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{{short description|British politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name = Thomas Burt
| name = Thomas Burt
| honorific-suffix =
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Thomas Burt (c 1913).jpg
| image = Thomas Burt (c 1913).jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = Thomas Burt.
| caption = Burt {{circa|1913}}
| order1 = [[Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade]]
| order1 = [[Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade]]
| term_start1 = 18 August 1892
| term_start1 = 18 August 1892
| term_end1 = 21 June 1895
| term_end1 = 21 June 1895
| monarch1 = [[Victoria of the United Kingdom]]
| monarch1 = [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Victoria]]
| primeminister1 = [[William Ewart Gladstone]] <br> [[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|The Earl of Rosebery]]
| primeminister1 = {{Unbulleted list |[[William Ewart Gladstone]] |[[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|The Earl of Rosebery]]}}
| predecessor1 = [[Alexander Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh|The Lord Balfour of Burleigh]]
| predecessor1 = [[Alexander Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh|The Lord Balfour of Burleigh]]
| successor1 = [[William Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley|The Earl of Dudley]]
| successor1 = [[William Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley|The Earl of Dudley]]
| birth_date = 12 November 1837
| birth_date = {{birth date|1837|11|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = Murton Row, near [[Backworth]], [[Northumberland]], [[United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland|UK]]
| birth_place =
| death_date = 12 April 1922
| death_date = {{death date and age|1922|4|12|1837|11|12|df=y}}
| death_place =
| death_place =
| nationality = [[British people|British]]
| nationality = [[British people|British]]
| party = [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] ([[Lib-Lab]])
| party =
| alma_mater =
| alma_mater =
| spouse =
| spouse =
}}
}}


'''Thomas Burt''' [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|PC]] (12 November 1837 &ndash; 12 April 1922)<ref>{{Rayment-hc|m|2|date=March 2012}}</ref> was a British [[trade union]]ist and one of the first working-class [[Member of Parliament (UK)|Members of Parliament]].
'''Thomas Burt''' [[Privy Council (United Kingdom)|PC]] (12 November 1837 – 12 April 1922)<ref>{{Rayment-hc|m|2|date=March 2012}}</ref> was a British [[trade union]]ist and one of the first working-class [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]].


==Career==
==Career==
Burt became secretary of the [[Northumberland Miners' Association]] in 1863, then, in 1874, was returned to parliament for [[Morpeth (UK Parliament constituency)|Morpeth]],<ref name="rayment">{{Rayment-hc|m|3|date=March 2012}}</ref> alongside [[Alexander Macdonald (Lib–Lab politician)|Alexander MacDonald]], a fellow miners' leader. Burt stood as a [[Radicals (UK)|Radical]] labour candidate with [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] support and formed part of a small group of [[Liberal-Labour (UK)|Liberal–Labour]] politicians in the House of Commons in the 1880s and 1890s. After the [[United Kingdom general election, 1892|1892 General Election]], [[William Ewart Gladstone]] appointed Burt as [[Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade]], in which capacity he served until 1895.
Burt became secretary of the [[Northumberland Miners' Association]] in 1863, then, in 1874, was returned to parliament for [[Morpeth (UK Parliament constituency)|Morpeth]],<ref name="rayment">{{Rayment-hc|m|3|date=March 2012}}</ref> alongside [[Alexander Macdonald (Lib–Lab politician)|Alexander MacDonald]], a fellow miners' leader. Burt stood as a [[Radicals (UK)|Radical]] labour candidate with [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] support and formed part of a small group of [[Liberal-Labour (UK)|Liberal–Labour]] politicians in the House of Commons in the 1880s and 1890s. After the [[1892 United Kingdom general election|1892 General Election]], [[William Ewart Gladstone]] appointed Burt as [[Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade]], in which capacity he served until 1895.


Despite the emergence of the [[Independent Labour Party]] and the [[British Labour Party#Labour Representation Committee|Labour Representation Committee]], Burt remained loyal to his backers in the Liberal Party and refused to join. He was sworn of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]] in 1906<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27873 |date=9 January 1906 |startpage=182 }}</ref> and continued to represent Morpeth in Parliament until 1918.<ref name="rayment"/> From 1910 to 1918 he was [[Father of the House]] in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]].
Despite the emergence of the [[Independent Labour Party]] and the [[British Labour Party#Labour Representation Committee|Labour Representation Committee]], Burt remained loyal to his backers in the Liberal Party and refused to join. He was sworn of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]] in 1906<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27873 |date=9 January 1906 |page=182 }}</ref> and continued to represent Morpeth in Parliament until 1918.<ref name="rayment"/> From 1910 to 1918 he was [[Father of the House]] in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]].


Burt resigned as general secretary of the Northumberland Miners' Association in 1913.
Burt resigned as general secretary of the Northumberland Miners' Association in 1913.


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Thomas Burt was born at Murton Row, near [[Backworth]], in the county of Northumberland, on 12 November 1837.<ref name="Burt page 20">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T.Fisher Unwin Ltd|location=London|page=20}}</ref> His father, Peter Burt, was at this time working as a coal hewer for the Backworth Coal Company.<ref name="Burt 21">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T. Fisher Unwin|location=London|page=21}}</ref> At the age of 10 Burt's working life began as a trapper boy at the Haswell Pit. With only approximately two years schooling and at the age of 17 Burt decided "how utterly ignorant I was and when I was seized with an eager desire for knowledge and mental improvement".<ref name="Burt page 113">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T. Fisher Unwin|location=London|page=113}}</ref> In 1860 Burt married Mary Weatherburn and in the 1881 census they were listed as having three daughters and three sons; Rebecca aged 20, Mary aged 13, Thomas aged 11, Peter aged 8, Jane aged 6 and Wilfred aged 1. Poor health led to Burt's retirement from politics in 1918. During the final three years of his life he was bed-ridden.<ref>http://www.spartacus-educational.com/TUburt.htm</ref> Burt died on 12 April 1922, aged 84 and was buried in Jesmond Cemetery which was in the neighbourhood of his residence in Newcastle upon Tyne. On 12 April 2014 a re-dedication of the Thomas Burt Memorial took place in Jesmond Cemetery.
Thomas Burt was born at Murton Row, near [[Backworth]], in the county of Northumberland, on 12 November 1837.<ref name="Burt page 20">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T.Fisher Unwin Ltd|location=London|page=20}}</ref> His father, Peter Burt, was at this time working as a coal hewer for the Backworth Coal Company.<ref name="Burt 21">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T. Fisher Unwin|location=London|page=21}}</ref> At the age of 10 Burt's working life began as a trapper boy at the Haswell Pit. With only approximately two years schooling and at the age of 17 Burt decided "how utterly ignorant I was and when I was seized with an eager desire for knowledge and mental improvement".<ref name="Burt page 113">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T. Fisher Unwin|location=London|page=113}}</ref> In 1860 Burt married Mary Weatherburn and in the 1881 census they were listed as having three daughters and three sons; Rebecca aged 20, Mary aged 13, Thomas aged 11, Peter aged 8, Jane aged 6 and Wilfred aged 1. Poor health led to Burt's retirement from politics in 1918. During the final three years of his life he was bed-ridden.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spartacus-educational.com/TUburt.htm|title=Thomas Burt|website=Spartacus Educational}}</ref> Burt died on 12 April 1922, aged 84 and was buried in Jesmond Cemetery which was in the neighbourhood of his residence in Newcastle upon Tyne. On 12 April 2014 a re-dedication of the Thomas Burt Memorial took place in Jesmond Cemetery.


==Politics==
==Politics==
[[File:Thomas_Burt.jpg|thumb|right|Thomas Burt c1895]]
[[File:Thomas_Burt.jpg|thumb|Thomas Burt c. 1895]]
Formation of the Northumberland Miners' Mutual Confident Association which became the Northumberland Miners' Association.<ref name="Burt 156">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T. Fisher Unwin|location=London|page=156}}</ref>
Formation of the Northumberland Miners' Mutual Confident Association which became the Northumberland Miners' Association.<ref name="Burt 156">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T. Fisher Unwin|location=London|page=156}}</ref>
In 1865 Burt was elected Executive Secretary of the Northumberland Miner's Mutual Confident Association.<ref name="Lowell 17">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=17}}</ref> Continuing as General Secretary of the association for the next fifty years.<ref name="Arnot 52">{{cite book|last=Arnot|first=R.Page|title=The Miners, A History of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain 1889-1910|year=1949|publisher=George Allen & Unwin Ltd|location=London|page=52}}</ref>
In 1865 Burt was elected executive secretary of the Northumberland Miner's Mutual Confident Association.<ref name="Lowell 17">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=17}}</ref> Continuing as General Secretary of the association for the next fifty years.<ref name="Arnot 52">{{cite book|last=Arnot|first=R.Page|title=The Miners, A History of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain 1889–1910|url=https://archive.org/details/miners0000unse_3hjd|url-access=registration|year=1949|publisher=George Allen & Unwin Ltd|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/miners0000unse_3hjd/page/52 52]}}</ref> Burt was guest speaker at the 2nd [[Durham Miners' Gala]] and attended as a guest speaker on a regular basis in subsequent years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dmm.org.uk/whoswho/b908.htm|title=Durham Mining Museum - Thomas Burt, M.P.|website=www.dmm.org.uk}}</ref> A march for [[universal manhood suffrage]] was held in Newcastle on 12 April 1873,: an estimated 80,000 union members marched through Newcastle to the Town Moor, here speakers included Burt.<ref name="Lowell 32">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=32}}</ref> Burt stood on a Radical reform platform, he believed that the franchise should be extended and this would lead to the election of reform-minded MPs. He called for universal suffrage, which would include women, reapportionment of districts to provide roughly the same number of voters in each constituency, shorter duration of each Parliament and payment of MPs.<ref name="Lowell 34">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=34}}</ref>

Burt was guest speaker at the 2nd [[Durham Miners' Gala]] and attended as a guest speaker on a regular basis in subsequent years.<ref>http://www.dmm.org.uk/whoswho/b908.htm</ref>
A march for [[universal manhood suffrage]] was held in Newcastle on 12 April 1873,: an estimated 80,000 union members marched through Newcastle to the Town Moor, here speakers included Burt.<ref name="Lowell 32">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=32}}</ref>
Burt stood on a Radical reform platform, he believed that the franchise should be extended and this would lead to the election of reform-minded MPs. He called for universal suffrage, which would include women, reapportionment of districts to provide roughly the same number of voters in each constituency, shorter duration of each Parliament and payment of MPs.<ref name="Lowell 34">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=34}}</ref>
In 1874 Burt was elected as Member of Parliament for the Borough of Morpeth in Northumberland.<ref name="Burt 219">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T. Fisher Unwin|location=London|page=219}}</ref> He received 3,332 votes whilst his opponent Capt. F. Duncan received 585.
In 1874 Burt was elected as Member of Parliament for the Borough of Morpeth in Northumberland.<ref name="Burt 219">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T. Fisher Unwin|location=London|page=219}}</ref> He received 3,332 votes whilst his opponent Capt. F. Duncan received 585.
Burt gave his maiden speech on 13 May 1874 in support of [[Sir George Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet|G.O. Trevelyan]]'s private member's bill to 'equalize franchise requirements by extending the borough franchise to the counties. In his speech which was to last fifteen minutes he declared 'that the unfairness of the present law was evident to the miners of Northumberland. Of workers at the same colliery, miners residing in the borough could cast a ballot, while those living in the county could not. Also, because miners often moved from one colliery to another, they could easily lose the vote previously enjoyed'.<ref name="Lowell 38">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=38}}</ref> Unfortunately on this occasion the bill was defeated.
Burt gave his maiden speech on 13 May 1874 in support of [[Sir George Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet|G.O. Trevelyan]]'s private member's bill to 'equalize franchise requirements by extending the borough franchise to the counties. In his speech which was to last fifteen minutes he declared 'that the unfairness of the present law was evident to the miners of Northumberland. Of workers at the same colliery, miners residing in the borough could cast a ballot, while those living in the county could not. Also, because miners often moved from one colliery to another, they could easily lose the vote previously enjoyed'.<ref name="Lowell 38">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=38}}</ref> Unfortunately on this occasion the bill was defeated.

After his election as M.P. Burt was to split his time between London and his duties as representative for the Borough of Morpeth and Newcastle and his union role. He made sure he was in attendance for every important union meeting. In October 1874 the mine owners called for a twenty percent reduction of wages, the union put forward a reduction of eight percent. After arbitration the two sides settled on a wage reduction of fourteen percent.<ref name="Lowell 41">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=41}}</ref>
After his election as MP, Burt was to split his time between London and his duties as representative for the Borough of Morpeth and Newcastle and his union role. He made sure he was in attendance for every important union meeting. In October 1874 the mine owners called for a twenty per cent reduction of wages, the union put forward a reduction of eight per cent. After arbitration the two sides settled on a wage reduction of fourteen per cent.<ref name="Lowell 41">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=41}}</ref> In 1906, Burt was made a Privy Councillor.<ref name="Burt 302">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T. Fisher Unwin|location=London|page=302}}</ref> He lost the formal support of his own Union, in 1909, because he would not join the Labour Party.<ref name="Lowell 16">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=16}}</ref>
In 1906 Burt was made a Privy Councillor.<ref name="Burt 302">{{cite book|last=Burt|first=Thomas|title=An Autobiography|year=1924|publisher=T. Fisher Unwin|location=London|page=302}}</ref>
He lost the formal support of his own Union, in 1909, because he would not join the Labour Party.<ref name="Lowell 16">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=16}}</ref>


==Legacy==
==Legacy==
On 12 November 1987 on the 150th anniversary of his birth, Dr Eric Wade of the [[Open University]] gave the memorial address 'Thomas Burt: His Life and Ideas'.
On 12 November 1987 on the 150th anniversary of his birth, Dr Eric Wade of the [[Open University]] gave the memorial address 'Thomas Burt: His Life and Ideas'.
The [[Stephenson Railway Museum]] located near Murton Row, where Burt was born, has a steam train which the named 'Thomas Burt' in his honour.
The [[Stephenson Railway Museum]] located near Murton Row, where Burt was born, has a [[W.G Bagnall 0-6-0ST "New Standard 18"|steam locomotive]] which they named 'Thomas Burt' in his honour.
The aged miners' homes at [[Choppington]], under construction at the time of Burt's death were named the Burt Memorial Homes.<ref name="Lowell 140">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=140}}</ref>
The aged miners' homes at [[Choppington]], under construction at the time of Burt's death were named the Burt Memorial Homes.<ref name="Lowell 140">{{cite book|last=Satre|first=Lowell J.|title=Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator|year=1999|publisher=Leicester University Press|location=Leicester|page=140}}</ref>
The Northumberland Miners' Association named their Trade Union Offices building Burt Hall. The building - in Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne and now used by [[Northumbria University]] - was opened in 1895 and bears a plaque stating the hall 'was built by the miners' in recognition of valuable service rendered by Thomas Burt M.P. as general secretary for 27 years, and to commemorate his appointment as [[Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade]] in 1892.' A block of flats in [[Bethnal Green]], [[East London]], is named after Thomas Burt.
The Northumberland Miners' Association named their Trade Union Offices building [[Burt Hall]]. The building - in Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne and now used by [[Northumbria University]] - was opened in 1895 and bears a plaque stating the hall 'was built by the miners' in recognition of valuable service rendered by Thomas Burt M.P. as general secretary for 27 years, and to commemorate his appointment as [[Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade]] in 1892.' A block of flats in [[Bethnal Green]], [[East London]], is named after Thomas Burt.


== References ==
== References ==
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* {{Hansard-contribs | mr-thomas-burt | Thomas Burt }}
* {{Hansard-contribs | mr-thomas-burt | Thomas Burt }}
*[http://www.spartacus-educational.com/TUburt.htm Thomas Burt] at Spartacus Educational
*[http://www.spartacus-educational.com/TUburt.htm Thomas Burt] at Spartacus Educational

{{S-start}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-par|uk}}
{{S-par|uk}}
{{Succession box| title=[[Member of Parliament]] for [[Morpeth (UK Parliament constituency)|Morpeth]] | before=[[Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet|Sir George Grey, Bt]] | after=[[John Cairns (politician)|John Cairns]] | years=1874&ndash;1918}}
{{Succession box| title=[[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Morpeth (UK Parliament constituency)|Morpeth]] | before=[[Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet|Sir George Grey, Bt]] | after=[[John Cairns (politician)|John Cairns]] | years=1874–1918}}
{{Succession box
{{Succession box
| before = [[Sir John Kennaway, 3rd Baronet|Sir John Kennaway, Bt]]
| before = [[Sir John Kennaway, 3rd Baronet|Sir John Kennaway, Bt]]
| title = [[Father of the House]]
| title = [[Father of the House]]
| years = 1910&ndash;1918
| years = 1910–1918
| after = [[T. P. O'Connor]]
| after = [[T. P. O'Connor]]
}}
}}
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{{succession box
{{succession box
| title = Secretary of the [[Northumberland Miners' Association]]
| title = Secretary of the [[Northumberland Miners' Association]]
| years = 1865&ndash;1905
| years = 1865–1905
| before = [[William Crawford (trade unionist)|William Crawford]]
| before = [[William Crawford (trade unionist)|William Crawford]]
| after = [[William Straker]]
| after = [[William Straker]]
}}
}}
{{succession box|title=President of the [[Miners' National Union]]|years=1881 &ndash; 1898|before=[[Alexander Macdonald (Lib-Lab politician)|Alexander Macdonald]]|after=''Position abolished''}}
{{succession box|title=President of the [[Miners' National Union]]|years=1881–1898|before=[[Alexander Macdonald (Lib-Lab politician)|Alexander Macdonald]]|after=''Position abolished''}}
{{Succession box
{{Succession box
| title = [[President of the Trades Union Congress]]
| title = [[President of the Trades Union Congress]]
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{{s-off|UK}}
{{s-off|UK}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Alexander Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh|The Lord Balfour of Burleigh]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Alexander Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh|The Lord Balfour of Burleigh]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade]]|years=1892&ndash;1895 }}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade]]|years=1892–1895 }}
{{s-aft|after=[[William Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley|The Earl of Dudley]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[William Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley|The Earl of Dudley]]}}
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[[Category:1837 births]]
[[Category:1837 births]]
[[Category:1922 deaths]]
[[Category:1922 deaths]]
[[Category:Coal miners]]
[[Category:British coal miners]]
[[Category:Leaders of British trade unions]]
[[Category:British trade union leaders]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Morpeth]]
[[Category:Liberal-Labour (UK) MPs]]
[[Category:Liberal-Labour (UK) MPs]]
[[Category:Liberal-Labour (UK) politicians]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1874–1880]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1874–80]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1880–1885]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1880–85]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1885–1886]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1885–86]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1886–1892]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1886–92]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1892–1895]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1892–95]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1895–1900]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1895–1900]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1900–06]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1900–1906]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1906–10]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1906–1910]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1910]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1910]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1910–18]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1910–1918]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Trades Union Congress]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Trades Union Congress]]
[[Category:Parliamentary Secretaries to the Board of Trade]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]

Latest revision as of 20:34, 20 December 2024

The Right Honourable
Thomas Burt
Burt c. 1913
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
In office
18 August 1892 – 21 June 1895
MonarchVictoria
Prime Minister
Preceded byThe Lord Balfour of Burleigh
Succeeded byThe Earl of Dudley
Personal details
Born(1837-11-12)12 November 1837
Murton Row, near Backworth, Northumberland, UK
Died12 April 1922(1922-04-12) (aged 84)
Political partyLiberal (Lib-Lab)

Thomas Burt PC (12 November 1837 – 12 April 1922)[1] was a British trade unionist and one of the first working-class Members of Parliament.

Career

[edit]

Burt became secretary of the Northumberland Miners' Association in 1863, then, in 1874, was returned to parliament for Morpeth,[2] alongside Alexander MacDonald, a fellow miners' leader. Burt stood as a Radical labour candidate with Liberal support and formed part of a small group of Liberal–Labour politicians in the House of Commons in the 1880s and 1890s. After the 1892 General Election, William Ewart Gladstone appointed Burt as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, in which capacity he served until 1895.

Despite the emergence of the Independent Labour Party and the Labour Representation Committee, Burt remained loyal to his backers in the Liberal Party and refused to join. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1906[3] and continued to represent Morpeth in Parliament until 1918.[2] From 1910 to 1918 he was Father of the House in the House of Commons.

Burt resigned as general secretary of the Northumberland Miners' Association in 1913.

Personal life

[edit]

Thomas Burt was born at Murton Row, near Backworth, in the county of Northumberland, on 12 November 1837.[4] His father, Peter Burt, was at this time working as a coal hewer for the Backworth Coal Company.[5] At the age of 10 Burt's working life began as a trapper boy at the Haswell Pit. With only approximately two years schooling and at the age of 17 Burt decided "how utterly ignorant I was and when I was seized with an eager desire for knowledge and mental improvement".[6] In 1860 Burt married Mary Weatherburn and in the 1881 census they were listed as having three daughters and three sons; Rebecca aged 20, Mary aged 13, Thomas aged 11, Peter aged 8, Jane aged 6 and Wilfred aged 1. Poor health led to Burt's retirement from politics in 1918. During the final three years of his life he was bed-ridden.[7] Burt died on 12 April 1922, aged 84 and was buried in Jesmond Cemetery which was in the neighbourhood of his residence in Newcastle upon Tyne. On 12 April 2014 a re-dedication of the Thomas Burt Memorial took place in Jesmond Cemetery.

Politics

[edit]
Thomas Burt c. 1895

Formation of the Northumberland Miners' Mutual Confident Association which became the Northumberland Miners' Association.[8] In 1865 Burt was elected executive secretary of the Northumberland Miner's Mutual Confident Association.[9] Continuing as General Secretary of the association for the next fifty years.[10] Burt was guest speaker at the 2nd Durham Miners' Gala and attended as a guest speaker on a regular basis in subsequent years.[11] A march for universal manhood suffrage was held in Newcastle on 12 April 1873,: an estimated 80,000 union members marched through Newcastle to the Town Moor, here speakers included Burt.[12] Burt stood on a Radical reform platform, he believed that the franchise should be extended and this would lead to the election of reform-minded MPs. He called for universal suffrage, which would include women, reapportionment of districts to provide roughly the same number of voters in each constituency, shorter duration of each Parliament and payment of MPs.[13]

In 1874 Burt was elected as Member of Parliament for the Borough of Morpeth in Northumberland.[14] He received 3,332 votes whilst his opponent Capt. F. Duncan received 585. Burt gave his maiden speech on 13 May 1874 in support of G.O. Trevelyan's private member's bill to 'equalize franchise requirements by extending the borough franchise to the counties. In his speech which was to last fifteen minutes he declared 'that the unfairness of the present law was evident to the miners of Northumberland. Of workers at the same colliery, miners residing in the borough could cast a ballot, while those living in the county could not. Also, because miners often moved from one colliery to another, they could easily lose the vote previously enjoyed'.[15] Unfortunately on this occasion the bill was defeated.

After his election as MP, Burt was to split his time between London and his duties as representative for the Borough of Morpeth and Newcastle and his union role. He made sure he was in attendance for every important union meeting. In October 1874 the mine owners called for a twenty per cent reduction of wages, the union put forward a reduction of eight per cent. After arbitration the two sides settled on a wage reduction of fourteen per cent.[16] In 1906, Burt was made a Privy Councillor.[17] He lost the formal support of his own Union, in 1909, because he would not join the Labour Party.[18]

Legacy

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On 12 November 1987 on the 150th anniversary of his birth, Dr Eric Wade of the Open University gave the memorial address 'Thomas Burt: His Life and Ideas'. The Stephenson Railway Museum located near Murton Row, where Burt was born, has a steam locomotive which they named 'Thomas Burt' in his honour. The aged miners' homes at Choppington, under construction at the time of Burt's death were named the Burt Memorial Homes.[19] The Northumberland Miners' Association named their Trade Union Offices building Burt Hall. The building - in Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne and now used by Northumbria University - was opened in 1895 and bears a plaque stating the hall 'was built by the miners' in recognition of valuable service rendered by Thomas Burt M.P. as general secretary for 27 years, and to commemorate his appointment as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade in 1892.' A block of flats in Bethnal Green, East London, is named after Thomas Burt.

References

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  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 2)
  2. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 3)
  3. ^ "No. 27873". The London Gazette. 9 January 1906. p. 182.
  4. ^ Burt, Thomas (1924). An Autobiography. London: T.Fisher Unwin Ltd. p. 20.
  5. ^ Burt, Thomas (1924). An Autobiography. London: T. Fisher Unwin. p. 21.
  6. ^ Burt, Thomas (1924). An Autobiography. London: T. Fisher Unwin. p. 113.
  7. ^ "Thomas Burt". Spartacus Educational.
  8. ^ Burt, Thomas (1924). An Autobiography. London: T. Fisher Unwin. p. 156.
  9. ^ Satre, Lowell J. (1999). Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator. Leicester: Leicester University Press. p. 17.
  10. ^ Arnot, R.Page (1949). The Miners, A History of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain 1889–1910. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. p. 52.
  11. ^ "Durham Mining Museum - Thomas Burt, M.P." www.dmm.org.uk.
  12. ^ Satre, Lowell J. (1999). Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator. Leicester: Leicester University Press. p. 32.
  13. ^ Satre, Lowell J. (1999). Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator. Leicester: Leicester University Press. p. 34.
  14. ^ Burt, Thomas (1924). An Autobiography. London: T. Fisher Unwin. p. 219.
  15. ^ Satre, Lowell J. (1999). Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator. Leicester: Leicester University Press. p. 38.
  16. ^ Satre, Lowell J. (1999). Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator. Leicester: Leicester University Press. p. 41.
  17. ^ Burt, Thomas (1924). An Autobiography. London: T. Fisher Unwin. p. 302.
  18. ^ Satre, Lowell J. (1999). Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator. Leicester: Leicester University Press. p. 16.
  19. ^ Satre, Lowell J. (1999). Thomas Burt, Miners' M.P. The Great Conciliator. Leicester: Leicester University Press. p. 140.

Further reading

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Morpeth
1874–1918 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Father of the House
1910–1918 		Succeeded by
Trade union offices
Preceded by Secretary of the Northumberland Miners' Association
1865–1905 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Miners' National Union
1881–1898 		Succeeded by
Position abolished
Preceded by President of the Trades Union Congress
1891 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
1892–1895 		Succeeded by
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