Daniel Guile (21 October 1814 – 7 December 1882) 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. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

trade unionist A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

. Born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, Guile was the son of William and Elizabeth. His father worked as a shoemaker but struggled to find work during the mid-1820s. Daniel, therefore, left school when he was twelve and began working in an iron foundry. He completed an

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulat ...

as an iron moulder, became a

journeyman A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee ...

, and immediately joined the Friendly Society of Iron Founders (FSIF), a path soon followed by John, his younger brother. Guile married Elizabeth Billsberry in 1835, and the couple had nine or more children. In 1847, he gave up

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and began campaigning for temperance and, in particular, for public houses to be closed on Sundays. Unlike most workers, Guile was able to vote in Parliamentary elections, as he inherited freeman status. This inspired him to speak at public meetings in support of the

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and help form a branch of the

National Association for the Promotion of Social Science The National Association for the Promotion of Social Science (NAPSS), often known as the Social Science Association, was a British reformist group founded in 1857 by Lord Brougham. It pursued issues in public health, industrial relations, penal ...

. By 1860, John was secretary of the Liverpool branch of the FSIF, and Daniel succeeded him in 1862. The following year, there was concern that a branch had mismanaged its welfare fund, but Guile skilfully chaired a national meeting which resolved the matter. In July, Guile stood for the post of corresponding secretary - the most senior position in the union - and was easily elected, with over 3,400 votes and a majority of around 3,200. This was a full-time role, and Guile moved to London to run the union. In London, Guile immediately began speaking on matters of interest to unions, including calling for the repeal of the

Master and Servant Act Master and Servant Acts or Masters and Servants Acts were laws designed to regulate relations between employers and employees during the 18th and 19th centuries. The UK's Master and Servant Act 1823 described its purpose as "the better regulatio ...

. Under his leadership, the union affiliated to the

London Trades Council The London Trades Council was an early labour organisation, uniting London's trade unionists. Its modern successor organisation is the Greater London Association of Trades (Union) Councils History Leading figures in the London trade union mov ...

, but Guile objected to its refusal to support iron workers on an unofficial strike in

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. Along with George Potter, he was a founder of the rival

London Working Men's Association The London Working Men's Association was an organisation established in London in 1836.

. The late 1860s saw a recession, and Guile lent the union all his savings, in order to ensure its survival. The Hornby vs Close case found that unions could not prosecute membership who stole their funds, and in order to campaign on this issue, Guile again began working with the leading figures in the Trades Council, becoming recognised as part of the " Junta". He also became involved with the

Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union center, national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions that collectively represent most unionised workers in England and Wales. There are 48 affiliated unions with a total of ...

(TUC), winning election to its

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in 1873, then becoming its treasurer, but stood down in September 1875, arguing that with the passing of the

Conspiracy, and Protection of Property Act 1875 The Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act 1875 ( 38 & 39 Vict. c. 86) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom relating to labour relations, which together with the Employers and Workmen Act 1875 ( 38 & 39 Vict. c. 90), fully de ...

, the organisation was no longer needed. Guile remained a member of a large number of campaigns, including the

Labour Representation League The Labour Representation League (LRL), organised in November 1869, was a forerunner of the British Labour Party. Its original purpose was to register the working class to vote, and get workers into Parliament. It had limited power, described ...

National Education League The National Education League was a political movement in England and Wales which promoted elementary education for all children, free from religious control. It was founded in 1869 and dissolved in 1877. It developed from the Birmingham Education ...

, Working Men's Committee for the Separation of Church and State,

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, and the Workmen's Peace Association. He also remained active in the Liberal Party, seconding one of its candidates in

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at the 1880 UK general election. By this time, he was suffering from poor health connected with his stomach. He resigned as secretary of the union in January 1882, and died at the end of the year.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guile, Daniel 1814 births 1882 deaths British trade union leaders Members of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress Trade unionists from Liverpool