Nothing to Lose - The Women Chainmakers Strike of 1910 Cradley Heath

Uploaded from a VHS copy of a TV film made in 1976 which was gifted to the Trade Union Resource Centre library. Invaluable eye witness reports.

[@yourneurdivergentpiers3457]

Within the last few weeks chain making has been added to the list of critically endangered crafts with only 1-5 professional chainmakers left. You can still see demonstrations of forging chain in Cradley Heath at Mushroom Green. The chainshop there is open to visitors in the summer, on every second sunday of month from 2 pm. The team of volunteers there provide a friendly, educational environment for all ages and visitors themselves often become part of the experience by recounting memories of our industrial past and the chainmakers they knew. Well worth a visit to this unbecoming little hamlet and its hidden link to the past. You will be made very welcome.

[@439bananas]

My great, great grandmother Patience Round is in the photograph at 19:29, she is sat on the front row and she is the lady on the right with a placard. By the time of the strike she had worked for 67 years at a back yard hearth. The women were paid either for the weight or length of chain that they made, but they were only allowed to make small link chains which meant that they had to work much harder then the men to make the same length or weight. The men were allowed to use a tommy hammer. The tommy hammer was operated by means of a treadle, women were not allowed to operate this because it was believed to displace the womb. The outworkers had to collect and pay for their own coal and rods. The made chain was taken away and put under stress at Lloyds Proving House to test its tensile strength. If it broke then it had failed and the worker did not get paid, but the chain was retained and sold on for non critical uses. Lloyds Proving House and a chain workshop have both been re-erected at the Avoncroft Museum. Another of my relatives still runs a factory called Solid Swivel in Cradley Heath that makes chain for the admiralty and his son does free chain making demonstrations at an original chain shop at Mushroom Green and he is an artist who designed and cast the monument to the women chain makers that now stands in Cradley Heath. The Workers Institute was built with leftover donations and that has now been re-sited to the Black Country living museum.

[@TurcVideo]

Thank you so much for sharing this.

[@439bananas]

@@TurcVideo No problem. Other members of my family were involved in the first reform act that increased the franchise. Thomas Attwood founded the Birmingham Political Union and his brother Charles founded the Northern Political Union.

[@StaffordshireFolklore]

Fantastic.

[@andrewgething3845]

Thank you for uploading this film as I have wanted to watch it for a long time. Real history rather than the pop history nonsense.

[@kelliebelfield2340]

Very interesting Annie Murray has just written a book about this subject she's an amazing author well worth a read xx

[@sarahlizziee5027]

I am reading Black Country Orphan by Annie Murray at the moment and agree, it's a fabulous-must read! xx

[@tariqmahmood6497]

Thank you really enjoyed this video, tough generation indeed ❤️

[@robbiemartin9312]

3:09 that's my great great nan!

[@TurcVideo]

That's wonderful. Hope you saw the opening ceremony for the commonwealth games with the names of all the chain makers round the stadium

[@M1ssFranks]

Here after watching the opening of the 2022 Commonwealth games held in Birmingham. As a born bred Birmingham girl I had no knowledge of this dark history. I endeavour to remember the women featured in this video with the upmost of respect and gratitude.

[@TurcVideo]

There is a memorial in Cradley Heath

[@TurcVideo]

Also with money left over from the strike fund they built a community centre which has now been moves to the Black Country Museum where you can see photos from the strike

[@wendywestley5528]

Just saw a bit about the chain makers at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. I’m assuming they were referring to these hard working and oppressed women.

[@TurcVideo]

Yes. Good that they aren't forgotten.

[@theglasgowgreen]

Amazing thank you, hope your well Marion, we worked together at TURC

[@TurcVideo]

How intriguing. Wondering who went to Glasgow....Yes, I'm well. Happily retired. Still in touch with a few TURCies through Facebook