Mid and East Lothian Miners' Association
The Mid and East Lothian Miners' Association (MELMA) was a trade union representing coal miners in parts of the Lothian area of Scotland.
The union described itself as having been founded in 1873 under the leadership of David Moffat,[1] but it was wound up the following year following an unsuccessful strike,[2] Moffat having to relocate to Fife due to victimisation.[3]
The union was re-established in 1887 by George Young and Robert Brown.[2] It registered in 1889, by which time it had a membership of about 2,000 workers.[1] In 1894, it was a founder constituent of the Scottish Miners' Federation,[4] and it played a leading role in that year's strike of miners in Scotland.[2] Other major strikes took place in 1912 and 1921.[2]
In 1945, the association was merged with other unions to form the Stirling and Lothians Area of the National Union of Mineworkers.[5]
General Secretaries
- 1890: Robert Brown
- 1917: Joseph Young
- 1919: Andrew Clarke
- 1940: Alexander Cameron
Presidents
- 1889: William Shaw
- 1900: George Young
- 1912: Andrew Clarke
- 1918: James Ormiston
References
- ^ a b Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of British Trade Unions, vol.II, p.226
- ^ a b c d Catherine P. Snodgress, The County of East Lothian, p.161
- ^ Stephenson, Graham. "MOFFAT ABE, ALEX AND DAVE" (PDF). A Compendium of Communist Biographies. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
Sources: Abe Moffat `My life with the miners' (1965) and other material
- ^ The Labour Gazette, vol.2 (1894), p.47
- ^ C. P. Snodgrass, The county of East Lothian, p.162
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Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) and National Union of Mineworkers (NUM)
- 1889 Pickard
- 1904 En. Edwards
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- 1934 J. Jones
- 1939 Lawther
- 1954 E. Jones
- 1960 Machen
- 1960 Ford
- 1971 Gormley
- 1982 Scargill
- 2002 Lavery
- 2012 Wilson
- 1889 Woods
- 1909 Smillie
- 1912 Harvey
- 1914 House
- 1917 Smith
- 1922 Walsh
- 1924 Richards
- 1929 Eb. Edwards
- 1931 Lee
- 1932 J. Jones
- 1933 Davies
- 1934 Lawther
- 1939 Bowman
- 1950 E. Jones
- 1954 T. Jones
- 1961 Collindridge
- 1963 Bullough
- 1969 Schofield
- 1973 McGahey
- 1987 Thompson
- 1989 Vacant
- 1992 Cave
- 2002 Stanley
- 2010 Wilson
- 2012 Thomas
- 1889 Ashton
- 1919 Hodges
- 1924 Cook
- 1932 Eb. Edwards
- 1946 Horner
- 1959 Paynter
- 1968 Daly
- 1984 Heathfield
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- 1992 Vacant?
- 2002 Kemp
- 2007 Kitchen
- 1889 En. Edwards
- 1904 Abraham
- 1918 Robson
- 1921 Richardson
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