London Society of Compositors

The London Society of Compositors was a British trade union, representing print workers in London.

London Society of Compositors
PredecessorLondon Trade Society of Compositors
London General Trade Society of Compositors
Merged intoNational Graphical Association
Founded1834
Dissolved1964
Headquarters7-9 St Bride Street, London
Location
  • England
Members
12,387 (1907)[1]
PublicationLondon Typographical Journal
AffiliationsTUC

History

The union was founded as the London Union of Compositors in 1834 by the merger of the London Trade Society of Compositors and the London General Trade Society of Compositors. The following year, it was joined by the News Society of Compositors. In 1845, the union was officially dissolved, its members designating it the South Eastern District of the National Typographical Association. The national organisation collapsed, and the London group re-established itself as the "London Society of Compositors".

The union had a membership of over 10,000 by 1910, and attempted to expand outside London, but the Trades Union Congress instituted arbitration which limited it to a fifteen-mile radius of central London, the Typographical Association having rights to organise in the remainder of England.

In 1955, the Society merged with the Printing Machine Managers' Trade Society and was renamed the London Typographical Society. In 1964, it merged with the Typographical Association to form the National Graphical Association.

Election results

The union sponsored Labour Party candidates in several Parliamentary elections, many of whom won election.[2]

ElectionConstituencyCandidateVotesPercentagePosition
1906 general electionDeptfordC. W. Bowerman6,23652.21
1910 Jan general electionDeptfordC. W. Bowerman6,88052.01
1910 Dec general electionDeptfordC. W. Bowerman6,35751.41
1918 general electionDeptfordC. W. Bowerman14,07354.41
Southwark South EastThomas Naylor2,71827.42
1921 by-electionSouthwark South EastThomas Naylor6,56157.01
1922 general electionDeptfordC. W. Bowerman18,51252.61
Southwark South EastThomas Naylor7,73443.62
1923 general electionDeptfordC. W. Bowerman21,57663.01
Southwark South EastThomas Naylor9,37454.31
1924 general electionDeptfordC. W. Bowerman21,90354.51
Southwark South EastThomas Naylor11,63554.31
1929 general electionDeptfordC. W. Bowerman26,84855.21
Southwark South EastThomas Naylor13,52760.41
1931 general electionDeptfordC. W. Bowerman22,24445.62
Southwark South EastThomas Naylor9,67846.72
1935 general electionIslington SouthWilliam Cluse12,52652.41
Southwark South EastThomas Naylor11,94263.21
1945 general electionIslington SouthWilliam Cluse12,89372.51
Southwark South EastThomas Naylor9,59976.91

General Secretaries

References

  1. Report on Trade Unions in 1905-1907. London: Board of Trade. 1909. pp. 82–101.
  2. Howe, Ellic; Waite, Harold E. (1948). London Society of Compositors. London: Cassell. pp. 323–325.
  • Arthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions
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