HUGHES, EDWARD (1856 - 1925), general secretary and agent of the North Wales Miners Association

Name: Edward Hughes
Date of birth: 1856
Date of death: 1925
Spouse: Elisabeth Hughes (née Hughes)
Child: Hugh Hughes
Parent: Maria Hughes
Parent: Hugh Hughes
Gender: Male
Occupation: general secretary and agent of the North Wales Miners Association
Area of activity: Business and Industry; Politics, Government and Political Movements
Author: George Geoffrey Lerry

Born 22 March 1856 at Trelogan, Flintshire, son of Hugh and Maria Hughes of Ffordd Faen, Trelogan. His father was an agricultural labourer. He spent three years at a village school at Trelogan. In 1863, at the age of seven, he began working in the washings at Trelogan mines; at the age of twelve he went to the old Mostyn Quay colliery to work for his brother. Later he obtained work at Hanmer colliery, Mostyn. At nineteen he walked to Liverpool in order to get a train to the Durham coalfield where he obtained employment at Easington colliery. In 1877 he was married at Easington to Elizabeth, daughter of William and Sarah Hughes, of Lloc, in the parish of Whitford, Flintshire; they had one son and two daughters. Whilst he was working at Easington, a general strike occurred in the county of Durham; Hughes took a prominent part in the dispute as a leader of the miners. In 1887 he returned to Trelogan, and worked on the coal-face at Point of Ayr colliery until November 1888 when, after successfully leading a three weeks' strike, he was appointed first checkweigher. In 1891 he was chosen financial secretary of the Denbighshire and Flintshire Miners Association. In 1897 he became general secretary of the North Wales Miners' Association. On 15 August 1898 he was elected permanent agent and secretary of the North Wales Miners Association. In 1899 he removed to Wrexham; during the twenty-seven years he was in office as miners' agent, the members of the North Wales Association grew from 2,732 to 15,229; and he was elected a member of the Executive of the Miners Federation of Great Britain. Hughes was elected a member of Denbighshire County Council for Stansty in 1901, and from 1907 to 1918 was a county alderman. He died on 10 March 1925 at Wrexham, leaving a widow and three children.

Author

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/

The Dictionary of Welsh Biography is provided by The National Library of Wales and the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. It is free to use and does not receive grant support. A donation would help us maintain and improve the site so that we can continue to acknowledge Welsh men and women who have made notable contributions to life in Wales and beyond.

Find out more on our sponsorship page.