Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke (1843-1911)

Sir Charles was the Liberal MP for the Forest of Dean. He championed labour interests. 

He introduced a Wages Board Bill every year from 1989 until it formed the basis for the Trades Board Act in 1909. He persuaded the Liberals to reverse the anti-strike Taff Vale decision in the Trades Disputes Act.  Dilke was a frequent speaker at union meetings all over the country and fought for the miners’ eight-hours movement. He held meetings with the TUC Political Committee, the forerunner to the General Council, before every session and was such a supporter of shop assistants the national union named its new office in London in 1914, Dilke House.

Following his death, fundraising helped establish a local community hospital in his Forest of Dean constituency. The Dilke Memorial Hospital, Cinderford, opened its doors for the first time in 1923 and still exists as a permanent memorial to the popular MP.

Local Councillor, Mark Turner says: 

“As the Forest MP he worked hard for the people and the Miners. Back then they thought enough of him to name our Hospital after him, a hospital that we may soon lose sadly. The least we can do is recognise Sir Charles with a plaque.”

Image credit: from an Ogden's Cigarette Card, Source: Public Domain