The trial for alleged sedition of four Blantyre miners John Ballantyne, George Teesdale, Patrick Allan, and Robert Graham, ended Thursday 28th June 1928 at Hamilton.
The jury found the men guilty and each was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment.
They were accused of having circulated a pamphlet, referring to the wearing of civilian clothing by soldiers and the formation a soldier’s trade union.
It was stated that information was given to police by a corporal the Camerons, and the four men were found in possession of many pamphlets.
(Despite the sentence, Inspector Samuel Forrest said that at the identification parade eight men were lined up and of 12 soldiers who were taken individually into the room seven pointed to men other than the four accused and others could not identify anyone.)
Are you related to any of these people? I’d love to hear more about what they were trying to accomplish all those many years ago and why as miners they felt the need to form a soldiers trade union.
From “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c) 2016