The union was founded in 1830 as the Northern Typographical Union, a federation of small, local societies in England and the Isle of Man, including the well-established Manchester Typographical Society.
Led by John Backhouse, the Association aimed to co-ordinate the activities of its member organisations.
During the early 1840s, the union began organising typographers in southern towns, but suffered setbacks due to a recession.
However, the organisation had insufficient income to cover disputes, and following a major strike in Edinburgh during 1848, it was forced to dissolve.
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