On this day in history – Page 55

On this day in history….25th June 1912

On this day in history : 25th June 1912 – Prime Minister Herbert Asquith comes under attack in the Commons over the force-feeding of suffragettes….George Lansbury is suspended from Parliament for his outburst….

George Lansbury was Labour MP for Bow and Bromley; he was a peace activist, opposed to the Boer War and World War I…. He was also a staunch supporter of Women’s Suffrage….

The Right Honourable George Lansbury MP – Bassano Limited – Public domain

The Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) had engaged in an active campaign and many had been imprisoned for acts such as smashing windows and refusing to pay fines…. Soon Holloway was full and women were sent further afield, to prisons such as Aylesbury and Birmingham and overcrowding meant conditions were even poorer than usual…. Denied the status of political prisoners and so not receiving the certain privileges that such were entitled to, many of the women resorted to going on hunger-strike in protest…. The authorities responded with forcible feeding….

Force-feeding was a brutal procedure…. The woman was either tied to a chair, which was then tipped back, or she was tied down on to a bed…. A rubber tube was then forced up her nose or down her throat, into the stomach…. If administered via the mouth, a ‘gag’ was used, occasionally made of wood but more often steel…. The steel option was particularly painful as it was pushed into the mouth to force open the teeth and then a screw was turned to open the jaws wide…. Sometimes the rubber tube would be accidentally forced into the windpipe, causing food to enter the lungs, thus endangering life…. Which ever method was used, damage to the nose or throat was pretty much inevitable…. Some women had to endure being force-fed more than two hundred times….

suff 15 — Force feeding – A suffragette on hunger strike being forcibly fed with a nasal tube. Source: The Suffragette by Sylvia Pankhurst circa 1911 https://common.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AForcefeeding.jpg

On the 25th of June 1912 George Lansbury well and truly lost his temper in the House of Commons…. Prime Minister Asquith, in replying to an appeal to release the suffragettes, had stated if the women gave the undertaking not to repeat their offences – meaning give up the cause – then they would be released…. Lansbury shouted “You know the women cannot give such an undertaking! It is ridiculous to ask them to give an undertaking!”….

Shouts of “Order! Order!” Rang out around the Commons…. But Lansbury continued with his tirade; white with fury he advanced to the front bench – shaking his fist in the face of Asquith and other ministers…. With his face just inches from that of the Prime Minister’s he screamed “Why, you’re beneath contempt. You call yourself a gentleman, and you forcibly feed and murder women in this fashion. You ought to be driven out of office”…. He carried on ranting despite MPs shouting their disapproval and the Speaker ordering him to leave…. Lansbury shouted at Asquith “You will go down to history as a man who tortured innocent women”….

Eventually the Speaker regained control, telling Lansbury if he didn’t leave of his own accord then he would be forcibly removed…. His fellow Labour colleagues persuaded him to leave….he was temporarily suspended from Parliament….

Lansbury got little support from other Labour MPs in his fight for Women’s Suffrage – he dismissed theses colleagues as “a weak, flabby lot”…. Later in the same year he resigned his post to fight a by-election in Bow and Bromley for Women’s Suffrage…. He lost to his Conservative opponent – who’s campaign slogan was ‘No Petticoat Government’….

In 1913 Lansbury addressed a WSPU rally at the Albert Hall ~ “Let them burn and destroy property and do anything they will, and for every leader that is taken away, let a dozen step forward in their place”….

suff 9 — British suffragette with a poster, giving out newspapers Ch. Chusseau-Flaviens https://flickr.com/photos/george_eastman_house/2678367136/in/set-72157606224254056/

Charged and convicted with incitement Lansbury received a three month prison sentence….he immediately went on hunger-strike….

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….24th June 1717

On this day in history : 24th June 1717 – The Grand Lodge of the English Freemasons is founded in an ale house in London – when the City’s four existing Lodges unite to form one organisation….

Freemason Masonic Symbol – Public domain

The four separate Lodges met at The Goose and Gridiron, St. Paul’s Churchyard, London; each group was named for the ale house where it held its meetings…. The Apple Tree Tavern, Covent Garden – The Crown, off of Drury Lane – The Rummer and Grapes, Westminster and of course, The Goose and Gridiron…. They had come together on St. John the Baptist’s Day to form what was originally known as ‘The Grand Lodge of London and Westminster’ and later became ‘The Grand Lodge of England’…. The very first Grand Master was Anthony Sayer….

It is often assumed the Freemasons originated in England – certainly during the early 1700s Freemasonry rapidly spread to the Colonies and across Europe….but it appears to actually have its roots in Scotland….

By the late 1500s there were at least 13 Lodges established across Scotland – from Perth to Edinburgh…. The oldest minutes of a Lodge meeting in the world come from Aitchison’s Haven in East Lothian from a meeting held in January 1599…. In July 1599 the Lodge of Mary’s Chapel in Edinburgh started to keep minutes too….

King George VI with Scottish Freemasons – Public domain

There are various myths as to how Freemasonry came to exist…. One being that some of the Knights of the Templar, after their defeat by King Philip of France in 1307, fled to Argyll in Western Scotland and set up a new organisation – The Freemasons….

Another theory is that the lineage goes all the way back to King Solomon…. It is said his temple was built with secret knowledge – which was then passed down from one generation to the next among the stonemasons….

The latter idea may be a little closer to the truth…. Freemasonry has most certainly been around since the Middle Ages – and could quite easily have come from the stonemasons who travelled across the land building castles and cathedrals…. Using secret words and symbols they would acknowledge each other and protect their trade from outsiders…. Perhaps this is where the ‘secret handshake’ came from….

Man in Freemason regalia – State library of Queensland via Flickr

In time other trades became involved….and we had ‘Free Carpenters’, ‘Free Potters’ – or which ever trade a man belonged to…. Rather like the guilds of the time these Medieval trade associations were places to make contacts, pass on tricks of the trade and trade secrets….at the same time keeping outsiders out….

Freemasonry has long been seen as sinister, shadowy, secretive and full of conspiracy theories…. Whereas, it is actually one of the oldest non-religious, non-political and charitable organisations….where it is believed everybody is equal….

Freemasons Hall, London – home of the United Grand lodge of England – Eluveitie CC BY-SA 3.0

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….23rd June 1940

On this day in history : 23rd June 1940 – To help relieve the tedium of workers in the munitions factories and to increase their productivity, the BBC’s ‘Music While You Work’ programme is introduced….

Music While You Work – Jack White and his Band – YouTube

The first show was announced in the Radio Times as a ‘half hour’s music meant specially for factory workers to listen to as they work’…. The programmes were scheduled for 10.30am, mid-afternoon and for a period a night shift slot at 10.30pm…. The first day featured Dudley Beavan at the theatre organ in the morning and The Organolists – an organ trio – in the afternoon….

The programme was piped to the workers through a tannoy and there were strict rules as to what could and could not be performed…. By playing non-stop popular music with an even tempo morale lifted and work output increased…. Mainly it was familiar music that workers could sing or whistle to…. Brass bands, military bands and dance bands were all featured – along with performers such as Joe Loss, Victor Silvester and Mantovani…. From October 1940 the programme always began and ended with ‘Calling All Workers’ by Eric Coates….

The music had to be cheerful; there had to be no over-loud drumming – as this could sound like gunfire! Nothing lethargic was allowed and nothing that would make people want to clap or bang tools in time…. Certain songs, such as ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas’ were banned for this reason….

In 1941 orchestra leader Winford Reynolds was appointed ‘Music While You Work Organiser’…. His task was to tour the factories of the country to get feedback on the programmes from the workers….

The night shift slot was reintroduced between 1947 and 1950…. Apparently during the time the programme aired production increased by around 13%…. Up until 1963 the music was performed live – but to free up BBC studios during the day they began to pre-record the shows – usually on a Sunday evening…. The programme ran until the 29th of September 1967….

Music While You Work – Anton and his Orchestra – YouTube

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….22nd June 1611

On this day in history : 22nd June 1611 – English navigator and explorer Henry Hudson is cast adrift, along with his son and seven others by his mutinous crew – into the bay which is later to be named after him….

Hudson is best known for his exploration of the area which is now known as Canada and the northeastern region of the United States…. In 1607 and 1608 he made two attempts to find a passage through to China which had been rumoured to exist….

In 1610 he got to have a third attempt after being commissioned by the British East India Company and the Virginia Company…. Setting off in his new ship ‘Discovery’ he and his crew had reached Iceland by the 11th of May and then the south of Greenland on the 4th of June…. They headed into what was to become known as the Hudson Straight, at the northern tip of Labrador, on the 25th of June and eventually sailed into Hudson Bay on the 2nd of August….

There was much excitement among the men as they believed they really may have found the passage…. However, after a few months of exploring and mapping no way through was found….

In the November the ship became trapped in the ice of the James Bay….and it was decided to move ashore to wait out winter…. Once the ice had melted in the spring of 1611 Hudson was ready to set off exploring again – but most of his crew, having had enough, wanted to return home…. Tensions began to rise until eventually matters came to a head….

The sailors turn against the Hudsons – Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall – Public domain

Discovery’s navigator, Abacuk Pricket, kept a detailed account of what happened…. According to him the mutiny was led by two men, Henry Greene and Robert Juet…. Captain Hudson, his teenage son John and seven crew members – those sick, infirm or fiercely loyal to Hudson – were ordered into a shallop – an open boat about 30ft long, with oars and mast with one or two sails…. They were provided with clothing, food, an iron cooking pot, powder and shot, pikes and other necessities – and then cast adrift….

At first Hudson’s shallop attempted to keep up with Discovery – but finally the mutineers unfurled a couple more sails, enabling them to pick up speed – and they left the shallop behind, marooned in Hudson Bay…. Captain Hudson and his men were never seen again and it is unknown what became of them….

The Last Voyage of Henry Hudson exhibited 1881 by The Hon. John Collier 1850-1934 — Henry Hudson and his son cast adrift – John Collier – Public domain

Only eight out of the thirteen mutineers survived the voyage back to England…. On arrival they were arrested and put on trial – but no punishment was brought against any of them…. Possibly their information on the New World was too valuable…. Or perhaps Pricket’s account gave them the benefit of the doubt – although it has often since been criticised for being biased….

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….21st June 1898

On this day in history : 21st June 1898 – The launch of HMS Albion in the River Thames ends in disaster when an old wooden bridge collapses and 36 people are drowned….

HMS Albion, a 12,900 ton pre-dreadnought battleship had been built for service in Eastern Asia; it had been laid down on the 3rd of December 1896 by The Thames Iron Works of Leamouth, London….

HMS Albion – Symonds & Co, public domain

Approximately 30,000 people attended the launch at Blackwall by the Duchess of York – Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen Mother…. For the workers of the shipyard and their families it was a holiday; the banks and quaysides were packed and a flotilla of boats took to the water…. Also present were the Duke of York, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir William Vernon Harcourt (leader of the opposition) and many other dignitaries and MPs….

It took the Duchess four attempts to successfully break the bottle on the side of the ship…. As HMS Albion entered the water a huge wave was created – which in turn caused an old wooden bridge structure, on which stood some 200 people, mostly women and children, to collapse into the water of a side creek….

The noise from the horns on the boats drowned out the screams and cries of the people in the water – so the now departing crowds were unable to hear them…. Several workmen did dive in from the quayside and survivors were pulled into boats which came to the rescue…. One boat took at least fifty onboard and one single sailor saved six people…. It was a scene of total chaos and confusion….in all thirty-six people drowned…. Many of them were women – dragged down by the weight of the cumbersome clothing they wore at the time…. It remains one of the worse peacetime disasters in the history of the Thames….

At the inquiry that followed it was concluded that nobody was to blame for the catastrophic incident other than the crowd itself…. Those on the bridge had been warned of the danger but had ignored orders to get off and had even mocked and jeered at the police…. The accident was a result of the stupidity of the crowd and the old dilapidated bridge that simply could not take their weight….