He was able to gain the support of the Builders' Union, which called for a Grand National Guild to take over the entire building trade.
[3] Six labourers in Tolpuddle, Dorset, attempted to found a friendly society and to seek to affiliate with the Grand National.
[3] The initial reaction was to rename itself the British and Foreign Consolidated Association of Industry, Humanity and Knowledge, focus increasingly on common interests of workers and employers, and attempt to regain prestige by appointing Owen as Grand Master.
[4] The organisation began to break up in the summer of 1834[5] and by November,[6] it had ceased to function:[3] Owen called a congress in London which reconstituted[7] it as the Friendly Association of the Unionists of All Classes of All Nations[8] with himself as Grand Master,[5][9] but it was defunct by the end of 1834.
[11] This was essentially a propaganda organisation, with little popular support, which attempted to gain the ear of influential individuals to propose a more rational society.