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John Beard

1871 – 1950

British trade unionist and politician

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About John Beard

Lived 1871 – 1950 (aged 78). John Beard was a trade unionist.

John Cecil Beard (9 December 1871 – 25 September 1950) was a British trade unionist and politician.

Life Beard was born in Ellerdine Heath in Shropshire in 1871, son of a farm labourer. His family were Primitive Methodists, whose local chapel ran an elementary day school at Ellerdine where Beard had his full-time education

He was a founder member of the Workers' Union in 1898, and it appointed him as its Shropshire organiser. In this role, after a failed attempt to organise in the Ironbridge coalfields By 1900, the union in Shropshire grew to 20 branches, although most had an ephemeral existence. In 1929/30, Beard served as President of the TUC, In 1915, Beard founded initially for the W.U.'s Midlands region a monthly magazine called The Record, which went national in 1916 and was later adopted by the TGWU.

Family Beard married Dora Cadman, of Old Park, Dawley, Shropshire, who was sister of Congregationalist minister and religious broadcaster Samuel Parkes Cadman. The couple had one son and five daughters.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Awards
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Also known as
John Cecil Beard

People in John Beard's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Beard's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Beard?

British trade unionist and politician

When was John Beard born?

John Beard was born on 9 December 1871 in Ellerdine.

When did John Beard die?

John Beard died on 25 September 1950 in Ellerdine, Shropshire.

What was John Beard's occupation?

John Beard was a trade unionist.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Beard

· Wikidata: Q22017284

· DBpedia: John Beard (trade unionist)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Beard. https://biography.guide/john-beard/

MLA: "John Beard." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-beard/.

Chicago: "John Beard." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-beard/.

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