Frederic
Harrison,
the son of a prosperous stockbroker, was born in London
on 18th October 1831. After being educated at King's College School
and Wadham College, Oxford, where he obtained
a first-class degree. In 1855 he read law at Lincoln's Inn and in
1858 was called to the Bar.
Harrison developed radical political views after reading the work
of John Ruskin and Thomas
Carlyle. He was also influenced by the the ideas of the Christian
Socialists and in 1859 began lecturing at
the Working Men's College. Harrison gave support to George
Potter and his building workers during their industrial disputes
in the early 1860s. He began a regular contributor to trade union
and radical journals. In these articles he argued that trade unions
represented working-class democracy in action.
When the head of the Conservative
government, Earl of Derby decided to set
up a Royal Commission on Trade Unions in 1867, George
Potter, writing for the Bee-Hive,
called for a working man to be included or a "gentleman well
known to the working classes as possessing a practical knowledge of
the working of Trade Unions, and in whom they might feel confidence."
The government rejected the idea of a working man but they did ask
Frederic Harrison to serve on the commission. Harrison was a very
useful member of the commission, preparing union witnesses by telling
them in advance what questions would be asked and rescued the from
difficult situations during their cross-examination.
Robert Applegarth,
the general secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and
Joiners was chosen as a union observer of the proceedings. Applegarth
worked hard checking the various accusations of the employers and
providing information to the two pro-union members of the Royal Commission,
Harrison and Thomas Hughes. Applegarth
also appeared as a witness and it was generally accepted that he was
the most impressive of all the trade unionists who gave evidence before
the commission.
Frederic Harrison, Thomas
Hughes and the Earl of Lichfield refused to sign the Majority
Report that was hostile to trade unions and instead produced a Minority
Report where he argued that trade unions should be given privileged
legal status. Harrison suggested several changes to the law: (1) Persons
combining should not be liable for indictment for conspiracy unless
their actions would be criminal if committed by a single person; (2)
The common law doctrine of restraint of trade in its application to
trade associations should be repealed; (3) That all legislation dealing
with specifically with the activities of employers or workmen should
be repealed; (4) That all trade unions should receive full and positive
protection for their funds and other property.
The Trade Union Congress campaigned to have
the Minority Report accepted by the new Liberal
government headed by William Gladstone.
This campaign was successful and the 1871 Trade
Union Act was based largely on the Minority Report.
The trade union movement was very pleased with the work that Frederic
Harrison had done on the Royal Commission and he was offered the editorship
of the Bee-Hive. Harrison declined
but over the years wrote thirty-two articles for the paper. He also
continued to give legal advice to unions in dispute with the law.
Harrison was also active in the Reform League where he argued for
adult suffrage.
In 1889 Harrison was appointed alderman of
the new London County Council. Harrison
sat with the ruling Progressive
Party that included John Burns, John
Benn, Sidney Webb, Harry
Gosling and Ben Tillett. Harrison
also served as chairman of the LCC's Improvements Committee.
Harrison wrote a large number of books during his life including:
William
Cromwell
(1888), Studies
in Early Literature
(1895), John
Ruskin
(1902), Autobiographic
Memoirs
(1911), The
Positive Evolution of Religion
(1913), The
Meaning of War for Labour
(1914) and Jurisprudence
and the Conflict of Laws
(1919). Frederic
Harrison died
on 14th January 1923.
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