Encyclopedias: Spartacus Educational: Reform of Parliament: Richard Oastler

Description: Absrtact: Born in Leeds in 1789, the son of a clothing merchant. He attended a Moravian boarding school from 1798 to 1810 and became a commission agent. He strongly opposed universal suffrage, trade unions and supported the class structure of the early 19th century. However, he believed it was the responsibility of the ruling class to protect the weak and vulnerable and in 1836 Oastler began advocating workers to use strikes and sabotage in their campaign for factory legislation and changes in the poor law. He died in 1861.