Amalgamated Association of Miners

The Amalgamated Association of Miners (AAM) was formed in 1869 in Lancashire, at a time of increasing industrial conflict in the British coalfields.

History The union was founded by Thomas Halliday and William Pickard, two miners' union agents who had grown disillusioned with the cautious approach of the Miners' National Union (MNU) of Alexander Macdonald. In contrast, they placed an emphasis on being a centralised union, offering systematic support for local strikes. Founded on 23 August 1869, Halliday served as its president, and he called a national conference for January 1870.John Saville, "Halliday, Thomas (Tom) (1835-1919)", Dictionary of Labour Biography, vol.III, pp.91-94

The 1870 conference attracted delegates from Wales and Staffordshire, in addition to Lancashire, and established it as a national organisation. While differing from Macdonald's union, it was happy to collaborate on matters of mutual agreement, and Macdonald spoke at several AAM conferences.

By June 1871, the union had 9,000 members in the Aberdare and Rhondda valleys, and in the same year won a major twelve-week strike in Aberdare and the Rhondda in 1871, cementing its position in South Wales.

A second major strike in South Wales in 1873 was also successful, while miners in Lancashire saw their wages rise greatly without having to take industrial action. However, from mid-1873, mine-owners formed their own organisations to target the union, while a downturn in the industry combined to see the union decline.

In 1874, Halliday sought election as MP for Merthyr Boroughs but although he polled well he was comfortably defeated by the sitting Liberal members, Henry Richard and Richard Fothergill.

The last great industrial battle fought by the AAM was in 1874 but Halliday's hardline stance was rejected by the majority of his followers. Thereafter the AAM went into rapid decline. By 1875, it was bankrupt. It was dissolved at a conference held in Shrewsbury on 24 August, with members advised to join the MNU, and Halliday taking a place on its committee.

In 1877, a new Amalgamated Association of Miners was formed, based on the surviving districts in South Wales. Halliday was again secretary, while William Abraham was president, and Edward Williams of Aberdare was treasurer. Although Halliday devoted three years to the union, it was unsuccessful.

Districts By the 1873 conference, the union claimed 99,399 members, located in a large number of districts. The union's policy was to admit miners in any unrepresented location as a new district, then in the longer term, to merge small districts together.

District Founded Membership (1873) 1873 delegates Aberavon ? 819 David Rees Aberdare 1871 9,600 J. Griffiths, H. Harries, H. Hopkins, J. Jonathan, R. Jones, W. Lewis, W. Medlicott, G. Mills, David Morgan, J. Price, J. Robson, Henry Thomas, J. Thomas, N. Thomas, G. Vatie, W. Whitcombe, D. Williams, M. Williams, G. Woodford Abersychan 1872 1,582 John Dagger, William Williams Abertillery 1871 2,736 W. Allsopp, W. Burland, S. Jones, S. Lewis, J. Morgan, A. Phillips Argoed ? 248 John A. Lloyd Begelly ? 316 Isaac Thomas Blackwood ? 239 None Blaenavon ? 1,016 Thomas Griffiths, Levi Parry Bristol ? 2,320 G. Bright, J. Burlton, G. Ford, S. Smith, J. Spicer Brynmawr ? 2,111 Joseph Baugh, James William Fairbanks, Joseph Palmer Burnley and Church ? 1,460 Thomas Beaumont, Jabez Edwards Caerphilly ? 462 Thomas Willis Cannock Chase ? 2,701 J. Edwards, W. Legert, L. Humphreys, George Pickard, J. Southall, E. Townsend Cwmbran ? 951 Thomas Ephraim, Charles Vaughan Darran ? 509 None Farnworth and Kearsley 1869 2,520 J. Brooks, J. Fletcher, G. Gooke, B. Hall, R. Heyes, W. Hobson Forest of Dean 1870 4,000 J. Bagott, R. Baker, G. Goode, J. Miles, Timothy Mountjoy, G. Sneensman, J. Thomas Goginan ? 222 William Evans Hollingwood ? 212 None Llantwit and Taff's Well ? 1,265 Francis Edmunds, Daniel Morgan Loughor 1872 3,393 William Abraham, W. Evans, D. Harris, J. Hughes, T. Morgan Maesteg ? 1,213 William Evans Maesycwmmer ? 102 None Merthyr and Dowlais ? 4,056 Daniel Evans, Isaac Kernick, John Williams, William Williams Neath 1869 2,010 James Jones, Benjamin Williams New Tredegar 1871 878 E. Hughes, T. Lloyd North Staffordshire 1869 8,800 J. Bayley, J. Berks, William Brown, D. Brunt, T. Clark S. Cumberbatch, E. Ellis, W. Elsby, Moses Foulkes, J. Johnson, J. Kidd, B. Langley, E. Lyons, T. McDermott, H. Oakes, H. Pierce, W. Pugh North Wales 1871 3,192 Joseph Dodd, David Griffiths, Isaac Roberts, Isaac Llewellyn Thomas, John Evan Thomas, Amos Turley, William Venables Ogmore 1871 542 None Oldham ? 1,200 None Old Tredegar ? 1,943 Richard Davies, Henry Jeffries Pengam ? 503 George Bolton, Thomas Lawrence Penmain ? 85 None Radstock 1872 2,174 George Carter, T. Curtis, B. Fish, J. Hobs, J. Young Rhondda Valley 1872 5,141 J. Andrews, G. Coles, D. Davies, E. Evans, J. Francis, Bethuel Heycock, Lewis Morgan, J. Salathil, J. Trucker, E. Williams Rhymney 1871 1,570 W. Baker, J. D. Thomas, E. Williams Salop ? 2,663 Edward Brock, Thomas Edwards, Benjamin Garadrell, John Jones, Enoch Potts South Staffordshire 1869 5,810 G. Carter, L. E. Coleshill, R. Cotterell, Benjamin Dean, J. Fellows, C. Gething, W. Lloyd, H. Randall, T. Unstone, W. Westwood St Helens and Haydock ? 2,128 Richard Marsh Swansea Vale ? 2,150 David Edwards, John Stephens Tamworth ? 1,124 John Albrighton, Josiah Baybould West Bromwich 1869 3,260 J. Adams, Henry Barnes, J. Foy, Thomas Griffiths, H. Rust, J. Wadeley, S. Wilding West Cumberland 1872 2,500 Andrew Sharp, James Simpson Wigan 1862 6,856 J. Colinson, H. Highton, W. Higson, T. Oakes, G. Silcock Worsley ? 800 George Seddon, Joseph Smith

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