Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attended a memorial service in memory of the Tolpuddle Martyrs in Dorest. The group were 19th-century Dorset agricultural labourers who were arrested for and convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. On 18 March 1834, the Tolpuddle Martyrs were sentenced to penal transportation to Australia.
The Tolpuddle Martyrs festival is held annually in Tolpuddle. Recent festivals have featured speakers such as Tony Benn and musicians such as Billy Bragg and local folk singers including Graham Moore, as well as others from all around the world.
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