My Dear Comrade

Tom Blacketer 1901

Mum sent me a scanned collection of family papers, among which were some letters from Labour Party politician George Lansbury. As you may recall, my great grandfather, Thomas John Blacketer, was his election agent. The papers include campaign letters from Lansbury, and a particularly touching condolence letter on the death of Octavius Peterken.

Also, I have just received Janine Booth's Guilty and Proud Of It. Strange to read my great grandfather's name in a history book, albeit a local history. He gets three one-liners and a short biography! But I haven't read deeply enough into it to give a good book report.

Among Lansbury correspondence at the London School of Economics archives are four letters from TJ Blacketer to George Lansbury. I haven't seen any of these, but maybe someone out there has, or might be interested in transcribing them. So here are the references for anyone wishing to follow up:
     Lansbury/8 275 20 February 1927
     Lansbury/12 12 March/April 1933
          Condolence letter on the death of Lansbury's wife
     Lansbury/13 203 11 December 1933
     Lansbury/14 29 14 December 1933
          Sympathy letter on Lansbury's hospital stay with a broken leg

In 1924 Thomas Blacketer's father-in-law, Octavius Peterken, died. Among our papers is this letter from George Lansbury, dated 1 August 1924. Given that Thomas's own father had died while his mother was still pregnant with him, Octavius was something of a father to him, and, indeed, Lansbury writes "father" rather than "father-in-law". Lansbury's handwriting is about as bad as mine, so I was able to make a transcript (but if you think you have a correction, I would be happy to receive it):

                                    1-8-24
My dear Blacketer

I feel I must send you this note. The news of your father’s death & burial came as a shock one which has left me feeling rather sad.

Yet there is no room for darkness for me or you because his life’s journey is over & now comes peace. Death is a final mystery because we believe though the body passes our souls remain & these are in the hands of God from whom all Spirit comes.

You travelled a long journey with your father & will feel his loss deeply but you will I am sure remember loss or sadness only for a night & then comes the dawn & you have the wholly blessed memory of all you were to each other & also the equally blessed knowledge that though absent in the body he is still nearby in spirit.

God bless you both & keep you till the Day dawns & the night of Sin & Death passes away forever.

Always,

George Lansbury

The following photograph of Octavius Peterken reading the newspaper is from 1922, and shows his appearance toward the end of his life.

Octavius Peterken, 1922

The previously shown Octavius Peteken photograph (see The Sound of Bow Bells) was one used for a memorial picture of him. Our family has a photograph of the memorial photograph (and it will not adequately display here). Our photograph and the one from Paul Peterken look identical down to the autograph as best I can tell, and lacks the fold down the middle. The frame is matted so that Octavius's signed portrait is above and below is the following inscription:

For forty years a devoted Mission Worker in East London and for over thirty three years the beloved Honorary President of the Salmon's Lane Mission Condor Street Limehouse London E
CALLED HOME JULY 16TH 1924

A search for "Salmon or Salmon's Lane Mission" shows that a place with the former name had been seaman's hostel, of which the cornerstone was placed in 1923. It appears to have been converted to residential apartments. If the same mission , then Octavius was presumably involved in the fundraising side for this building. An 1897 interview from T Wilson Booth, Honorary Secretary of the Salmon's Lane Mission Condor Street, is in the notebook of Charles Booth, a prominent philanthropist and social scientist, concerned with the plight of the poor. This is again lodged among the archives at the LSE (ref. Booth B172, pp18-22, which apparently includes a sketch of the premises of the Mission), a document I would like to see one day. Octavius, as Honorary President for some 33 years prior to 1924, must have worked with T Wilson Booth. If I ever needed it, I am reminded that many in the Labour movement around this time were inspired by Christian ideal of service to the poor.

In his role as election agent for George Lansbury, Thomas Blacketer received these two post-election notes from his victorious candidate. They are undated, so I do not know the election to which each refers. here is the first:

                                                   Saturday
My dear Comrade
This is to bring you my very grateful thanks for the manner in which you put through the election. The whole business has been more than satisfactory & for myself most peaceful & comfortable especially the last 10 days. 

I have never bothered about money, this time least of all & in addition we have all known we were getting full value for all that was spent.

The workers were one & all splendid. In fact we have never had so luxurious a fight.

I know you have done it all for the Cause but also know you have done your level best to save me trouble & in this you have succeeded splendidly.

Love and all good wishes to you both.
Always yours,

George Lansbury

In a second note from a different election, marked only Friday, Lansbury expresses regret for some words they had on a stressful election day.

Dear Comrade
This is a note of personal congratulation to you. The victory is largely yours, because of your work & confidence. I was very sick last night because of the intolerable stories of no helpers & nobody voting in North Ward & then the figure of 5000 at six o'clock knocked me out altogether. But I ought to have done better than say a word when you were tired & worn out with work & worry. But the result is splendid. I know you will not mind now it is over...

All good wishes,

George Lansbury

By 1928, Thomas Blacketer was in the confidence of George Lansbury enough to be asked to manage the discussion at a council meeting in Lansbury's absence. There appears to have been some dissension within Labour ranks concerning Lansbury's leadership. I notice that he begins, "Dear Tom". Also, notice the handwriting is different, possibly a dictated letter, although the "Always, George Lansbury" is in his hand:

                    7-xi-28
Dear Tom:
I find the meeting I have to address is at 7 o'clock & that of course means that I cannot possibly come to the council meeting. I have written to the Town Clerk expressing my regret at being absent & wishing the new council the best of success in the future three years. But I also want to emphasize - damp down all discussion & criticism amongst our people. Let us try to be as big as we can, no matter how bad we feel.
I feel like packing up and all that I told you: but after all, the movement is bigger than all the lot of us, and a personal discussion in which I am involved is the worst thing that could happen & something I do not wish to happen. best of good luck & thanks both to you Tom & everybody else.

Always,

George Lansbury
Be at 39 Bow Rd @ 6:15 on Friday if you want to go with me.

For the year 1930-31 Thomas Blacketer was Mayor of Poplar, very much involved managing council meetings.

We also have a campaign poster for London County Council election, which was on 5 March 1931, for Labour Candidates T. J. Blacketer and E. Cruse, with their manifesto (including "Houses with rents that workers can pay") and public meeting dates at which Blacketer, Cruse and Lansbury would be speaking. There is an emphasis on trades unions, Cruse is with the Amalgamated Engineering Union, and Blacketer with ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen), befitting his occupation as locomotive engineer. At the bottom of the poster is small print:

Printed by H. & H. G. PETERKEN T.U. throughout, 153 High St., Poplar, & published by T. J. BLACKETER, 141 Bow Road.

It actually reads "PILTERKEN", which I hope is not a poor reflection on union labour. The "H" is Henry, the brother of Octavius, while "H. G." is Henry George, son of Henry - and first cousin of Mary Ann Blacketer, Thomas's wife. Interesting that the Peterkens supported a unionized workforce at their printshop.

It appears that Blacketer and Cruse won the election since on a letter dated 5 March 1931 (presumably written the night of the election), Lansbury writes:

My dear Comrade,
A thousand congratulations. Bow & Bromley always comes up trumps at the end. All good wishes to you both.
Alys,
G Lansbury.

Rather document-heavy today, and I still have more I am in the process of transcribing. And male-heavy too, so below is a picture of Mary Ann Peterken (Madge) at age 21, who was married to Tom in 1906. They must have made quite a couple. I will end with a family anecdote. In 1931 the Indian Independence leader Mahatma Gandhi visted England for the Round Table Conference. George Lansbury hosted Gandhi during his visit to the East End of London. Gandhi was seeking solidarity between the poor in both India and Britain, and was well received by those living in the East End. Thomas Blacketer got to shake hands with Gandhi when Lansbury introduced them.


Mary Ann Peterken 1900