Steam Engine Makers' Society

Contributions Book, 1827-1837; Registration Books, 1831-1914; Annual Reports, 1874-1919; Monthly Reports, 1907-1918; Schedules, 1913-1919; Registration Books, 1831-1953; papers of John Foden (Chairman of the Society 1871-1903); Wigan Branch Minutes, 1844-1890.

The Steam Engine Makers' Society was founded in Liverpool on 2nd November 1824. The original members of the Union included fitters, turners and steam engine erectors but the Union broadened its scope in 1847 to include millwrights, steam-engine patternmakers and the makers of tools used in the manufacture of steam engines. Its membership was very similar to that of the Journeymen Steam Engine, Machine Makers' and Millwrights' Friendly Society. The Union grew steadily and refused to amalgamate into the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in 1851. By 1891 the Union had over 6000 members and was one of the founding members of the Federation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades. By the beginning of the First World War the Union had grown to 17800 members. The society finally amalgamated with the Amalgamated Society of Engineers to form the Amalgamated Engineering Union in 1920.

Reference: Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan Historical Directory of Trade Unions Volume 2( Gower Publishing Company, 1984).

This collection is available to researchers by appointment at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick. See https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/using/

These papers form part of a large collection (MSS.259) that has been deposited in the Modern Records Centre over a number of years. Most of the Records came from the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (Engineering Section). The first deposits were made in 1984 with further deposits made up to 1997.

Additional photograph was deposited in 2014 (Acc 1018)

Link to full catalogue: https://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/SEM

This collection is in good condition.

There are no restrictions on the use of this archive, apart from the requirements of copyright law.

This collection has been weeded for duplicates.

These papers constitute part of a large collection of related papers that have been deposited in the Modern Records Centre over a long period of time.