Albert Head was the General Secretary of the Chainmakers' and Strikers' Association (C.M.S.A.), which took over the management of the Cradley Heath Workers' Institute shortly after it was built. It became the official address for the Union's offices. The C.M.S.A. committee meetings were held in the committee room upstairs in the Institute. Albert held the position for over 40 years. He built a reputation of dignified trade unionism and service to the community.
Born in Cradley in 1892, he was the sixth of eight sons. His mother died when she was in her thirties. His father, Henry Head, an ironworker, was left to raise his eight sons alone.
Albert, "Bert", left school at 13, when he started a chainmaking apprenticeship. He soon became involved in the trade union. He acted as factory secretary for twelve years, while he was at Walker and Sons in Old Hill. In 1933 he took over as General Secretary of the C.M.S.A., following the suspension of the previous Secretary, Mr. Charles Sitch. Mr. Sitch was subsequently sent to prison for nine months for stealing the Union's funds.
Bert took over at a very difficult time, but he successfully rebuilt confidence in the Union, and greatly improved its finances. By 1939 the Union's recovery was nearly complete. Members and their families really did have something to celebrate on the occasion of the Union's Golden Jubilee. 26 coaches left the Cradley Heath Workers' Institute on 16th July to join the celebrations in Chester, where the C.M.S.A. was first formed.
As well as his union duties, Bert had a very praiseworthy record of public service, for which he received an M.B.E. in 1958. His son, Albert, recalls that the family sat next to the actor, Jack Hawkins, at the ceremony. Afterwards, Bert told them that Her Majesty had said, "You may be small of stature, (Bert was just over five feet tall), but you have done remarkable work."
Bert died at home on 15th February 1978, only weeks after the C.M.S.A. was dissolved. He was eighty-five. His funeral at Stourbridge Crematorium was attended by hundreds of local people, and nearly all of the surviving members of the Union.
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| Updated: | Thu 12 Jul 2007 - 1 |
| Interpretation written by | Barbara Harris |
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