John Damrel Prior (10 March 1840 – 4 February 1923)England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 was a British trade unionist and chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress from 1876 until 1879.
Born in Shebbear in Devon, Prior was educated at Shebbear College."A labour pioneer", Manchester Guardian, 10 March 1921 He became interested in trade unionism, and by the mid-1860s, was a prominent figure in the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (ASC&J),Francis Chandler, Amalgamated Society of Carpenters & Joiners: History of the Society, 1860-1910 serving on the executive of the "Junta"'s Conference of Amalgamated Trades.
In 1871, Prior succeeded Robert Applegarth as general secretary of the ASC&J. As Prior was based in Manchester, the union's headquarters was relocated to the northern city. A large minority of the union's branches refused to accept his election but, with the support of Applegarth, Prior asserted his control.
While general secretary, Prior was regularly elected to the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress, serving as its chairman from 1876 until 1879.
In 1881, Prior was appointed as a factory inspector, the first worker to hold the post. He resigned from his trade union posts, and worked as an inspector until his retirement in 1905. He enjoyed a long retirement, celebrating his diamond wedding in 1921.
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