Walsall Anarchists & West Midlands Police

A personal experience of using the “Freedom of Information Act”

to research anarchist history

by Christopher Draper

IN 1892 four Walsall anarchists were imprisoned for a bomb plot orchestrated by Auguste Coulon, a police agent-provocateur. Although the police and trial judge conspired to conceal Coulon’s role he subsequently boasted of his involvement to reporters. For over a century the Metropolitan Police refused to disclose details of its part in securing conviction until in 2001 there was a breakthrough. Despite claims that all relevant documents had either been lost or destroyed a serving police officer seeking early retirement and academic respectability was granted access to hitherto hidden Special Branch files to complete his PhD: "Three “Special Account” books, each measuring 160mm by 200mm, and printed into five columns per page.  They detail, among other items, what appears to be the cash amounts paid out to individual informants.  In all, approximately six thousand individual entries span a total of the twenty four years from 1888 to 1912”.

 

These files revealed Coulon was paid almost £1,000 by the Metropolitan Police (and incidentally also revealed the previously unsuspected involvement of a second police agent in a separate high-profile “anarchist-terrorist conspiracy"). This initiative prompted me to wonder whether the Walsall anarchists’ local police force might similarly be sitting on undisclosed evidence, so in September 2017 I made a formal FOI request to West Midlands Police (WMP) for copies of documents relating to this 1892 case. It has taken almost 1½ years for that simple enquiry to be concluded and in the hope that it might amuse, enlighten and encourage fellow researchers I’ve recorded details of my quest.

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RADICAL HISTORY NETWORK (RaHN)

radicalhistorynetwork.blogspot.com/

Spanish Revolution 75th anniversary: Meeting Report

Big meeting for 75th Anniversary of Spanish Revolution 1936 –39

The Radical History Network of North East London (RaHN) kicked off again last Wednesday with a well attended meeting to celebrate the Spanish revolution of 1936. The military invasion by General Franco, aided by Hitler and Mussolini, sparked off the immediate resistance of much of eastern Spain. Everyone took to the streets, disarmed the troops, stormed the barracks and prisons then occupied their workplaces in factories, depots, mines and the land. It took nearly three years of civil war to dislodge them, aided even so by the so-called helpers of the communists who also turfed out occupiers. People paid tribute to the International Brigades who went to the country to defend the people’s action. In the end, the fascists won, and this became a curtain raiser for WW2 a few months later.

The speaker, Brian Bamford from Manchester, gave an interesting discourse on the events, covering various historical sources and views. Speakers from the floor emphasised what was – and still is – the greatest mobilization of ordinary people fighting to control their lives. There were people at the meeting from the Haringey Solidarity Group, some visitors from Walthamstow and two Spanish students who were able to add details about the recent big demonstrations all over Spain.

There was a good supply of literature available including Alan Woodward's recently published booklet on workers control in this period and a pamphlet on the war from Manchester. A reprint of a booklet on Women in the Spanish Revolution had been made. The RaHN blog was publicized which has had many hits on this subject . Housmans of Kings Cross supplied a bookstall.

The forthcoming RaHN programme was announced :

14 Sept: The Closure of the Post Office. After one and a half centuries when the PO finally replaced private structures, we now face reverting to this absurd and expensive method. Local resident Rowland Hill introduced the national system. Merlin Reader, a union rep for the Communications Workers Union, keeps us up to date with the history and the current struggle.

12 October: Joe Jacobs. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the famous Cable Street events of 1936, we remind people that Joe’s magnificent struggle against the fascists is recorded in detail in a working class classic Out Of the Ghetto. Alan Woodward has written up the second half of his life after 1940 and introduces his booklet.

22 October:  Anarchist Bookfair, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1
4NS . All day Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm. We have a stall.

9 November: to be arranged

14 December: The Luddites Remembered. It is 200 years since the clothing workers smashed up the machinery that was destroying their jobs. Many regard modern technology as similarly destructive, but a better way is needed to deal with it this time round . We examine the prospects .


Report, 21 July 2011-07-22, Any reply to ; alan@petew.org.uk