Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan
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Album Contents
Wigan Album
MINERS
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YOUNG MINERS
Photo: Keith
Photo: Keith
Views: 3,787
Item #: 17494
Item #: 17494
A photo of two boys, perhaps 14 to 15 years of age, taken around 1890 to 1900 when the very worst of child labour had been eradicated from the mines. A report commissioned some 50 years earlier in 1841 interviewed children from the Aspull area. Here are some excerpts from that report which was given to the Children's Employment Commission.
What age are you? - "Fifteen nearly" replied Henry Meldon, (who was a Drawer at Lord Balcarres's pits, Aspull Moor, near Blackrod.)
You are a drawer? - "Yes, I am, but I am not a full drawer"
What time do you go down in the morning? - "I go at 5 o'clock, and come up at six o'clock at night"
Are there many little boys in the pit you work in? -"Yes, plenty such as him" (pointing to a little boy of eight or nine years old).
Henry Gibson, a Drawer at Lord Balcarres's, Haigh, near Wigan, 13th May 1841, was questioned next.
How old are you? - "Nearly fifteen"
Are your parents alive? - "No. I live with my aunt, and I draw for one of my cousins. i did live with another master but I left him."
Had you clothes given by that man? - "No, I had a jacket when I first went to him but he pawned it"
Henry goes on to mention that he didn't draw wages himself, his cousin drew his wages and in return they give him meat, he has enough to eat.
However, he was beaten by his cousin with a big stick because he tried to leave after his cousin would not give him a pair of clogs. There was a severe bruise on his arm and he was kicked by his cousin who was wearing clogs. Another question followed ....
Did you ever see other boys beaten by their masters in the pit? - "Yes, there is a lad called Jonathan Dicks from St Helens workhouse, he gets thrashed very ill....." and then he mentions another lad named Andrew, aged 8, "he comes from Liverpool and he lives with his master and he is half-clammed (starved), and many a time he comes without any dinner or anything to eat, and we give him some of ours"
None of these witnesses could read or write.
These details and the photo come from Bob Blakeman's book "Wigan. A Historical Souvenir"
What age are you? - "Fifteen nearly" replied Henry Meldon, (who was a Drawer at Lord Balcarres's pits, Aspull Moor, near Blackrod.)
You are a drawer? - "Yes, I am, but I am not a full drawer"
What time do you go down in the morning? - "I go at 5 o'clock, and come up at six o'clock at night"
Are there many little boys in the pit you work in? -"Yes, plenty such as him" (pointing to a little boy of eight or nine years old).
Henry Gibson, a Drawer at Lord Balcarres's, Haigh, near Wigan, 13th May 1841, was questioned next.
How old are you? - "Nearly fifteen"
Are your parents alive? - "No. I live with my aunt, and I draw for one of my cousins. i did live with another master but I left him."
Had you clothes given by that man? - "No, I had a jacket when I first went to him but he pawned it"
Henry goes on to mention that he didn't draw wages himself, his cousin drew his wages and in return they give him meat, he has enough to eat.
However, he was beaten by his cousin with a big stick because he tried to leave after his cousin would not give him a pair of clogs. There was a severe bruise on his arm and he was kicked by his cousin who was wearing clogs. Another question followed ....
Did you ever see other boys beaten by their masters in the pit? - "Yes, there is a lad called Jonathan Dicks from St Helens workhouse, he gets thrashed very ill....." and then he mentions another lad named Andrew, aged 8, "he comes from Liverpool and he lives with his master and he is half-clammed (starved), and many a time he comes without any dinner or anything to eat, and we give him some of ours"
None of these witnesses could read or write.
These details and the photo come from Bob Blakeman's book "Wigan. A Historical Souvenir"
Comment by: Pat on 5th April 2011 at 22:18
I know it's true, but incredible. As my mam used to say when we as kids would grumble about something "you don't know you're born!"
Comment by: Art on 6th April 2011 at 13:51
5 years before I left school, there were boys of 14 (school leaving age) down the pit....I was 15 when I went down, but at 14, I'd had a few visits underground..
Comment by: henry7 on 6th April 2011 at 18:53
Heartbreaking stuff. Bet Lord Balcarres son never went down the pit. How could these pit owners sleep at night?
Comment by: mj on 7th April 2011 at 09:28
Should send Letwin and co down and the rest of the Tory Millionnaires.
Comment by: JohnB on 7th April 2011 at 20:01
Just reading that story makes what those boys went through tantamount to torture. No one to help them, defenceless, vulnerable, exploited and used simply as an economic convenience. What a life.
Comment by: Sheila on 13th April 2011 at 20:44
Poor little souls. To think, they were someones children
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