Chartist Ancestors
What did your family to in the revolution?

Millions signed the three great Chartist petitions of 1839 to 1848. Thousands were active in those years in the campaign to win the vote, secret ballots, and other democratic rights that we now take for granted.

Chartist Ancestors lists many of those who risked their freedom, and sometimes their lives, because of their participation in the Chartist cause. The names included on the site are drawn from newspapers, court records and books of the time, from later histories and other sources.

I would like to thank the many historians, researchers and the descendents of those associated with Chartism who have helped with this site since it was launched in 2003.

Mark Crail, Editor

How to...
Make the most of your visit to an archive or records office

Research your trade union ancestors

Find Chartist records in the National Archives

© Mark Crail

Chartist leaders
Members of the National Charter Association executives, 1840-58

The following list is doubtless incomplete, but has been put together from a variety of published sources in an attempt to record the contribution of all those who served on the executive at one time or another.

1840
Provisional executive elected by first convention of the National Charter Association
William Tillman (formerly secretary of the Manchester Political Union), James Leach,
Source: Chartism, by J.T.Ward (B T Batsford, London, 1973)

1841
Elected in June by a ballot of NCA branches
Peter Murray M'Douall, James Leach, John Campbell (secretary), Morgan Williams, George Binns, R.K.Philp, Abel Heywood (treasurer)
Source: Chartism, by J.T.Ward (B T Batsford, London, 1973)

1843
Elected by a convention of 30 members
Jonathan Bairstow, Thomas Clark, Christopher Doyle, George Julian Harney, Joshua Hobson, Philip M'Grath, Richard Marsden, David Morrison (also Morison), T.Martin Wheeler (secretary), Feargus O'Connor (treasurer)
Source: Chartism, by J.T,Ward (B T Batsford, London, 1973)

1844
Elected at a convention in Manchester in April
Feargus O'Connor, Thomas Clark, Philip McGrath, Christopher Doyle, T.Martin Wheeler

1848 (1)
Provisional executive elected by the Assembly, May 1848
John McCrae, Ernest Jones, Samuel Kydd, James Leach, Peter Murray M'Douall
Commissioners: T.Wheeler, Brook, Rankin, Pilling, Stevenson, Sharpe, Cochrane, Peacock, Shaw, Harley (subsequently resigned), Bassett, Cumming, Child, Donovan, Shirron, Henry, Lightowler, West
Source: History of the Chartist movement, 1837-1854, by R.C.Gammage

1848 (2)
Feargus O'Connor, John McCrae, Peter Murray M'Douall, Ernest Jones and Samuel Kydd
Commissioners: A.Fussell, C.McCarthy, James Leach, J.West,, R.Pilling, T.Tattersall, J.Adams, J.Sweet, I.Ironside, T.Wheeler, A.Sharpe, J.Shirron, D.Lightowler, W.J.Vernon, D.Donovan, W.Brook, G.White, J.Linney, W.Cuffay, R.Burrell.
Source: History of the Chartist movement, 1837-1854, by R.C.Gammage

1848 (3)
Thomas Clark, William Dixon, H.Ross, Philip McGrath, Edward Stallwood, George Julian Harney, Samuel Kydd (secretary).
Source: History of the Chartist movement, 1837-1854, by R.C.Gammage

1849 (1)
James Grassby (by-election)
Source: Northern Star

Provisional executive, 1849 (2)
Thomas Clark, William Dixon, Christopher Doyle, James Grassby, George Julian Harney, Samuel Kydd, Philip McGrath
Source: Chartism, by J.T,Ward (B T Batsford, London, 1973)

1849 (3)
John Arnott, Thomas Brown, William Davies, James Grassby, George Julian Harney, Thomas Miles, John Milne, G.W.M.Reynolds, Edward Stallwood
Source: Chartism, by J.T,Ward (B T Batsford, London, 1973)

1851 (1)
William Davis, James Grassby, George Julian Harney, George Jacob Holyoake, Ernest Jones, John Milne, Feargus O'Connor, G.W.M.Reynolds, John Arnott (general secretary)
Source: The Friend of the People, 4 January 1851

1851 (2)
Ernest Jones, John Arnott, Feargus O'Connor, Wheeler, James Grassby (general secretary), John Shaw, W.J.Linton, J.J.Beezer, George Jacob Holyoake.
Source: Chartism, by J.T,Ward (B T Batsford, London, 1973)

Jones resigned along with Linton and Wheeler and called a conference to elect a new executive. “The depleted Committee, foreseeing the worst, gave up its office at 14, Southampton Street, Strand; appointed Grassby its temporary honorary secretary in place of Arnott, and thenceforth held its meetings at his house at 96, Regent Street, Lambeth. The Committee was in debt for a sum of between £30 and £40, and honourably spent its last efforts in raising this amount -- a feat which took about six months for its accomplishment. After this we hear no more about the Executive of the NCA.”
From A History of the Chartist Movement by J.C.Squire & Julius West, published Houghton Mifflin, 1920.

By May 1852, the "official" executive was made up of John Arnott, J.J.Beezer, James Grassby, George Jacob Holyoake, Thornton Hunt, Robert LeBlond, W.J.Linton and John Shaw
Source: Chartism, by J.T,Ward (B T Batsford, London, 1973)

1852
R.G.Gammage, James Finlen, Ernest Jones elected at a delegate conference called by Jones in Manchester. For a time both executives operated as rivals. William Grocott of Manchester appointed secretary
Source: Chartism, by J.T,Ward (B T Batsford, London, 1973)

1854
Elected by the Labour Parliament, 6 March 1854: James Finlen, Abraham, Robinson, James Williams, Joseph Hogg, George Harrison; Ernest Jones, honorary member
Source: Chartism, by J.T,Ward (B T Batsford, London, 1973)

1855
Ernest Jones, James Finlen, Robinson
Source: Chartism, by J.T,Ward (B T Batsford, London, 1973)

1858
The last Chartist convention, on 5 February 1858, was chaired first by Benjamin Lucraft of Finsbury, then by Thomas Livesey of Rochdale. It elected a one-man executive: Ernest Jones.
Source: Chartism, by J.T,Ward (B T Batsford, London, 1973)

Report of Chartist Conference, 1858
Mr. Ernest Jones, who was received with a thunder of applause, said one of the most important movements that had ever been organised by the Chartist body was now in course of action. Times altered, and as times altered, results altered, also, and he now begged to read the second proposition of the programme. He considered that they should meet the middle classes halfway and take what was offered, if what was offered was a reasonable proposition from the middle classes. If they only had a £5 franchise it would be throwing the preponderance into the hands of the middle classes, and widening the distance between them and other working classes. But if the working classes could get the Universal Manhood Suffrage, then they would for a time waive the other points of the charter. If they would obtain the ballot it would be sufficient for a time, and if they could get these two points, it would throw the balance of power into the hands of the working classes, and the other points would soon follow. (Cheers). He had opposed one-sided middle class movements, but he would not oppose middle class movements which were any benefit to the working class. If the middle classes did not first give the hand and first make the advance, let the Chartist body make the advance. It was competent upon them to do so. If they joined, they could go forward together; and if not they the Chartists would go forth alone, and no time was to be lost. Now the time had come and now the opportunity had arrived. The middle classes had agreed that this movement was best. Let them hold out a friendly hand to them, and insist upon having the fair and honourable rights of the Chartist body. They were not going to abandon the Charter; but they were going to obtain what they could towards it, at the same time agitating for the whole six points. He now called upon them to unite with the middle classes for Universal Manhood Suffrage.
Mr. Jones sat down amid loud and continued applause.
From The People's Paper , February 13, 1858; reported in Cole,G.D.H & Filson,A.W British Working Class Movements: Select Documents, 1789- 1875 , Published 1951, Macmillan, London .

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