Although the Musicians’ Union as we know it now was formed in 1921, it’s effective starting point was the formation of its predecessor, the Amalgamated Musicians’ Union by Joseph B. Williams in 1893.

This truncated history will work around the history of both organisations and even some of the other organisations which have united musical labour prior to their existence. To do this it draws primarily on the Union’s own archive and some of the accounts of the Union’s history previously undertaken, notably those of E.S.Teale (1929) and Jempson (1993). We will be adding a bibliography to the website in due course.

As the project develops we will be adding more and more details to this chronological account of the history of the Union, on a decade by decade basis.

1900 and before
1901-1910
1911-1920
1921-1930
1931-1940
1941-1950
1951-1960
1961-1970
1971-1980
1981-1990
1991-2000
2001-present