Tolpuddle Martyrs Memorial

‘Nothing important happens in Dorset’ is a familiar cry, but it did in 1833. In an act that was to prove of national significance, six agricultural labourers banded together to protest against reduced wages. It was the birth of the trades union movement.

Such impertinence infuriated landowners, who demanded their version of justice. The six men were convicted under a law designed to prevent naval mutinies and were transported to Australia.

The memorial shows one of the martyrs, George Loveless, in Dorchester Prison, where he was held before being transported. The five other seats represent the remaining martyrs, and invite visitors to sit alongside George.

The memorial is in front of six almshouses which now house the Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum.

Nearest postcode: DT2 7EH
OS reference: SY788945
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