Horace Moulden
Horace Matthew Moulden-Colton was a British trade union leader.
Born in Leicester, Moulden left school at the age of thirteen before completing a short apprenticeship in hosiery knitting. He spent four years fighting in World War I, but returned to knitting and became active in the Leicester Hosiery Union. In 1921, he became a collector and workplace leader for the union, and two years later he was elected to its executive.
In 1928, Moulden was elected as secretary of the Leicester Hosiery Union, one of the country's youngest union leaders. As leader, he focused on trying to bring all the various hosiery unions together into one national body. He worked closely in this with Jack Brewin, leader of the Ilkeston Hosiery Union.
In 1945, Moulde finally succeeded in persuading the unions to unite, forming the National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers, and was elected as its first General President. In 1960, he was also elected to the executive committee of the International Textile and Garment Workers' Federation. He retired from all his posts in 1963.
He died at a nursing home in Leicester, a few months shy of his 90th birthday.
