Chartism Day 2016: from 'constitutional humbug' to cheap beer, a political rehabiliation and 3D models

Chartism Day 2016 took place at the University of Chester at the weekend, with around 50 delegates turning up for a busy programme of presentations on topics as diverse as Chartism’s relationship with the Irish Repeal movement, the impact of the Beer Act on radical meetings and an exciting new initiative using 3D animated modelling techniques to re-create Chartist processions.

What follows does not attempt to summarise the arguments of the speakers, which are in any event almost all drawn from work in progress towards full academic publication, but simply to give a flavour of the day’s talks.

Scottish Chartism on the map

Chartism in Scotland was largely a product of the central belt, running across the country from Greenock on the West coast, through Glasgow and Edinburgh, and on up to Dundee on the East of the country.

This is hardly surprising as most of Scotland's population was found here in the 1840s (when it was known as the Scottish Midlands) just as it is today.

However, the extent to which Chartism was a central belt phenomenon becomes very obvious when shown on a map.

Alexander Wilson compiled lists of Chartist associations, female Chartist associations, Chartist churches and Chartist co-operative societies for The Chartist Movement in Scotland (Augustus M Kelley Publishers, 1970).

I have now taken these lists and created two Google Maps with them. The first shows local Chartist associations; the second shows female associations, churches and co-operative societies.

To get a sense of the spread of Chartism in Scotland, it is necessary to open the maps and get larger versions. Sometimes it is possible to see a string of towns along a main road, each with its own Chartist body. Perhaps this reflects the success of a particular Chartist missionary on his travels. No doubt other patterns will also emerge.

In due course, I will add both maps to the Chartists in Scotland page on Chartist Ancestors. But both are shown below for now.

View Larger Map  
View Larger Map