Jeremiah Yates
NS 28 Oct 1848:
Pottery district National Land Company.
Mr. Jeremiah Yates of Miles Bank, Shelton has been duly elected as delegate for this district to the Conference.
Almost 100,000 had subscribed to the National Land Company and the General Conference met in Birmingham from 30 Oct - 3 Nov 1848. Jeremiah is listed as being one of the 40 delegates (NS 4 Nov '48)
NS 11 Nov 1848 reports that during the Land Conference, some leading Chartists who were attending met at the Ship Inn, Steelhorse Lane to discuss Chartism rather than the Land. In a discussion on organisation:
"Mr Yates (Potteries) had acted many years in the movement, in both prosperous and dangerous times, but he was not disheartened. They only wanted a good plan of organisation"
Forty persons were elected to the Executive including Jeremiah Yates, Hanley. The Chartist Executive included O'Connor and Harney (London) and representatives of the main English and Scottish towns.
NS 4 Aug 1849:At a meeting Mr. Jeremiah Yates was duly elected delegate to the forthcoming Land Conference.
The 1849 four day Conference was at one of the Land Company's estates at Snigs End, Gloucestershire and
Jeremiah is reported (NS 11 Aug) as being one of about 20 delegates and a committee member.
He said his Branch "were all opposed to winding up the Company".
Nevertheless the Land Company was under considerable criticism, ran foul of Parliament and liquidation was ordered.
NS 4 May 1950:A Letter from John Richards of Bilston asks for:
Respects to Yates and Wife and to his family and indeed to all true Democrats of the Potteries"
Jeremiah Yates remained keen on land experiments and reports on one scheme in the Potteries:NS 8 Feb 1951:
Feargus O'Connor addressing his fellow Chartists wrote under the heading THE LAND PLAN.
"My Friends - I have much pleasure in furnishing you with a letter, and an account of the value of land, which I received from one of your staunchest and oldest friends. Here it is:
"To Feargus O'Connor Esq NP
Sir, I enclose you a balance sheet, the result of an experiment on a small plot of land attached to the parish workhouse of Stoke on Trent ..."
Jeremiah continued that 'the Democrats of Hanley and Shelton' had established a scheme of work and with three acres were planning to take a further six acres.
He concluded his letter
".. Sir, believe me to remain yours respectfully Jeremiah Yates
Crown Bank, Shelton Potteries, Jan 26th 1851
F. O'Connor was still addressing his fellow Chartists in the Northern Star but Chartist news diminished. O'Connor became ill and was declared insane in June 1852 and the National Charter Association came to an end in 1854. "Though few people were probably aware of it, Britain was just on the verge of a long spell of trade expansion and prosperity ... enough to turn the workers' thoughts away from revolution " #Chartism faded away and was followed by developments in Trade Unionism and Co-operation.
NOTE:
# "A People's history of England" Morton A.L.
