United Textile Factory Workers' Association
# United Textile Factory Workers' Association

The United Textile Factory Workers' Association (UTFWA) was a trade union federation in Great Britain. It was active from 1889 until 1975.

## Objectives

The federation was founded in 1889, to represent the various textile workers' unions in political matters. A successor to the Northern Counties Factory Acts Reform Association, it had a broader outlook, not just campaigning on the implementation and extension of the Factory Acts.

The UTFWA initially represented around 125,000 workers, three-quarters within twenty miles of Bolton in Lancashire. By the early twentieth century, its members were organised in the Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Room Operatives, Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners, Amalgamated Association of Beamers, Twisters and Drawers, Amalgamated Weavers' Association, General Union of Loom Overlookers and Operative Bleachers, Dyers and Finishers Association. Later members included the Amalgamated Textile Warehousemen, the General Warp Dressers' Association of Lancashire and Yorkshire, and the Ball Warpers' Association.

The new federation had a General Council with about two hundred members of local unions, and a Legislative Council of full-time leaders. However, its member unions did not always engage with its structures, and the General Council did not meet between 1896 and 1899.

## Early years

In its early years, the association attempted to introduce a bill reducing working hours, but dropped the proposal after it was only narrowly passed in a ballot of members. It also hoped to sponsor parliamentary candidates for both the Conservative Party and Liberal Party, but decided not to pursue this following a lack of interest from the Conservatives and opposition from James Mawdsley. However, it did achieve some success in campaigning against Indian tariffs on cotton imports, as the rates were reduced to below those on other materials.

In 1902, breaking with its previous policy, the UTFWA supported David Shackleton's candidature for the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) in Clitheroe. He was elected and, the following year, the Association affiliated to the LRC. The Cardroom Workers quit the association a few years later after none of its members were adopted as parliamentary candidates, but rejoined in 1916.

In 1920, some of its member unions moved for the association to extend its remit to industrial matters, but this was not adopted.

## Demise

The federation was dissolved on 1 December 1975, following the decline of the industry and the merger of its two largest affiliates into the Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union.

## Election results

The federation sponsored a large number of Labour Party candidates, many of whom won election.

| Election | Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Position | Union |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1906 general election | Bolton | Alfred Henry Gill | 10,416 | 37.1 | 2 | Spinners |
| 1906 general election | Clitheroe | David James Shackleton | 12,035 | 75.9 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1910 Jan general election | Bolton | Alfred Gill | 11,864 | 30.5 | 2 | Spinners |
| 1910 Jan general election | Clitheroe | David Shackleton | 13,873 | 67.3 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1910 Dec general election | Bolton | Alfred Gill | 7,729 | 64.0 | 2 | Spinners |
| 1910 Dec general election | Clitheroe | Albert Smith | 12,107 | 67.7 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1910 Dec general election | Preston | William Henry Carr | 7,853 | 23.0 | 4 | Cardroom |
| 1911 by-election | Oldham | William Cornforth Robinson | 7,448 | 24.6 | 3 | Beamers |
| 1918 general election | Clitheroe | Alfred Davies | 9,578 | 44.7 | 1 | Spinners |
| 1918 general election | Fylde | William John Tout | 7,400 | 35.1 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1918 general election | Nelson and Colne | Albert Smith | 14,075 | 62.0 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1918 general election | Oldham | William Cornforth Robinson | 15,178 | 19.6 | 3 | Beamers |
| 1918 general election | Ormskirk | James Bell | 6,545 | 37.2 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1918 general election | Preston | Tom Shaw | 19,213 | 25.8 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1918 general election | Rossendale | Gilbert Wright Jones | 7,984 | 35.1 | 2 | Bleachers |
| 1918 general election | Sowerby | John William Ogden | 7,306 | 32.7 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1920 by-election | Ashton-under-Lyne | William Cornforth Robinson | 8,127 | 39.6 | 2 | Beamers |
| 1922 general election | Birmingham Duddeston | Michael Brothers | 8,331 | 38.9 | 2 | Cardroom |
| 1922 general election | Clitheroe | Alfred Davies | 12,911 | 45.3 | 2 | Spinners |
| 1922 general election | Elland | William C. Robinson | 10,590 | 36.8 | 1 | Beamers |
| 1922 general election | Middleton and Prestwich | Matthew Burrow Farr | 10,505 | 41.5 | 2 | Cardroom |
| 1922 general election | Oldham | William John Tout | 24,434 | 27.7 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1922 general election | Ormskirk | James Bell | 8,374 | 41.3 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1922 general election | Preston | Tom Shaw | 26,259 | 27.9 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1922 general election | Rossendale | Gilbert Wright Jones | 11,029 | 36.5 | 2 | Bleachers |
| 1922 general election | Royton | John B. Battle | 5,776 | 19.6 | 2 | Spinners |
| 1922 general election | Sowerby | John William Ogden | 7,496 | 25.5 | 3 | Weavers |
| 1923 general election | Bolton | Albert Law | 25,133 | 18.6 | 1 | Spinners |
| 1923 general election | Chorley | Zeph Hutchinson | 12,179 | 45.3 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1923 general election | Clitheroe | Alfred Davies | 11,469 | 37.9 | 2 | Spinners |
| 1923 general election | Elland | William C. Robinson | 12,031 | 49.1 | 2 | Beamers |
| 1923 general election | Middleton and Prestwich | Matthew Burrow Farr | 7,849 | 28.7 | 3 | Cardroom |
| 1923 general election | Oldham | William John Tout | 20,939 | 23.4 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1923 general election | Preston | Tom Shaw | 25,816 | 34.4 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1924 general election | Bolton | Albert Law | 30,632 | 20.9 | 3 | Spinners |
| 1924 general election | Chorley | Zeph Hutchinson | 13,074 | 42.3 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1924 general election | Elland | William C. Robinson | 11,690 | 39.5 | 1 | Beamers |
| 1924 general election | Middleton and Prestwich | Matthew Burrow Farr | 8,442 | 27.0 | 2 | Cardroom |
| 1924 general election | Oldham | William Tout | 23,623 | 19.7 | 3 | Weavers |
| 1924 general election | Preston | Tom Shaw | 27,009 | 26.3 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1924 general election | Rossendale | James Bell | 9,951 | 32.4 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1925 by-election | Oldham | William John Tout | 21,702 | 45.2 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1929 general election | Bolton | Albert Law | 43,520 | 24.0 | 1 | Spinners |
| 1929 general election | Bolton | Michael Brothers | 37,888 | 20.9 | 2 | Cardroom |
| 1929 general election | Bury | James Bell | 13,175 | 37.4 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1929 general election | Middleton and Prestwich | Matthew Burrow Farr | 14,368 | 34.6 | 2 | Cardroom |
| 1929 general election | Preston | Tom Shaw | 37,705 | 29.5 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1929 general election | Sowerby | William John Tout | 14,223 | 37.2 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1931 general election | Bolton | Michael Brothers | 32,049 | 16.4 | 4 | Cardroom |
| 1931 general election | Bolton | Albert Law | 33,736 | 17.3 | 3 | Spinners |
| 1931 general election | Bury | James Bell | 10,532 | 29.7 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1931 general election | Heywood and Radcliffe | James Stott | 12,915 | 28.5 | 2 | Beamers |
| 1931 general election | Middleton and Prestwich | Thomas McCall | 10,796 | 25.4 | 2 | Warehousemen |
| 1931 general election | Preston | Tom Shaw | 25,710 | 18.0 | 3 | Weavers |
| 1931 general election | Royton | George Illingworth | 5,913 | 14.4 | 3 | Spinners |
| 1931 general election | Sowerby | William John Tout | 11,857 | 31.7 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1935 general election | Blackburn | James Bell | 34,571 | 23.9 | 3 | Weavers |
| 1935 general election | Bolton | Albert Law | 39,890 | 21.4 | 3 | Spinners |
| 1935 general election | Bolton | John Lynch | 39,871 | 21.4 | 4 | Warehousemen |
| 1935 general election | Middleton and Prestwich | Joseph Nuttall | 17,398 | 38.9 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1935 general election | Oldham | Matthew Burrow Farr | 29,647 | | 4 | Cardroom |
| 1935 general election | Sowerby | William John Tout | 16,035 | 46.2 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1938 by-election | Farnworth | George Tomlinson | 24,298 | 59.1 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1945 general election | Farnworth | George Tomlinson | 28,462 | 66.1 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1945 general election | Oldham | Frank Fairhurst | 31,704 | 23.9 | 1 | Overlookers |
| 1945 general election | Preston | John William Sunderland | 32,889 | 24.1 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1950 general election | Farnworth | George Tomlinson | 25,375 | 56.6 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1950 general election | Manchester Withington | Lewis Wright | 14,206 | 32.6 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1950 general election | Oldham East | Frank Fairhurst | 21,510 | 45.0 | 1 | Overlookers |
| 1951 general election | Bury and Radcliffe | Lewis Wright | 28,058 | 48.4 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1951 general election | Clitheroe | Harold Bradley | 18,582 | 44.7 | 2 | Weavers |
| 1951 general election | Farnworth | George Tomlinson | 26,297 | 59.2 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1952 by-election | Farnworth | Ernest Thornton | 21,834 | 59.9 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1955 general election | Clitheroe | William Rutter | 16,671 | 43.5 | 2 | Overlookers |
| 1955 general election | Farnworth | Ernest Thornton | 24,829 | 57.7 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1959 general election | Clitheroe | William Rutter | 16,103 | 41.9 | 2 | Overlookers |
| 1959 general election | Farnworth | Ernest Thornton | 27,393 | 58.6 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1964 general election | Farnworth | Ernest Thornton | 28,492 | 62.1 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1966 general election | Farnworth | Ernest Thornton | 30,015 | 66.2 | 1 | Weavers |
| 1970 general election | North Fylde | Raymond Hill | 15,235 | 31.2 | 2 | Weavers |

## Leadership

### Secretaries

    1889: Thomas Birtwistle
    c.1892: James Mawdsley
    1902: Joseph Cross
    1925: James Bell
    1931: Cephas Speak
    1943: Ernest Thornton
    1953: Harold Bradley
    1958: James Milhench
    1968: Joseph Richardson

### Presidents

    1889: David Holmes
    1890s: William Mullin
    1913: William C. Robinson
    1919: Walter Gee
    1924: William Thomasson
    1935: Archie Robertson
    1953: William Roberts
    1958: Harold Chorlton
    1964: Jim Browning
