Archive of the Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners of Lancashire & Cheshire

The Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners was established in 1870 as a trade union to support mule spinners in the cotton industry. The Union was formed from the Association of Operative Cotton Spinners, Twiners, and Self Acting Minders of the United Kingdom, in order to include further local unions such as Oldham. The union became known for its role in ensuring its members were able to receive wages and working conditions significantly better than most British industrial employees. Membership was restricted, as less skilled workers and women had to instead form their own unions.

Mule spinning was replaced gradually as of 1950 with ring spinning, due to improvements in technology. After a rapid decline in numbers, the union dissolved in 1970 and eventually deregistered in 1977.

Labour and Trade Union movement involved in looking after the conditions and pay of textile workers. The group was established in 1861 and is known to have been active in 1949.

The Oldham Master Spinners' Association was a workers' association founded in 1866 to protect the interests of cotton spinners.

The United Operative Cotton Spinners' Association was a textile workers' association known to have been in existence between 1848-1868.

Thomas Ashton was a cotton spinner and trade unionist, who worked in cotton mills from the age of nine. In 1868 he became the General Secretary of the Oldham Operative Cotton Spinners' Association, a position he would hold for 45 years. The association successfully campaigned a half-day on Saturdays, a standard wage scale, and overall increases in wages under Ashton's leadership.

Ashton was one of the founding members of the Amalgamated Association of Operative Cotton Spinners and Twiners, and became its President in 1878. He served as treasurer of the United Textile Factory Workers' Association, and secretary of the Oldham Trades and Labour Council, as well as standing as a candidate for the Labour Party. Ashton was also a prolific journalist.

Ashton retired from his trade union roles due to ill health in 1913. He died in 1919, aged 78.

The Labour Party was founded on 27 February 1900 in London. The party is described as belonging to the centre-left, and grew out of the trade union movement with which it is still linked. From 1922 onwards the Labour Party has either formed the governing party or the official opposition in the UK parliament. In January 1924 Ramsay MacDonald became the first Labour Prime Minister. Other Labour prime ministers include Clement Atlee, Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

During the Second World War the Labour Party formed part of a wartime coalition government. The party won the 1945 UK general election and in 1948, went on to establish the National Health Service (NHS).