Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales

The division between the records of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and those of its successor, the National Union of Railwaymen, is not entirely clear cut. A number of files and minute books span both organisations. In all cases such items are listed as a part of the National Union of Railwaymen archive and cross references are provided. The following points should be noted: all records of branches of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are listed as National Union of Railwaymen records at MSS.127/NU/6/BR1-22; records of the Conciliation Boards established after the 1907 dispute are listed as records of the National Union of Railwaymen's Movements Department under reference MSS.127/NU/MV1; publications of bodies other than the National Union of Railwaymen and its predecessors (including the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) are listed under reference MSS.127/NU/5/1-5.

The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales was founded in 1872. In 1892 it absorbed the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants for Scotland. It was the dominant partner in the 1913 amalgamation with the General Railway Workers' Union and the United Pointsmen's and Signalmen's Society which established the National Union of Railwaymen. Reference: P.S. Bagwell, 'The Railwaymen: History of the National Union of Railwaymen' (2 vols; George Allen and Unwin, 1963 & 1982).

The Centre also holds the records of the ASRS's successor, the National Union of Railwaymen (MSS.127/NU), of which this collection forms a part. Also part of this collection are the papers of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of Scotland (MSS.127/ASRSS), absorbed by the ASRS, and the General Railway Workers' Union (MSS.127/GR), with which the ASRS amalgamated to form the NUR. In addition, the Centre holds the papers of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Vehicle Wagon Builders, Wheelwrights, Carpenters and Mechanics (MSS.259/RV) and the Transport Salaried Staff Association (MSS.55).

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