William John Davis
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Coming_men_on_coming_questions_%281905%29_%2814802098503%29.jpg/220px-Coming_men_on_coming_questions_%281905%29_%2814802098503%29.jpg)
William John Davis CH (6 August 1848 – 20 October 1934) was a British trade unionist.
Born in Birmingham, Davis began working in a brass foundry. In 1869, he represented his local reform organisation at the Trades Union Congress. In 1871, he was a founder member of the Amalgamated Brassworkers Society, becoming its first general secretary.[1]
Davis proved an effective secretary, increasing membership to 6,000 within a year. He was also active in the local Liberal Party, and in 1876 was elected to the school board, then in 1880, he became the first Liberal-Labour member of Birmingham City Council. In 1883, he stood down from the union to become a factory inspector. Under different leadership, membership of the union fell to only 2,000, and Davis agreed to return in 1889.[1]
Davis worked with Alexander Wilkie and Robert Knight to found the General Federation of Trade Unions in 1899. From 1906 to 1910, he published The British Trades Union Congress: History and Recollections.[1] In 1913, he served as President of the Trades Union Congress.[2] He strongly supported the prosecution of both the Second Boer War and World War I, after which he led a short-lived movement for the Labour Party to focus solely on trade union issues.[1]
Davis finally retired as general secretary of the Brassworkers in 1921, after which he retired to Paris.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Davis, William John", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- ^ Details of Past Congresses, Trades Union Congress
Trade union offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by New position | General Secretary of the Amalgamated Brassworkers Society 1872–1883 | Succeeded by ? |
Preceded by John Inglis and H. R. King | Auditor of the Trades Union Congress 1877 With: John P. Walker | Succeeded by William Count and James Fitzpatrick |
Preceded by ? | General Secretary of the National Society of Amalgamated Brassworkers 1888–1921 | Succeeded by Arthur H. Gibbard |
Preceded by | Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress 1898 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Treasurer of the Trades Union Congress 1902–1910 | Succeeded by Position abolished |
Preceded by | President of the Trades Union Congress 1913 | Succeeded by |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by John Hodge | Chairman of the Annual Conference of the Labour Representation Committee 1902 | Succeeded by |