Before 1889, the Chartist May Day in 1850
The Socialist Second International proclaimed the first May Day in 1889 and ever since then marches proclaiming socialism and internationalism have taken place around the world on May 1st.
The origins of May Day in Britain go back much further as a traditional festival marking the coming of Spring.
The first workers movement anywhere in the world, the Chartists while marking the traditional coming of Spring also on occasion prefigured the May Days of 1889 and after.
The Chartist Land Company had set up a series of land settlements- in effect small holdings in England- with people allocated to them by ballot. The idea was to opt out of industrial capitalism and return to the land. The Government refused to make the scheme legal and it had to be wound up.
One of the key Chartist Land Settlements was at O’Connorville on the outskirts of Rickmansworth. The Chartist dwellings still stand although these days they are luxury housing.
On 11th May 1850 the Chartist Northern Star paper published an account of the May Day celebrations that had taken place at O’Connorville on May 1st 1850
The O’Connorville band, improved in instrumentation and numbers made the day ‘echo with the sounds of joy’. In the afternoon the school room was filled with allottees, their wives and children ‘all beaming with ruddy health’. ‘Substantial justice’ was done to a tea of ‘old English fare’ after which there were speakers.
The first resolution praised the People’s Charter ‘may its speedy enactment emancipate the wealth producers’. Another resolution sent solidarity to ‘Louis Blanc, Kossuth, Mazzini and the democrats of all nations’
There followed merry dancing, songs and recitations that went on to the early hours.
There was a pub adjacent to the settlement, the Land of Liberty, Peace and Plenty, but alcohol was frowned upon
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