Joseph Rayner Stephens in Stamford Park, Stalybridge

 

 'JOSEPH RAYNER STEPHENS
BORN 1805 DIED 1879'

'SCATTER THE SEED! THE SEED OF TRUTH
BELIEVING IT WILL GROW.
LOOK ON THE WILDERNESS IN RUTH
IT WAS NOT ALWAYS SO.
A GARDEN ONCE, IT MAY AGAIN,
A LOVELY GARDEN BE.
IT WANTS THE SUN IT WANTS THE RAIN,
OF GODLIKE CHARITY.
WE WORK AND WAIT, WE TOIL AND TRUST,
SURE THAT THE END WILL COME
THIS WILDERNESS OF EVIL MUST, BE CLOTHED WITH HEAVENLY BLOOM.
             J.R.S.'

 

 'ERECTED
BY THE FACTORY WORKERS OF
LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE,
IN THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE
OF A LONG LIFE SPENT
IN THEIR SERVICE
1888'  

 'AN EARNEST ADVOCATE
OF THE TEN HOURS BILL;
AN ABLE DEFENDER OF
TRADES UNIONS
AND DETERMINED OPPONENT OF
THE NEW POOR LAW.
––––––––
"THE ONLY TRUE FOUNDATION OF
SOCIETY IS THE SAFETY, THE SECURITY
AND THE HAPPINESS OF THE POOR, FROM
WHOM ALL THE OTHER ORDERS OF SOCIETY
ARISE."
DEFENCE AT CHESTER.'  

This, then, was erected 125 years before the present government (with the almost total approval of the 'opposition') gave what amounted to a state funeral for a former premier who undid most of the things that people such as Joseph Rayner Stephens had worked hard for. My disgust is inexpressible.

The First General Strike of 1842, and Joseph Rayner Stephens, Stalybridge

This is the portico of Stalybridge Town Hall, all that remains of the original structure. It bears two interesting plaques:

 

'THE FIRST GENERAL STRIKE, 1842

 

Originated in this area, beginning as a movement

of resistants to the imposition of wage cuts

in the mills, also known as the "Plug Riots"

it spread to involve nearly half a million

workers throughout Britain and represented

the biggest single exercise

of working class strength

in nineteenth century

Britain.'

 

'JOSEPH RAYNER STEPHENS

1805–1879

Trained in the Ministry, Joseph Rayner Stephens

came to Ashton in 1832. He became an important

Chartist Leader who campaigned against

the Poor Law and for factory reform.

His greatness was in his instinctive reaction

to human distress and social injustice.

In later life he lived in Stalybridge

where he established a People's

School and is buried in

St John's Church,

Dukenfield.'