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Colliery Disaster Funds, 1860–1897*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2008

John Benson
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It is well known that in England the last four decades of the nineteenth century witnessed both the growing importance of the coal-mining industry and the continuation of widespread voluntary charity. But the absence of detailed local studies has made it easy to assume that, as colliery districts did not enjoy the same benevolent institutions as other areas, these were distinct, indeed almost separate, developments. Relegated to a footnote by the historian of English philanthropy, “the imposing sums collected to meet disasters” have been in this respect almost completely ignored.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Review of Social History , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , April 1974 , pp. 73 - 85
Copyright
Copyright © Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis 1974

References

page 73 note 1 Owen, D., English Philanthropy 1660–1960 (London, 1965), p. 479.Google Scholar

page 73 note 2 60 & 61 Vict., c. 37.

page 73 note 3 Defined as accidents claiming 5 or more lives.

page 73 note 4 Owen, op. cit., p. 6.

page 75 note 1 The 6 largest disasters in this period killed 1,413 miners, 49% of whom left widows. See Northumberland County Record Office, New Hartley Colliery Accident Relief Fund Papers, 488/A/14; WR, Colliery Explosions Fund, Mansion House London (hereafter referred to as CEF), pp. 68–69;Google ScholarSwithin-bank, G. E., Report and General Statement of the Oaks Colliery Explosion Fund, to 31st 12, 1871Google Scholar, With Classified List of Subscribers and Sketch of the Explosion (Barnsley, 1872), p. 18;Google Scholar The Durham County Advertiser, 17 September 1880; The Provident, 15 December 1882 and 15 December 1886. The miners' permanent relief societies found that 60% were married. T. Y. Strachan's Report bound with the 35th Annual Report of the Northumberland and Durham Miners' Permanent Relief Fund, p. 4; Strachan, T. Y. and Todhunter, R., Actuarial Report on the Northumberland and Durham Miners' Permanent Relief Fund, as on 31st 12, 1901 (Newcastle-on-Tyne, 1902), p. 8.Google Scholar For Yorkshire see Neison, F. G. P., Report upon the West Riding Of Yorkshire Miners' Permanent Relief Fund (Barnsley, 1897), p. 4Google Scholar, and for Lancashire see Neison, F. G. P. and Schooling's, J. H. Report printed as Appendix B of 19th Annual Report of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Permanent Relief Society, pp. 31 and 38Google Scholar, and Neison's Report printed as Appendix B of the 24th Annual Report, p. 49.

page 75 note 2 The miners killed in the 6 disasters analysed above each left 1.17 dependent children while for every member of the Lancashire and Yorkshire permanent societies killed before 1897 1.25 children were left. Neison and Schooling, op cit., p. 33; 24th Annual Report Lancashire Miners' Permanent Relief Society, Appendix B, p. 49; and Neison's Report on the Yorkshire Fund (1897), p. 4.Google Scholar

page 76 note 1 Campbell, G. L., “Great Colliery Disasters Relief Funds, From 1862”, in: Central Association for Dealing With Distress caused by Mining Accidents (Wigan, 1890), p. 71;Google Scholar id., Miners' Thrift and Employers' Liability; A Remarkable Experience (Wigan, 1891), p. 7.Google Scholar

page 76 note 2 Colliery Guardian (hereafter referred to as CG), 12 October 1861. See also The Accrington Times, 10 November 1883.

page 76 note 3 E. J. Shoemack in CG, 12 October 1861.

page 76 note 4 CG, 12 October 1861; see ibid., 17 November 1882.

page 76 note 5 CG, 23 March 1888; The Derbyshire Times, 28 January 1871.

page 76 note 6 Campbell, G. L., Public Subscriptions and Permanent Funds (Wigan, 1896), p. 12;Google Scholar W. Watson, To The Miners of South Yorkshire. Provide for the Widows and Orphans. Provide for yourselves in Case of Accident. Provide for yourselves in Age, Old. A Letter to the workmen employed in and about the coal mines of South Yorkshire (Barnsley, 1877), p. 10;Google ScholarCampbell, G. L., Miners' Insurance Funds: Their Origin and Extent (London, 1880), p. 10;Google Scholar The Provident, August 1881 and 15 December 1882.

page 77 note 1 J. Pollard in The Yorkshire Post, 12 February 1893, and W. Watson in The Barnsley Chronicle, 18 September 1880.

page 77 note 2 National Union of Miners, Barnsley, South Yorkshire Miners' Association, Minutes of Special Meeting, 15 December 1866.

page 77 note 3 The Labour Tribune, 8 July 1893.

page 77 note 4 Yorkshire Post, 8 January 1867.

page 77 note 5 CG, 6 June 1873.

page 77 note 6 S. Child to T. Gabriel, 2 January 1867, CEF, p. 24; Yorkshire Post, 28 December 1866 and 16 February 1867; W. A. Scott in Durham County Advertiser, 22 December 1871; and CG, 6 June 1873.

page 77 note 7 CG, 6 June 1873 and 18 February 1876.

page 77 note 8 Sagar, O., Baste, E. and Clark, T. R. in Durham County Advertiser, 17 03 1882;Google Scholar Capital and Labour, 9 October 1878, quoting Manchester Courier.

page 77 note 9 Yorkshire Post, 17 December 1866; CG, 30 November 1883; Owen, op. cit., pp. 165–166.

page 77 note 10 CG, 10 January 1863; Wigan Observer, 2 June 1876.

page 77 note 11 Barnsley Chronicle, 11 and 25 March 1876.

page 77 note 12 Circular to Colliery Proprietors, 28 March 1876, WR, Bundle on Swaithe Main Explosion Fund.

page 78 note 1 For Burradon see Newcastle Chronicle, 31 March 1860; for Hartley CG, 12 April 1862; for Clifton Hall The Provident, 15 December 1886; for Altham Accrington Times, 17 November 1883; for Edmund's Main Barnsley Chronicle, 10 January 1863; for the Oaks W. H. Peacock to T. Gabriel, 2 January 1867, CEF, pp. 20–21; for Swaithe Main Swaithe Main Colliery Explosion Relief Fund Minute Book, Barnsley Public Library, Committee Meeting, 6 March 1876; and for Thornhill Dewsbury Public Library, Minutes, Central Relief Committee, 20 July 1893.

page 78 note 2 W. Taylor to R. C. L. Bevan, 27 December 1866, CEF, pp. 15–16; J. Norman-sell in Yorkshire Post, 27 December 1866; and Barnsley Chronicle, 4 March 1876. The relief committee of the Edmund's Main fund in fact withheld relief so that the bereaved might go destitute to the guardians. W. Banham in The Times, 27 January 1863.

page 78 note 3 See below, pp. 79f.

page 78 note 4 Newcastle Chronicle, 10 March 1860 (on Burradon); Seaham Colliery Explosion Relief Fund (1880), Durham County Record Office, D/Lo F 698(1), Minutes, 20 September 1880; Thornhill, Minutes, 7 September 1893, and Hyde, Minutes, Committee Meeting, 22 January 1889. For access to these minutes I wish to thank the Borough Treasurer, Hyde.

page 78 note 5 Leeds Intelligencer, 31 January 1863, and Barnsley Chronicle, 5 January 1867.

page 78 note 6 Hyde, Minutes, Meeting of Relief Committee, 19 January 1889; Swithinbank, op. cit., pp. 6–7; Dyson, J. H., Thornhill Colliery Disaster, 4th July, 1893. An Account Of The Disaster and Subscribers To The Relief Fund, With Particulars As To Its Administration (Dewsbury, n.d.), p. 8;Google ScholarFynes, R., The Miners of Northumberland and Durham (Sunderland, 1873), p. 173;Google Scholar The Provident, May 1881 and 15 December 1886; CG, 17 August 1861, 27 December 1862 and 6 June 1873. Also see Owen, op. cit., p. 165.

page 79 note 1 Lancashire County Record Office, PUW/1/10, Wigan Union, Guardians' Minutes, p. 436, 24 04 1868;Google ScholarColliery Accidents in The Wigan District. Report of Relief Committee to the Subscribers To The Fund Formed In Aid Of The Sufferers (Wigan, 1871), p. 12.Google Scholar

page 79 note 2 Barnsley Public Library, Guardians' Minutes, 1865–1868, pp. 125–126, 17 04 1868Google Scholar, and Swithinbank, op. cit., pp. 5–7.

page 79 note 3 Swaithe Main, Minutes, Provisional Committee, 28 February 1876, and Guardians' Minutes, 1873–1876, pp. 227–228, 20 April 1875.

page 79 note 4 Swithinbank, G. E., Innes & Co., Report and General Statements of the Oaks Colliery Explosion Fund, from 1st January, 1881, to 31st December, 1886 (Barnsley, 1887), pp. 7 and 11.Google Scholar

page 79 note 5 CG, 5 April 1862, and the paper by Campbell, G. L. in Central Association for Dealing With Distress caused by Mining Accidents, 1890 (Wigan, n.d.), pp. 61–63.Google Scholar By 1903 a further thirteen thousand pounds was available. The Central Association Of Miners' Permanent Relief Societies, 1930, Colliery Explosion Public Relief Funds, p. 13.

page 79 note 6 “Sympathy” in Barnsley Chronicle, 14 12 1867Google Scholar, and “By Order of the Miners' Committee” in Wigan Observer, 6 10 1871.Google Scholar

page 80 note 1 S. Child to I. R. S. Vine, n.d., CEF, pp. 52–53.

page 80 note 2 10th Annual Report of the Northumberland and Durham Miners' Permanent Relief Fund, p. 15; Scott, W. A. in Durham County Advertiser, 22 12 1871.Google Scholar

page 80 note 3 Pattison, W. P., Report & Valuation (Barnsley, 1867), p. 6;Google Scholar South Yorkshire Miners' Association, Minutes, Council Meeting, 30 September 1867.

page 80 note 4 The Provident, 15 December 1886 and November 1887.

page 80 note 5 CG, 12 April 1862.

page 80 note 6 Main, Swaithe, Committee Meeting, 16 03 1876;Google Scholar W. Watson to G. L. Campbell, 8 July 1890, WR, clip, 1890 Conference, No 65; S. Child to T. Gabriel, 2 January 1867, CEF, p. 24; Hyde, Minutes, Meeting of Subscribers, 17 December 1889; J. Jackson to Poor Law Board, 28 December 1866, Public Record Office, MH 12/2972/52561/66; Durham County Record Office, D/Lo F 698(1), Strachan, T. Y., Seaham Collieries Explosion Fund. Actuarial Investigation And Report, As On 12 31, 1888 (Seaham Harbour), p. 1;Google Scholar Colliery Accidents in the Wigan District, p. 5; Swithinbank, op. cit., p. 16; Dyson, op. cit., p. 10; Campbell, Disasters Funds, p. 73; 10th Annual Report Northumberland and Durham Miners' Permanent Relief Fund, p. 13; CG, 13 July 1861, 21 December 1861, 5 April 1862 and 6 June 1873; Barnsley Chronicle, 10 March 1888; The Provident, 15 December 1882 and 15 December 1886; Wigan Observer, 20 April 1866; Nuneaton Chronicle, 16 June 1882; Derbyshire Courier, 3 February 1883.

page 81 note 1 Dyson, op cit., p. 11.

page 81 note 2 CG, 13 July 1861.

page 81 note 3 Strachan, op. cit., p. 1.

page 81 note 4 Ibid.; Hyde, Minutes, 17 December 1889, and Swaithe Main, Minutes, 30 March, 20 April, 4 and 31 August 1876.

page 81 note 5 Durham County Record Office, D/Lo F 698(1), Minutes, 13 June 1881; Strachan, op. cit., p. 1; Dyson, op. cit., p. 11; Swithinbank, op. cit., p. 19.

page 81 note 6 Hyde, Minutes, 17 December 1889 and passim.

page 81 note 7 S. Child to T. Gabriel, 26 December 1866, CEF, p. 12; Strachan, op. cit., p. 1; Durham County Advertiser, 21 December 1866; J. W. Innes and Co., Report and General Statement of the Oaks Colliery Explosion Fund, From 1st 01, 1892, to 31st 12, 1896 (Barnsley, 1897), p. 10.Google Scholar

page 81 note 8 Swithinbank, G. E., Report and General Statement of the Oaks Colliery Explosion Fund, from 1st 01, 1872, to 31st 12, 1875 (Barnsley, 1876), pp. 10–11.Google Scholar

page 82 note 1 “A Subscriber” in Barnsley Chronicle, 10 12 1887;Google ScholarDurham County Advertiser, 11 02 1881.Google Scholar

page 82 note 2 E. A. Rymer in Barnsley Chronicle, 3 December 1887. Also “A Subscriber”, ibid., 10 December 1887; for criticism of the allowances paid by the Hartley fund see CG, 15 and 22 March 1862.

page 82 note 3 CG, 13 July 1861 and 3 January 1867; The Provident, 15 December 1886; Dyson, op. cit., pp. 10–11; Swithinbank, op. cit., p. 19; Strachan, op. cit., p. 1. The 361 men killed by the Oaks explosion left 144 such dependants (Swithinbank, op. cit., p. 18) and the 178 miners killed at Clifton Hall left 69 dependants (The Provident, 15 December 1886).

page 82 note 4 Durham County Record Office, D/Lo L 702, letter “On behalf of the friends of the lost ones”; Tynemouth Board of Guardians quoted by British Miner, 13 09 1862;Google Scholar and Barnsley Chronicle, 24 November 1888. For criticism of the Haydock Colliery Explosion Fund see Wigan Observer, 31 May 1879; “A Subscriber”, ibid., 12 July 1879, and “Subscriber No. 2”, ibid., 19 July 1879.

page 82 note 5 S. Child to T. Gabriel, 2 January 1867, CEF, p. 24; Nuneaton Chronicle, 16 June 1882.

page 82 note 6 “A Subscriber” in The Accrington Times, 29 December 1883.

page 82 note 7 T. Messer quoted in Newcastle Chronicle, 31 March 1860.

page 83 note 1 “Borradon [sic] Colliery”, ibid., 21 April 1860.

page 83 note 2 CG, 6 June 1873.

page 83 note 3 Durham County Record Office, D/Lo F 698(1), Cash Account, 1 02 1883;Google Scholar Swaithe Main, Minutes, 10 May 1878; Swithinbank, op. cit., p. 19; Campbell, G. L., Public Subscriptions, p. 15Google Scholar, L. T. Shrewsbury to G. L. Campbell, 19 July 1896; Durham County Advertiser, 21 December 1866 and The Provident, 15 December 1882 and 15 December 1886.

page 83 note 4 Wilson, A. and Levy, H., Workmen's Compensation (Oxford, 1939), II, pp. 133–134, 139, 148–149;Google Scholar“Northumberland Miner” in Labour Tribune, 9 11 1889.Google Scholar

page 83 note 5 Swaithe Main, Minutes, 4 January 1878; CG, 13 July, 1861, 12 April 1862 and June 1873.

page 83 note 6 CG, 13 July 1861.

page 83 note 7 Hyde, Minutes, Meeting of Subscribers, 17 December 1889.

page 83 note 8 Ibid., 5 April 1862; Derbyshire Courier, 3 February 1883; Swaithe Main, Minutes, 4 August 1876; Swithinbank, op. cit., p. 19; Durham County Advertiser, 10 September 1880.

page 83 note 9 Owen, op. cit., p. 176.

page 84 note 1 Derbyshire Times, 28 December 1861 and 28 January 1871; CG, 6 and 20 July 1877, and 13 April 1883; Nuneaton Chronicle, 16 June 1882.

page 84 note 2 Barnsley Chronicle, 27 January 1877; G. Barker, ibid., 25 December 1875; CG, 9 October 1896; Yorkshire Post, 28 November 1874; Wakefield Express, 16 October 1886; Dyson, op. cit., p. 4; Swithinbank, op. cit., p. 18.