George Caborn: Trades Union leader

Black and white photograph of three people planting a tree at Caborn's Corner, 1982.

Richard Caborn (centre) and the Bulgarian Cultural Attache (on the left) planting a tree to commemorate the life of George Caborn on the site now called Caborn's Corner in 1982. George's widow, Mary is standing on the right hand side. © Martin Jenkinson

Black and white photograph of George Caborn speaking at a rally in the City Hall.

Black and white photograph of George Caborn speaking at a rally in the City Hall.

George speaking at a rally in the city hall. A young Arthur Scargill is sitting to the right of him. © David Caborn

Black and white photograph of George and Mary Caborn camping.

Black and white photograph of George and Mary Caborn camping.

George was in fact born in Attercliffe in 1916 but became associated with Burngreave during his career as a trade unionist and lifelong communist. He grew up at a time of great poverty and left school at 14 to work in the Firth Brown steel works as an engineering turner. By the age of 22 he had become a steward and later progressed to become District Secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering Union in Sheffield. He was also active in later campaigns against racism during the 1970s and helped to found the Sheffield Campaign Against Racism.

There is a small triangle of land in Burngreave, at the junction of Spital Hill and Carlisle Street that bears the name 'Caborn's Corner'. It became famous as the traditional assembly point for political rallies and marches. George would lead the march from there into Sheffield. After George's death in 1982, a Blue Cedar tree was planted on the site by the Bulgarian Cultural Attache to mark George's contribution to linking trade unions in Sheffield and Bulgaria.

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