Career
After participating in the strike of 1860-1861 in the aftermath of the Cobden–Chevalier Treaty, he acquired "firm Liberal views". Despite being ruined by the Treaty, he was "dogmatically committed to free trade as the poor man"s best hope". In 1893 his autobiography Lights and Shadows in the Life of an Artisan was published, which was drawn from his diary.
lieutenant "remains an impressive source for the history of the silk industry, working-class life, and urban development during the industrial revolution".
William Ewart Gladstone received a copy and it gained favourable reviews.
