William Thomasson (20 February 1867''1939 England and Wales Register'' – 19 March 1940) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

trade unionist A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...

. Thomasson was born in

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ...

, Lancashire, England, to John and Jane Thomasson. He joined the

Bolton and District Card, Blowing and Ring Room Operatives' Provincial Association The Bolton and District Card, Blowing and Ring Room Operatives' Provincial Association was a trade union representing cotton industry workers in the Bolton area of Lancashire in England. The longest-established union of cardroom workers, it was ...

and soon began working for the union, firstly collecting dues, then as an organiser. He was subsequently chosen as secretary of the Atherton Cardroom Union, then in 1920 was elected as General Secretary of the

Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Room Operatives The Cardroom Amalgamation or Cardroom Workers' Amalgamation (CWA)Joseph L. White, ''The Limits of Trade Union Militancy'', p.240, note 9 was a British trade union which existed between 1886 and 1974. It represented workers in the cotton textil ...

."Mr W. Thomasson: Retirement of Cardroom Workers' Secretary", '' Manchester Guardian'', 30 April 1935 From 1924, he also served as president of the United Textile Factory Workers' Association. He was appointed an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the

1935 Birthday Honours The 1935 Birthday Honours for the British Empire were announced on 3 June 1935 to celebrate the Birthday and Silver Jubilee of King George V. The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour, and arranged b ...

. By 1935, Thomasson was in poor health, and resigned from all his trade union positions. He died in March 1940."Mr W. Thomasson", '' Manchester Guardian'', 20 March 1940

References

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomasson, William 1867 births 1940 deaths General Secretaries of the Amalgamated Association of Card and Blowing Room Operatives People from Bolton Presidents of the United Textile Factory Workers' Association Officers of the Order of the British Empire