Crewe Railway Station

 

Much of modern Britain owes itself to the legacy of the Industrial Revolution. As-well as giving rise to its modern economy, the Industrial Revolution also transformed the way political power was distributed in Britain, arguably in the most significant way since the English Civil War. While lords and aristocrats had dominated political life in Britain over recent centuries, people moving towards urban areas meant that a new class was able to emerge. Industrialists and business owners had a new stake within British society, and nowhere can this be seen more than in the northern towns like Crewe.

Being only a small township with a population of 203 in 1841, this number would explode over the coming decades, reaching 42,000 by 1901. Like many large towns and cities in the UK, Crewe’s growth was due to the expansion of industry, in this case rail. Quickly becoming the fastest and most efficient way to transport goods, the rail industry was a phenomenon of the Industrial Revolution, and one which Crewe was perfectly situated to exploit.

Crewe Works 

Although cities, such as Stoke-on-Trent and Sheffield, claim to have the same title, Crewe similarly asserts itself as the “gateway to the North”. Opened in 1837, Crewe Railway Station not only connects London and Glasgow, but also provides a link between nearby cities, Manchester and Liverpool as well as connecting the North West to other regions such as North Wales and the Midlands. Its prime location meant that Crewe quickly blossomed throughout the 19^th century, providing the perfect example of how the Industrial Revolution gave birth to many of the towns and cities across Britain.

While industrial capitalism was undoubtedly responsible for the birth of towns like Crewe, the dominance of a single industry within a given area also led to the emergence of a new form of class politics. The share of Crewe’s rail industry was not spread evenly throughout the town, whereby multiple firms could compete, rather one company (London and North Western Railway) had monopolistic control over the entire industry. This practice has come to be known as ‘company paternalism’, and can be seen throughout the period, whether it be the cotton mills of Lancashire, the steel works in Sheffield, or the iron works in Birmingham.

Crewe Railway Station

Aside from the railway station, the company also owned many manufacturing sites within Crewe such as the Steel and Deviation Works. What’s more, very few employment alternatives existed in the town until the establishment of the Rolls Royce works in 1938. As a result, most of Crewe’s population worked for the company in some way or another. This gave the company an unparalleled level of control, allowing it to dominate the towns political, cultural, and economic affairs.

Aside from simply working for the company, the working-class of Crewe also lived within housing, worshiped in the Church’s, and drank in the Pubs owned by the company. Unsurprisingly, this level of control allowed for complete coercion. Aside from the suppression of wages, anyone who decided to criticise the company could face unemployment, eviction, and social exclusion.

With many during the period were excluded from Britain’s political sphere, either due to their class or gender, there was little opposition to the companies control in Crewe. It was not until the creation of the local council in 1877 that workers had a new-found voice which could be used to benefit their class interest. 

Workers at the Crewe Works 

Although Liberal and radical voices became more prevalent within local politics over the coming years, the company was able to maintain a large degree of control up until the late 19^th century, and to a smaller extent until the 1930s. This transition of power was by no means easily won. Throughout numerous local elections the company maintained that workers should “watch your bread and cheese”, a clear threat which convinced many to vote for the company’s candidates and prolonged its stranglehold over the town.

Crewe undoubtably has a proud industrial heritage, with rail playing an integral role in the town’s history. Despite this, it is important that we have a frank and honest understanding of what this history meant for those who lived through it. Although the Industrial Revolution freed many from their lives as agricultural serfs, bound to the mercy of the aristocracy, freedom was by no means attained through a move to emerging towns like Crewe.

Jordan Harris

A special thank you to Jack Lloyd, who’s undergraduate dissertation “The role of ‘company paternalism’ in the political and socio-economic urban development of Crewe?” was integral in the writing of this post.