Edwin Coulson

Born in Cambridge, Coulson came to prominence in 1861, when he took a leading role in a strike on the Great Northern Railway, representing the workers in meetings with employers.

[1] Coulson joined the Operative Bricklayers' Society (OBS) in 1852 and soon moved to London, winning election as the union's general secretary in 1860.

[1] As a leading figure on the London Trades Council, Coulson became known as a member of the "Junta", alongside Robert Applegarth, William Allan, Daniel Guile and George Odger.

[4] Coulson did pledge his union's support for the Reform League,[5] and the repeal of the Master and Servant Act,[1] and even served on the council of the International Workingmen's Association in 1865/6.

When the treasurer of the Shoreditch branch absconded with its funds, he organised a search for the individual, and once he was captured, Coulson placed adverts informing the public of the prison sentence he had received.