Claude Stanfield collection

Personal Collections, 1938-1959 including miscellaneous correspondence 1947-1953; notes for an election speech 1951 (c); text of Claude Stanfield's Presidential speech to the 33rd National Amalgamated Union of Life Assurance Workers 1952 (c); notes of a speech entitled `Can We Stop this Drift to War' 1952 (c); Independent Labour Party General Election leaflet 1938; notes of a speech on Industrial Assurance and Nationalisation undated (20th century); correspondence and papers relating to the unity between the Life Assurance Unions 1950-1959; miscellaneous papers; leaflets and newscuttings relating to Life Assurance 1940-1955 (c); the Assurance Agents Chronicle 1948-1957 and Merthyr Tydfil Corporation Act 1948.

Claude Stanfield was a councillor and Mayor of Merthyr in the 1940s. He spent most of his life amongst the workers of Troedyrhiw. He took a keen interest in trade-unionism and became involved in his local lodge, filling the positions of Committee-man, Chairman, Treasurer, Arbitrator and Checkweigher over time. When the colliery closed down he was made unemployed. Claude Stanfield then started to take an active role in the unemployment section of the South Wales Miners' Federation (SWMF) and the National Unemployed Workers' Movement (NUWM) holding official positions in both these organisations. He was one of the five leaders of the Great Hunger March of 1934.

In 1932 he successfully stood as the Independent Labour Party (ILP) candidate for the Plymouth ward of the Merthyr Borough Council. In 1938 he stood as the ILP candidate in the General Election.

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