierce Dodds, 14 Herachel Street (Fish Store Proprietor)
Arthur John Frenchum, 32 Gilbert Road (Railway Clerk

* Kate Mapstone's husband, William Mapstone was elected as a Labour Councillor in 1924

William Templeman was already a sitting Labour councillor in Slough

Staines - Local Council Work 1943

Local Council Work
Organising for Offensive Action - Feb 1943

By Naomi Wolf

The health and welfare of the people and the provision of satisfactory social services and amenities will play a big part in the drive ?! for increased production necessary to support the 1943 offensives. The control and development of these services is in the hands of the local councils, and it is to these councils that it is essential for the Communist Party to direct its attention.

Some useful examples of good work done by our Party come from Staines Communist Party Branch (Branch Secretary D.J.Goodwin) The Lagonda Factory Group took up with their management the question of the provision of a pathway giving direct access to the factory and thus saving the workers some thing like half-an-hour's walk.

At the same time the Communist Party Branch worked with the local councillors, who presented proposals to the Staines Council for the provision of the necessary pathway, A campaign was developed on the issue with the result that the Council agreed to the proposals, and negotiations for the -purchase of the necessary land are now under way.

The Party Branch in Stains were also successful in obtaining some immediate improvements in the local sewage system, by working with the local councillors and supporting their proposals in the Council .itself,, by organising a public petition'. on the matter and publication of the demands in the local press.

The elected councillors of a local council decide its policy and are, responsible for the administration of all the services under its control.

With the growth of our Party we have both the opportunity and responsibility to. play a leading part in influencing the policy of the local councils in the interests of the .people.

To do this we have to acquaint ourselves with how our local councils work, what their policy is, and how individual councillors carry out their work.

We can learn a lot from the Labour Party in this field of work,'and as soon as we understand how the social problems of the people are being dealt with in the local councils, we can give real assistance to the local Labour Parties in developing their work in the Councils, by making proposals to them based on our Party knowledge of the needs of the people, and our knowledge of what the Council has done or failed to do.

At the same time we can stimulate support and activity around our Party's proposals in the Trade Union Branches, Trades Councils, etc and begin to re-awaken. the civic consciousness of the people themselves.

To organise our work in this field properly, the Communist Party London District is asking every Branch to appoint a comrade who will undertake to attend every local council meeting, to read and study the agenda (available at public libraries), and to develop friendly relations with the councillors themselves.

Uxbridge Shop Workers Union 1906

UXBRIDGE
National Amalgamamted Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks Union

Meeting of the Uxbridge branch of the National Amalgamamted Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks was held at Middleton Restaurant, Uxbridge 63 St Andrew's on Tuesday evening 17th April 2oth 1906.

The Uxbridge branch being active as early as 1903.

The National Amalgamamted Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks union had been formed at a meeting held between the East London Shop Assistants Association and the Warehouse Assistant's Union and established on at a conference held in Birmingham on 29th and 30th March 1891. In 1947 the union merged tobcome USDAW.

At the 1906 Uxbridge branch meeting the speaker was Mr J, Turner organiser L.D.C (London District Committee ?) and Mr Thacker, Chairman of LDC.

Mr Turner condemed the "Living In" scandal (forced to live above the shop) and spoke of the need for better wages and improvement of the treatment.

Mr W. Watson is the Secretary of the Uxbridge Branch National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks union.


Emila Dilke was involved with the Women's Protective and Provident League, later the Women's Trade union League (WTUL), from near its inception in 1874 and she served as President of the WTUL for many years until her death.




YIEWSLEY & WEST DRAYTON CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY
UXBRIDGE STORE OPEN'S 1910


Uxbridge store of the Yiewsley and West Drayton Co-operative established 1893 opened Friday 11th March 1910 at 31 and 32 Windsor Street, Uxbridge, this was the Co-operatives second store after Yiewsley.

President: H.J. Chilton
Secretary: E.Cox

John Mansfield - "Mr Hayes"

John Mansfield - Mr Hayes

John Mansfield was born 1920 in the Regents Park area of Camden Town, London. He was the son of a former World War One military and later railway policeman.

John moved with his family to Hayes in 1932 aged 12 and attended the Townfield school, Hayes.

After leaving School he became a toolmaker at the local aircraft builders factory, Fairey Aviation, Hayes. He soon became active in the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU the engineering union).

The Communist Party played a key role in improving production at Fairey aviation through the Works Committee during the Second World War. He recalled how the Communist party and the unions at Fairey had “turned over” management to improve “productivity” during a critical period in the War and how important this was for the war effort.

Many years later John recalled with great pride his involvement in a major Communist Party workers pageant in central London (possibly as part of the second front campaign "An Agreement with the Peoples" Pageant held on 20 June 1942, Empress Stadium ?) in his“clean” overalls and representing aviation workers.

John became Branch Chairman of the Communist Party in Hayes with Frank Foster as District Secretary, the other key figure was Robert Good of the Brass and Mechanics union, the Convenor at EMI.

The Communist Party in Hayes initially met during the War at Len’s cafe (Len Frampton was a Communist Party member) but later at the Communist Party offices at East Walk, Hayes and also at the Communist Parties, Thames Bookshop at 83 Station Road, Hayes. Later the Communist Party office would be consolidated at Southall and remained open well into the 1980’s.

The West Middlesex District of the Communist Party (which covered mainly engineering factories from Slough to Acton) was established in 1950 covering Hayes, Southall,

Greenford, Uxbridge, Yiewsley, Ruislip, Northwood, Sudbury, Acton,Chiswick, Ealing, Isleworth, Twickenham, Feltham, Heston, Staines, Slough with fifteen borough branches and sixty branches with a combined membership of 1,744.

Other Communist Party factory groups were at EMI, Firestones, Gillette, Tecale

mit, McLeans, AEC , Napier (Napier's at Acton had 150 CP members at one point), Hoover, Park Royal vehicles, Electronics, Old Oak Common rail depot, Chiswick & Fulwell London Transport depot.

Initially, Abe Lazarus was the West Middlesex District secretary, a "slave driver" according to Joyce Mansfield.

John was a regular contributor to the Hayes News. This weekly publication, while owned by a prominent local Hayes Labour Party activist, Ernest Harding, was seen by the local Labour Party as pro Communist Party. Not least because local Communist party activists Jack Maling, who worked at EMI had a regular column which he used to great local effect under his initials JJM.

John, stood as Communist party councillor and parliamentary candidate on a number of occasions in Hayes, but was for the most part content with being a thorn in the Hayes Labour Members of Parliament side, particularly right wing Labour MP’s, such as Arthur Skeffington and Neville Sandleson (who later defected to the SDP).

John, as a council tenant was also very active in Hayes and then later Hillingdon Tenants Movement, he sat on the Hillingdon Borough Tenants committee well into the 1990’s. He was also an officer of Hillingdon Trades Union Council for many years.

John lived with his devoted wife Joyce at 80 Attlee Road, Hayes (Barnhill council estate) for over 40 years.Joyce Mansfield was born in 1919 at Cambridge, then her family moved to Oxford. Until the age of 13.Joyce Mansfield joined the Communist Party in 1943. She worked at local Hayes co-op store, Uxbridge Road store for 11 years and was a member of USDAW, the shop workers union.

John was softly but forceful spoken, very approachable man, who did not suffer fools gladly, he was one of the most determined, committed and important members of the West Middlesex Communist Party.

John Mansfield remained a committed communist to the end, he and Joyce were huge supporters of Peter Fagan and John McDonnell Hayes Labour parliamentary candidates for the constituency and at every parliamentary elections, the Mansfield's house was used as a Labour Barnhill ward committee room.

In later years John's opinions were sought after by many and he was held in high esteem,which ensured him being labelled on more than one occasion as “Mr Hayes”.

John Mansfield died 2004 ? (or 2003) and it was fitting that

local Hayes Member of Parliament John McDonnell gave the oration at his funeral. Joyce never recovered from the death of John and died soon after.

John Mansfield was a true titan in the Hayes Labour Movement.