Culture | Posted on December 1st, 2025 | return to news

Death anniversary of Tolpuddle Martyr marked

James Hammett was the only Martyr buried in Dorset, and the anniversary of his death was recognised with a floral tribute.

James Hammett, the first Tolpuddle labourer and the only Martyr buried in Dorset, died on 21 November 1891 at the age of 80. To mark this, the chairperson of Dorset Council, Cllr Stella Jones, and the High Sheriff of Dorset, Callum Bremner, paid their respects with floral tributes at St John the Evangelist Churchyard.

The event was attended by: Honorary Alderman Pauline Batstone; Chairman of the Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust, Colin Brady; Secretary of the Trust, Ian Cambrook; and David Willey, former curator of the Tank Museum and consultant for a new heritage initiative that is being launched.

This followed a tour of the recently renovated Tolpuddle Old Chapel.

The iconic chapel is pivotal to understanding the Martyrs’ story of social injustice. Built in 1818, the Old Chapel is a Grade II*-listed building and a rare example of an early 19th-century earthen vernacular Wesleyan Methodist chapel. Some of the men who later became known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs helped to construct the chapel.

The chapel’s modest architectural features reflect the social history of labouring people through the ages. It marks the origin of one of the most extraordinary social protests and parliamentary contentions in British history. From this small dot in the Dorset landscape, a massive controversy erupted over the rights of the labouring poor and their claims for fair wages, religious independence, and legal protection.

The Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust, formed in 2014, aims to preserve the Martyrs’ legacy by renovating the chapel. With generous support from Dorset Council, the National Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England, and 11 charitable funding bodies, the renovation and extension were completed on 1 September 2023.

Today, Tolpuddle Old Chapel stands as a local and national asset, offering a rich programme of heritage-related activities that serve both local needs and visitors’ interests.