Matthew Arrandale

Born in the Clayton area of Manchester, Arrandale's father was killed in a mining accident.

[1] In 1863, Arrandale decided he wished to move into engineering, and found employment at a railway carriageworks.

[1] Arrandale was a delegate to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for this first time in 1886, and gave speeches opposing overtime and piecework which gained national attention.

As a result, he was sacked from his job, but the Machine Workers agreed to make his role with the union full-time.

[1] Arrandale was also politically active, and was elected to Manchester City Council in 1895; he also served as a justice of the peace.