John (Jack) Forshaw, born in 1880, was a Trade unionist, socialist, shop steward and forgotten martyr of the 1926 General Strike.
Forshaw began his political career in the workers’ union, later becoming a member of the British Socialist Party. Acting as a representative of the South Salford British Socialist branch, he, along with two other Salford representatives, formed the British Communist Party in late 1920, with Forshaw serving as the party’s first secretary.
His position among the socialist working class in early 20th-century Salford and Manchester meant that Forshaw was at the core of the 1926 General Strike, which protested the government’s decision to reduce miners’ wages. Under the banner of Manchester District’s Communist Party, he penned a leaflet titled “A Great Betrayal” in which he called out the roles of the trade union and government for their incompetence in defending the livelihoods of workers.
“The Communist Party, which until now has wholeheartedly supported the General Council, feels it is their duty in the face of the miserable surrender of that body to call upon the whole of the working class to refuse to return to work until a guarantee has been obtained from the Government that for the miners there shall be no wage reductions, no longer hours, and no District Agreements.
“We call upon all workers who have returned to cease work, and to convene conferences of Strike Committees to decide upon action in support of the miners,” Forwhaw wrote the campaign “A Great Betrayal” campaign leaflet.
The leaflet, written, produced, and distributed from Forshaw’s home at 4 Peacock Street in the Adelphi, eventually reached the eyes of the authorities, which led to his subsequent arrest and detention in the Salford Town Hall Cells.
Forshaw was a diagnosed diabetic who controlled his blood sugar through a rigid and carefully planned diet; however, despite informing the courts and cell warden of his ailment, he received no treatment over the course of his weekend detention and was, in fact, left to his symptoms in a cold, open-windowed cell.
When Forshaw returned to the courts on the following Monday, he received a £100 fine (Nealy £8,000 when adjusted for inflation) and was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment.
His bail was posted by Workers’ International Relief, and his sentence was appealed, though it was already too late. The 82-year-old’s treatment during his detention had left him vulnerable, resulting in him unfortunately contracting pneumonia whilst in prison and passing only days later.
Jack Forshaw’s life and work were devoted to protecting the working class and giving a voice to the voiceless; his positions and sacrifice are a shining example of everything Salford and its history have stood for, for a century.
