Transported to the other side of the world, he kept organising.
William Cuffay was born in Chatham, Kent, in 1788, the son of a father formerly enslaved in St Kitts who had bought his own freedom.
A tailor by trade, living with a spinal disability throughout his life, he rose to become one of the leaders of the London Chartists, the mass movement demanding the vote, the secret ballot, and political rights for working people. He gave the cause organisation and nerve at its height, and the authorities marked him for it.
Arrested in 1848 and charged with sedition, he was transported to Tasmania for life the following year. Exile did not end his politics.
After receiving a pardon he kept organising for fair wages and representation in his new home, working for the rights of others until the end. He died in Hobart in 1870, around the age of 81, a campaigner to the last.
His record is in the Chartist movement papers and Tasmanian convict records. His card is in the deck.
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Timeline
- 1788Born in Chatham, Kent. His father was formerly enslaved from St Kitts and had bought his freedom.
- 1839Became involved in the Chartist movement as a tailor in London.
- 1842Helped organise mass rallies demanding universal suffrage, the secret ballot, and workers’ rights.
- 1848Arrested for sedition and conspiracy after a planned uprising.
- 1849Tried and transported to Tasmania for life.
- 1870Died in Hobart, Tasmania, aged approximately 81.
0 salutes
I salute William Cuffay, who kept organising for democracy even after they transported him across the world.
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