Devine, Patrick James
Dates
- Existence: 1898 - 1973
Biography
Patrick James Devine (1898-1973) was born in Motherwell, Glasgow and served in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War, spending some of his service stationed in Dublin. His social consciousness was sparked by his wartime experiences and he joined the Independent Labour Party upon his return to Scotland. He would subsequently be a founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain. He took part in the General Strike of 1926 but emigrated to America soon after. His time in America saw Devine take an active role in the labour movement, becoming General Secretary of the Communist-led National Textile Workers Union, and leading a strike at the Lawrence Textile Mills. He was arrested and sentenced to 15 years, being detained in the New York Penitentiary before being sent to Atlanta Prison. He served one year and was deported to Scotland on Christmas Day 1931. Upon his return to Scotland he became active once again in the labour movement, leading a number of unemployment demonstrations, one of which, in Kircaldy, led to his imprisonment once again. Devine visited Moscow in 1933 and again in 1934 to attend the Internationale's Congress. Back in Europe, Devine would live for a time in Dublin, acting as the national organiser for the newly-founded Communist Party of Ireland, before a move to London to work as an organiser for the CPGB. He became Communist Party District Secretary for Lancashire and Cheshire in 1941 and would go on to hold key roles in the Communist Parties of Great Britain, Ireland, and America, serving on the executive committees of each; a rare occurance. He was also a noted writer, working for The Daily Worker (which later became the Morning Star in 1966) and serving as Foreign Editor of the Irish Democrat newspaper. He formally retired from his newspaper roles in 1970, but stayed as a member of the management committees until 1971. An incomplete and unpublished autobiography entitled 'A Red Rover' remains in his archive. Devine had married Gloria Findlay in 1959 and the couple remained together until his death in 1973.