Miscellaneous Records/Legal Papers (1925-1945) / Rex versus Alli Said and Others: Case of riotous assembly and incitement to riot involving Somali and other foreign seamen.

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s): MSS.175/ 7/ LE/ 103 - 106

Title: Miscellaneous Records/Legal Papers (1925-1945) / Rex versus Alli Said and Others: Case of riotous assembly and incitement to riot involving Somali and other foreign seamen.

Date(s): 1930 - 1930

Level of description: files

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CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: Covers the proceeding of a court case involving 'Arab… coloured' and white men objecting to new policies put in place in agreement with the NUS. The riot took place in South Shields and the files include verbatim minutes of the proceedings. Durham, Autumn Assizes. There were 25 men charged, the great majority Arabic speakers. There were charged with riotous behaviour and assault on members of the public and police constables whilst resisting arrest. On all charges all pleaded not guilty. The disturbance centred around a new rota system which saw all 'Arab and coloured men of the like' being issued a number according to the time they registered which would ensure that when their number came up, they would be called to work. This usurped the then common practice of coloured landlords securing work for their tenants for a fee. Those arrested included white men who were also aggrieved with the new policy.Records provide history of the Arab and coloured population in Durham and the impact of unequal employment policies on their lives which led to this particular disturbance. Records detail the friction between the NUS and Seamen's Minority Movement. Of interest to those researching racial and ethnic inequality in employment and I with in the NUS or looking into the life of black and Asian communities in general. The men were found guilty of rioting. Mention was made of a 'coloured' man who has a British passport, the number of men who were married to English women(1) the chracter of the white men charged and those who had been up before the law (one - Ali Said). Ali Said had been in the UK for 26 years and owned a lodging house. He was jailed for 16 months and the judge recommended his deportation. Several others were jailed, one one freed and all those without ties or British citizenship were deported.

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DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

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Interest: Asian, Black

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Ethnic conflicts

Black and Asian seamen

Trade unions

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Said, Alli

National Union of Seamen

Seamen's Minority Movement

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South Shields, United Kingdom

Durham, United Kingdom