Catalogue Number
NMLH.2016.10.1
Object Name
Whistle
People
Ben Tillett
Date
1936
Description
Ben Tillett was a British trade unionist, socialist and politician. He was born in Bristol in 1860 and after moving to London gained a prominent role in the trade union movement during the Great Dock Strike of 1889. He became General Secretary of the newly formed General Labourers' Union and was one of the founding members of the Labour Party. Following a split with the party he rejoined and was the Labour Party MP for Salford North from 1917 to 1924 and again from 1929 to 1931. This whistle was gifted to Tillett in 1936, it is inscribed with his initials 'B.T' and the date, '11.9.36'. It is unclear why Tillett received the whistle and from whom, but the inscription reveals that it was on his 76th birthday, so presumably that has something to do with it. It was donated to the museum in 2015.
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