Benjamin Pickard

Benjamin Pickard
Pickard in 1895
Member of Parliament for Normanton
In office 1885–1904
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	William Parrott
General Secretary of the West Yorkshire Miners' Association
In office 1876–1881
Preceded by	John Dixon
Succeeded by	Position abolished
General Secretary of the Yorkshire Miners' Association
In office 1881–1904
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	William Parrott
President of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain
In office 1889–1904
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Enoch Edwards
Personal details
Born	26 or 28 February 1842 Kippax, West Yorkshire, England
Died	3 February 1904(1904-02-03) (aged 61) Westminster, London, England
Party	Liberal-Labour
Spouse	Hannah Elizabeth Freeman of Kippax ​ ​ (m. 1864; died 1901)​
Children	8
Occupation	Coal miner trade unionist politician
Nickname	Ben Pickard

Benjamin Pickard, usually Ben Pickard (26 or 28 February 1842 – 3 February 1904), was a British coal miner, trade unionist and Lib–Lab politician.

Pickard was born in Kippax near Leeds in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the son of a collier. He started work as a pit boy at the age of twelve.^[1] He earned a reputation as a studious boy and attended Kippax School. He also received religious training as a Wesleyan, becoming a local preacher and was connected with the Lord's Rest Day Association throughout his life. He was associated with the trade union movement from an early age, becoming a lodge secretary at sixteen.

In 1873, Pickard was appointed assistant secretary of the West Yorkshire Miners' Association, and in 1876, he became secretary. He was responsible for uniting the West and South Yorkshire Miners' Associations into one body in 1881 and became the first secretary of the Yorkshire Miners' Association. In 1877, he was assistant secretary of the Miners' National Union and was a leading player in the foundation of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, of which he was elected the first president.^[1]

In 1893, Pickard led the miners in the biggest industrial dispute the country had hitherto seen. The result of the combined strike and lockout was the establishment of a Board of Conciliation to address problems arising in the industry, and most disputes over the coming years were settled using this machinery. He played an active part in obtaining legislation in the mining industry, including the Eight Hours Bill, restricting the hours miners could work underground, although it did not become law until after his death.

Pickard was active in establishing the International Federation of Mineworkers in 1890. He organised six international congresses of miners from Britain, Germany, Austria, France and Belgium which were held in Paris, Jolimont near La Louvière, Brussels, Berlin, Aix-la-Chapelle and London. He also attended about eighteen Trade Union Congresses. In 1897, his interest in arbitration and the work of the Peace Society led to his inclusion in a peace deputation to Grover Cleveland, President of the United States.

In addition to his commitment to the interests of organised labour, Pickard was known as an 'ardent liberal'. He served as a member of the Wakefield School Board from 1881 until 1885 and in 1889 was appointed an alderman of the West Riding County Council on which he was a co-opted member. He was re-elected alderman in 1895 and 1901.

In 1885 the Yorkshire Miners Association came to an agreement with the Liberal Party allowing the association to nominate the candidate for elections to Parliament for the Normanton division of Yorkshire, a constituency in which more than 60% of the electorate were coal miners. Pickard was selected and won the seat at each election under this arrangement from 1885 until his death in 1904. In return, he generally supported the Liberals in Parliament.

In 1864, he married Hannah Elizabeth Freeman of Kippax, and they had four sons and four daughters. His wife died in 1901.

Pickard died of heart failure in Westminster in 1904, aged 61, having been ill for some time.^[1][2]

• Obituary in The Times, 4 February 1904
• Who was Who, Oxford University Press, 2007

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Benjamin Pickard