The Amalgamated Weavers' Association, often known as the Weavers' Amalgamation, was a trade union in the United Kingdom. Initially, it operated in competition with the North East Lancashire Amalgamated Weavers' Association in part of its area, and it was therefore nicknamed the Second Amalgamation.Ross M. Martin, The Lancashire Giant: David Shackleton, Labour Leader and Civil Servant, p.22
History The union was founded in 1884 as the Northern Counties Amalgamated Association of Weavers,"Amalgamated Weavers' Association ", Archives Hub with the participation of thirty-four local trade unions:Mary Agnes Hamilton, Women at Work: A Brief Introduction to Trade Unionism for Women, p.117
Union Founded Affiliated Members (1907) NotesArthur Marsh, Victoria Ryan and John B. Smethurst, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, vol.5, pp.91-124 Accrington and District 1858 1884 4,409 Merged into Accrington, Church & Oswaldtwistle in 1949 Ashton-under-Lyne and District 1877 1884 5,319 Merged into South-East Lancashire and Cheshire in 1972 Bacup and District 1888 ? 1,889 Merged into Todmorden, Bacup and District in 1952 Bamber Bridge and District 1884 1884 796 Merged into Preston and District in 1940 Barnoldswick and District 1880s ? 990 Blackburn and District 1854 1884 14,800 Blackburn Protection 1885 1900 4,369 Merged into Blackburn in 1949 Bolton and District 1865 1884 5,059 Left 1885, rejoined 1892 Burnley and District 1870 1884 18,500 Merged into Burnley & Nelson in 1966 Bury and District 1884 ? 4,087 Merged into North-West Lancashire and Yorkshire in 1973 Chorley and District 1855 1884 4,620 Dissolved 1956 Church and Oswaldtwistle 1858 1884 3,232 Merged into Accrington, Church and Oswaldtwistle in 1949 Clayton-le-Moors 1858 1884 1,750 Dissolved 1962 Clitheroe 1870 1884 2,700 Colne and District 1879 1884 6,258 Darwen 1857 1884 8,298 Merged into Blackburn in 1960 Glossop and District 1871 1892 1,118 Merged into Hyde in 1922 Great Harwood 1858 1884 4,750 Haslingden 1858 1884 2,400 Merged into Rossendale in 1961 Heywood, Castleton, Norden and District 1877 1884 2,500 Merged into North-West Lancashire and Yorkshire in 1973 Hyde and District 1880 1884 7,150 Merged into South-East Lancashire and Cheshire in 1972 Leek 1919 1951 N/A Disaffiliated in 1955 Longridge 1878 1884 625 Dissolved 1964 Macclesfield 1886 1886 589 Dissolved in 1920s Manchester, Salford and Pendleton 1907 1909 270 (1908) Merged into Ashton 1951 Nelson and District 1870 1884 11,000 Merged into Burnley & Nelson in 1966 Oldham and District 1859 1884 4,900 Padiham and District 1856 1884 6,010 Preston and District 1858 1884 7,000 Radcliffe 1852 ? 1,326 Merged into Bury in 1911 Ramsbottom and District 1857 1884 2,116 Rishton 1878 1884 1,762 Merged into Harwood in 1964 Rochdale and District 1878 1884 3,300 Left in 1896, rejoined 1906, merged into North-West Lancashire and Yorkshire in 1973 Rossendale 1873 1892 2,800 Sabden 1884 1884 133 Merged into Harwood in 1932 Saddleworth and District 1894 1890s 485Membership figure for 1910 Disaffiliated 1921 Skipton and District 1902 ? 1,421 Stockport and District 1867 1884 1,590 Dissolved 1900, refounded 1906 Todmorden and District 1880 1884 4,166 Merged into Todmorden & Bacup in 1952 Whitworth Vale 1882 1892 1,150 Merged into Rochdale in 1935 Wigan and District 1890 1893 454 Left 1897, rejoined 1909
The majority of the union's members were female: in 1894, 45,000 of its 80,000 total membership were women. This was unusual; outside the cotton industry, very few women were members of trade unions.Ross M. Martin, The Lancashire Giant: David Shackleton, Labour Leader and Civil Servant, p.20 By 1937, membership had risen to 94,000, and the proportion of women had grown further, to a total of 75,000 of its members.
For many years, the union campaigned against the practice of steaming in cotton mills.
The union took its final name in 1923. In 1974, it merged with the National Union of Textile and Allied Workers to form the Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union.
Affiliated membership The total membership of the union's affiliates grew steadily, peaked in 1922, then fell almost continuously until the union was dissolved.
Year Membership 1884 37,539 1890 46,102 1900 81,500 1910 114,434 1920 211,621 1930 162,601 1940 86,843 1950 75,849 1960 55,647 1968 33,066
Leadership General Secretaries 1884: Thomas Birtwistle 1885: William Henry Wilkinson 1906: Joseph Cross 1925: John C. Parker 1927: Andrew Naesmith 1953: Lewis Wright 1968: Harry Kershaw 1971: Fred Hague
Presidents 1884: David Holmes 1906: David Shackleton 1911: John William Ogden 1930: James Hindle 1937: James Bell 1947: Carey Hargreaves 1949: Lewis Wright 1954: Harold Bradley 1960: Ernest Thornton 1964: Fred Hague 1970: Hilda Unsworth
References