Mr. Newlove of Islington ……. W. Palmer of Bath….. and heaps of others at ......that historical Conference in 1914

I like the way that sometimes a story can go off in a totally unplanned direction.

So, a few days ago Mr. David “Posty” Harrop showed me a 50-page booklet which was issued to mark the “First Amalgamated Conference of the Postal and Telegraph Clerk’s Association” in April 1914.

My Wikipedia tells me that it was an amalgamation of the Postal Telegraph Clerks' Association and the United Kingdom Postal Clerks' Association. *

The inaugural conference was held in London and the London Branches marked the occasion with this booklet which contained 14-line drawings of “interesting places” in the city, including Piccadilly Circus, St Martins in the Fields, London Bridge and a heap of other spots.

And in the case of this copy delegates from around the country signed their name, and even added small caricatures of themselves.

All of which in time will make it possible to track the delegates which in turn will help with the story of this new postal trade union and the men themselves.

With that in mind I went for looking for Mr. J. G Newlove who was the General Secretary and signed himself as such in the book.

And it all seemed to be going well.  I found him in the 1901 census aged 20 giving his occupation as a “Telegraphist” and six years later in a Post Office document which recorded that he was a “Male Sorter” in London.

All of which fits up to a point, but the only other entries for him from the 1911 and 1921 censuses, the 1939 Register and his son’s marriage record have him variously as a lecturer and school master. 

It is just possible that in 1911 he was combining his work in the post office with a teaching role, because the entry on the census refers to him as a “Tutor in Economics and History (Extension Department Universities of Oxford and London).”

And following the paper trial it would seem 1917 is a pivotal year, which sees the birth of Mr. and Mrs. Newlove’s second child, and his replacement as General Secretary of the Union by an Albert Lynes who is recorded as "Acting Secretary”. 

By 1921 the family have moved to Norfolk where they remain until his death in 1965.

Of course, despite the similarities we might just be dealing with two different men, which is where the unplanned direction of the story comes into play.

As for the new organisation it had a short life, because in 1919 “it amalgamated with the Postmen's Federation and the Fawcett Association to form the Union of Post Office Workers. 

It achieved official recognition, and as a result, in 1920 the London Postal Porters' Association, Central London Postmen's Association, Tracers' Association, Tube Staff Association, Messengers' Association and Sorters' Association all merged with it”.*

There is much more to do, involving discussions with the archivist at the Labour History Museum, a bit more reading up**, and an approach to the University of Warwick which holds the records of the Postal Telegraph Clerks’ Association from 1866 to 1920 in twelve boxes.***

I had hoped the Manchester Guardian might have reported the 1914 Conference but alas not, so the search goes on.

Still, I can look forward to David showing me the entire booklet sometime next week.

Location 1914

Pictures; pages from the book of the Postal and Telegraph Clerk’s Association, 1914, courtesy of David Harrop

* Postal and Telegraph Clerks' Association, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_and_Telegraph_Clerks%27_Association

** Clinton, Alan (1984). Post Office Workers. George Allen and Unwin. ISBN 0043310869.

*** Postal Telegraph Clerks’ Association, Modern Records Centre The University of Warwick, https://mrc.epexio.com/records/PTC