James Stafford Murchie (c.1850 – 12 September 1888), usually known as J. S. Murchie, 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

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

, Murchie moved to

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

with his family while young, and became a

carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenter ...

. Known for his wide reading on trade and social matters, he became active in the

Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners The Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (ASC&J) was a New Model Trade Union in the 1860s in the United Kingdom, representing carpenters and joiners. History The formation of the Society was spurred by the Stonemason's strike, 1859, ...

(ASC&J), and quickly rose in importance. In 1876, he chaired the union's strike committee during major industrial action, and he was soon elected as chair of the union's executive committee. In 1881, aged only 31, he was elected to succeed John D. Prior as general secretary."Death of Mr J. S. Murchie", ''

Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', 13 September 1888Francis Chandler, ''Amalgamated Society of Carpenters & Joiners: History of the Society, 1860-1910'' While in office, Murchie became active in 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); he served on the

Parliamentary Committee of the TUC The Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress was the leading body of the British trade union movement from 1871 until 1921. History The Trades Union Congress (TUC) was established in 1868 and formed a committee to act on its decisions a ...

, chairing it in 1885. The ASC&J held annual elections, and Murchie was re-elected each year. Murchie was also politically active, supporting the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

, although he never sought political office. In 1888, Murchie attended the TUC, at which he spoke, and was again re-elected to the Parliamentary Committee. He had been suffering from an illness connected with his

liver The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...

for some time, and while at the TUC, suffered a

haemorrhage Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vag ...

, returning home to recuperate. However, he died early in the morning of 12 September.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murchie, James Stafford 1850s births 1888 deaths General secretaries of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners Members of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress Trade unionists from Manchester 19th-century British businesspeople