John Damrel Prior (10 March 1840 – 4 February 1923)[1] was a British trade unionist and chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress from 1876 until 1879.[2]
Born in Shebbear in Devon, Prior was educated at Shebbear College.[3] 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),[4] serving on the executive of the "Junta"'s Conference of Amalgamated Trades.[2]
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.[4]
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.[3]
References
edit- ^ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
- ^ a b Curthoys, M. C. (27 May 2010). "Junta (act. 1862–1871)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/61765. Retrieved 27 February 2019. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ a b "A labour pioneer", Manchester Guardian, 10 March 1921
- ^ a b Francis Chandler, Amalgamated Society of Carpenters & Joiners: History of the Society, 1860-1910