William Hendrie has labelled an event that took place at the pitwood yard of John Denholm & Co on 31 May 1910 as the “Battle of Slaghill” and gives a full account of it in his book “Forth to the Sea.” (1980, 68-71). This appellation somewhat glorifies what was a bitter industrial dispute which resulted in much intimidation and rather one-sided violence. The contemporary newspapers, no doubt following official lines, describe it as a riot conducted by a mob.
A depression in the pitwood trade caused the owners of most of the pitwood businesses in Bo’ness to reduce the wages of their workforces. Since March 1910 the men’s demand for a pay increase, or rather a restoration, had been met with a steadfast refusal. Over the years the attitude of the management had driven the workforce to become more militant and many of them joined the National Amalgamated Union of Labour. The local organising secretary was Mr Smith whose meetings with the directors proved fruitless. A ballot was held and on 25 May the businesses were informed that the workers had voted by an overwhelming majority for strike action. Again the demands were turned down and so the men struck work on 27 May. At Denholm’s yard about a dozen casual workers remained at work along with a number of boys. Inspector Simpson and Sergeant Forbes of the local police were invited to the woodyards at Kinneil to discuss the situation. They found all to be quite quiet; however, four additional constables were obtained and placed near the entrances of the yards. The following day the boys did not return to work, but the casuals did. They were housed overnight in one of the company’s mills. About midday on Saturday these men knocked off, and caught the one o’clock train for Glasgow.
As the pitwood importers had steamers lying in the dock and a large number of loaded wagons standing about, all of the five firms arranged to import labour from Glasgow and so on Monday 30 May between 70 and 80 men were brought from Glasgow to Kinneil Station, where they arrived at 7am and were met by the masters and the police. When they arrived, a few of the strikers, men and women, were on the road opposite and shouted and yelled through the fence at the imported men. These strike-breakers, whom the owners of the yards preferred to call “imported workmen,” left the train on the west side, away from the platform, and were distributed among the various yards. Knowing that the strike-breakers were to be there, the police presence had been strengthened by an extra six constables. When the “blacklegs” made their appearance on top of the loaded wagons, the strikers assumed an aggressive attitude, and engineered an attack on the left flank of Denholm’s yard by way of Dykeneuk. As they swept down in a body on the woodyards, they were confronted by a strong posse of police and driven back. One or two of the more ardent spirits were given a taste of the baton, but no serious encounter occurred. In the course of the day they were ultimately successful. The mob broke through the police ranks about 2pm, and entered the various yards and attacked and assaulted several of the imported men, though none of the strikers seem to have had weapons. The casuals were locked in the mill for their safety. James Kennedy & Co, whose yard was adjacent to that of Denholm, had received 17 imported workers and although there was a slight disturbance there, it did not amount to much. It was a wet day and so they only worked until 4pm. All of the men were then sent back to Glasgow by special train.
On Tuesday morning 315 workmen came from Glasgow and arrived at the station at Kinneil at 6am. Knowing this in advance, the police had a further eight men. Very few strikers were about at that time and insults were shouted. No interference was made with the imported men, who were sent to work in the yards belonging to Harrower, Welsh & Co, and John Denholm & Co. William Denholm and David Harrower were in the office on the north side of the mill at Denholm’s, along with several clerks. Some 150 of the blacklegs were allocated to them and they continued to work until 10 o’clock when they broke for breakfast. It was the intention thereafter to send the strike breakers by train to the yard of Love and Stewart which lay well to the east near the dock, thereby avoiding any repeat of the previous day’s happenings. Smith appeared at the yard to ask for further negotiations but was turned away. He claimed to have seen two of the imported labourers with swords and some with crude batons – evidently expecting trouble.
It was around this time that the police, who had formed a line on the east side of the railway level crossing to again deny access to the strikers, observed a procession marching from the direction of Bo’ness with a piper and two drummers at its head. The men behind them carried a board which read
“WE WANT JUSTICE AND A LIVING WAGE,”
on one side and
“NO REPRIEVE FOR BLACK-LEGS”
on the other.
There were about 2,000 people in the procession and they were marching about six or seven abreast. They came along the main road and turned down the Snab Rows to the level crossing; the police then saw that a large number of them were armed with sticks and various kinds of weapons. Facing this huge crowd were a mere 24 of the Linlithgowshire constabulary and three railway constables. About 35 wagons had been placed on the east side of the railway crossing, and four to the west, leaving the crossing itself clear. As they approached, the mob started to throw stones, half bricks, lumps of slag, and pieces of iron and wood at the police, shouting and yelling. Many of the constables were struck. Inspector Simpson appealed repeatedly to the mob to stop throwing and some actually did so, just for a moment. The police had to hide behind the wagons. The mob made a combined rush at the police, a band of women being at the front. Simpson ordered his constables to use their batons but several men got through the police ranks, evidently to get at the men from Glasgow and prevent them from working. The police were too few to follow them. Still the police held their line and so the rioters made their way under the loaded wagons to the east. Such were their numbers that the blockade was overwhelmed – it has stood for about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, Smith, the men’s organiser, had been given permission to enter and sought a meeting with Denholm and Harrower. By the time that he reached the office the rioters had gained the yard. Some carried sticks with thick ends to use as clubs, and others picked up short lengths of pitwood. The casual labourers had congregated in a little square in order to be marched down or taken by special train to Bo’ness. Some of the imported labourers also took up props when they heard the strikers coming, but they were told to lay them down again. Seeing the blacklegs, the strikers rushed upon them and they fled, only to be hunted down. A considerable number of them suffered wounds to their heads. Some were knocked down and kicked where they lay. One man was senseless, and yet they set upon him again. Some 40-50 strike-breakers, cut and bleeding about their faces, were able to make for the yard entrance where they met the police who had abandoned all hope of stopping access and were making for the mill. They beseeched the police for protection and were led back towards the main buildings amongst a hail of missiles.
When the office door was opened to admit Mr Smith the disturbance was at its height. Mr Smith asked if they would grant the men’s representatives another meeting. Denholm told him that they could not parley while the bloodshed was going on outside. Mr Smith said he doubted whether he could stop the row unless the masters would give an undertaking that the imported labourers would be sent back to Glasgow at once. Seeing the carnage, Denholm had little choice and acquiesced. Mr Smith then left the office along with two members of his committee and succeeded in quietening the strikers.
Denholm emerged from his office with members of his staff to taunts of “You are next.” The injured blacklegs were gathered in front of the office and the staff, including Denholm, started to administer first aid. Realising that some of the injuries were serious Dr Fischer was soon sent for and arrived shortly afterwards. Dr Fischer treated the victims, and one of the clerks made a list of the injuries. One man had a couple of teeth knocked out and another had his forearm broken. The jubilant strikers reformed in processional order and returned to Bo’ness. A special train took the labourers back to Glasgow and a number of them did not even appear at the office to get their pay. One had to be carried to the railway station on a stretcher.
James Murray, foreman labourer, Glasgow, subsequently raised an action against John Denholm & Co under the Workmen’s Compensation Act 1906. He claimed 17s 6d per week in respect of personal injuries sustained when he was assaulted by the strikers and rioters. He had received injuries to his head, eyes, nose, and arms, which had incapacitated him from following his occupation as foreman labourer until 2 August 1910. He was awarded a rate of 12s 6d.
The workers’ claim to a pay increase was also put to arbitration and resulted in a slight raise – less than they had demanded. Initially a mere 21 men were charged with their behaviour at the riot – John McKenzie, woodyard foreman; John Hamilton, woodyard worker; George Thomson, moulder; Archibald McNeill, miner; Richard Gibson, woodyard worker; John Sneddon, miner’s drawer; Archibald McKenzie, woodyard worker; Alex Allan Sneddon, miner’s drawer; James Carson jnr, miner’s drawer; Richard Sneddon, woodyard worker; Robert Riddell, woodyard worker; James Johnstone, labourer; Emerson Grant, labourer; Johns Sneddon, sawyer; William Hewitt, woodyard worker; Ralph Paterson, labourer; John Meikle, woodyard worker; David Anderson, woodyard worker; Robert Kane; labourer; John Sandilands, labourer; and George Brown, labourer. Of these only 14 were eventually sent to trial. All pleaded not guilty, but after hearing the evidence seven of them changed their plea. The other seven were then found not guilty. The guilty were – John Hamilton, Richard Gibson, James Carson jnr, Robert Riddell, William Falconer, John Sandilands Watson, and George Brown. Each was sentenced to three months, except Carson who, due to his youth, only got one month’s imprisonment. We can also assume that they lost their employment.
Falkirk Local History Society 