OASTLER

Richard (youngest child of Robert Oastler of Leeds, steward of the Fixby estates, Huddersfield, d. July 1820). b. St. Peter’s sq. Leeds 20 Dec. 1789; educ. the Moravian school at Fulneck; articled to Charles Watson, architect at Wake field, 4 years; a commi ion agent, failed 1820; steward to Thomas Thorn hill at Fixby hall 5 Jany. 1821, discharged for opposing the poor-law comrs. 28 May 1838; began his attempt to reform the factories by a letter to the Leeds Mercury entitled ‘Yorkshire Slavery’ 29 Sept. 1830; became known as ‘The factory king’; published letters on the ten-hours day and similar subjects in some of the unstamped periodicals; confined more than three years in the Fleet prison, from 9 Dec. 1840, for a debt of £2,000; published The Fleet Papers, being letters to Thomas Thorn hill, Esquire, of Riddles worth, from Richard Oastler his prisoner in the Fleet 1841; an Oastler liberation fund was started 1842, released from prison Feb. 1844; made a public entry into Huddersfield 20 Feb. 1844; agitated for a ten hours’ day 1844–7; edited The Home, weekly paper 3 May 1851 to June 1855; edited with rev. J. R. Stephens a weekly journal entitled the Ashton Chronicle; lived at South Hill cottage, Guild ford 1845 to death; author of Vicarial tithes, Halifax 1827; The Huddersfield di enter stark staring mad, because the mask has fallen 1835; The devil-to-do amongst the di enters in Huddersfield 1835; Slavery in Yorkshire 1835; More work for the Leeds new thief catchers 1836; Damnation, eternal damnation to the fiend begotten coarser food new poor law 1837; Brougham versus Brougham on the new poor law 1847; Factory legislation 1855. d. Harrogate 22 Aug. 1861. bur. Kirks tall churchyard, bronze statue by J. B. Philip at Bradford, unveiled 15 May 1869. Sketch of the life and opinions of R. Oastler , Leeds (1838) portrait ; Taylor’s Biograph i a Leodiensis (1865) 499–503, 671; Spence’s Eminent men of Leeds pp. 53–9 with portrait ; R. Oastler’s Fleet papers , vol. 1, number 12 portrait ; Illust. news of the world viii 245 (1861) portrait ; I.L.N. iv 156 (1844) portrait .