Thomas Birtwistle (16 October 1833 – 22 March 1912) was an English trade unionist and factory inspector.
Born in Great Harwood, Lancashire, he worked in a cotton mill from the age of six, becoming a power-loom weaver at the age of fourteen. In spite of limited education, he had a flair for mathematics and was skilled at working out the complicated the way cotton workers were paid. This led to involvement in the early trade union movement[1] where he worked to enable British trade unions to gain recognition, respectability, and responsibility in the second half of the 19th century. He died in Accrington.