Colliery legislation and its consequences: 1842 and the women miners of Lancashire

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Library Publications Collection

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Manchester~25~25

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escholar006426.pdf

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escholar006426.pdf

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Reference Number:

R43515

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R43515

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Link to Catalogue:

UoM online catalogue

Image Title:

Colliery legislation and its consequences: 1842 and the women miners of Lancashire

title_larger_entity

Colliery legislation and its consequences: 1842 and the women miners of Lancashire

Image Title

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Parent Work Title:

Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester

date_created

Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester

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false

Creator:

John, Angela. V

creator

John, Angela. V

Creator

false

Creator Role:

Author

creator_role

Author

Creator Role

false

Creator:

Taylor, Frank, 1910-2000

creator

Taylor, Frank, 1910-2000

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false

Creator Role:

Editor

creator_role

Editor

Creator Role

false

Date Created:

1978

volume

1978

Date Created

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Publication Details:

Manchester: John Rylands University Library of Manchester

page

Manchester: John Rylands University Library of Manchester

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Volume:

61, no.1

bibliographic_citation

61, no.1

Volume

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Page/Sheet:

78-114

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78-114

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Description:

This thesis provides an examination of the role played by women in the British coal mining industry between 1840 and 1890. But, in addition to considering the nature of their underground and surface employment, it is equally concerned with the fundamental problems and attitudes that such work posed and the relevance of those problems to nineteenth century society. It is therefore not just a study of coal mining but of aspects of society in general. The study opens with introductory general surveys of both coal mining history and of the position of women in Victorian Britain. The origins of female pit labour underground are next considered. The early nineteenth century situation is examined against the background of industrial change and a new social conscience. The exposure of conditions of work first in Scotland and then in England is described and Ashley's vital espousal of the Cause explained. The origins of the Children's Employment Commission are traced and its 'subsequent findings critically examined for each major area of female employment. The impact of this revelation on public opinion is considered next and the course of the Parliamentary struggle leading to female prohibition in the Mines and Collieries act of 1842. Chapter three deals with the problems raised by the act, the reactions to it and the difficulties of finding alternative employment. A brief assessment is also given of the efforts of the few coalowners who tried to alleviate hardship by phasing out female employment more gradually. The work of the mines Commissioner, H. S. Tremenheere, is evaluated as is the widespread evasion of the law and the massive problems of enforcement. A comparison is provided by a brief consideration of underground female employment in Belgium. The second part of the thesis deals with the lesser known aspect of female colliery work, the surface labour. The jobs of the pit brow lasses are explained and in order to examine their living and working conditions more thoroughly, the Wigan coalfield is used as a case study. This involves extensive use of the contemporary diaries of A. J. Munby. The public exposition of the women's work is seen through literary and journalistic sources. Their treatment by both the miners' unions and by the masters is sketched and the validity of their arguments assessed. The 1886-7 campaign to exclude the pit brow women from their work is examined in detail and the wider implications concerning the right of women to labour at outdoor work. This includes surveying the interests of groups such as the early suffrage movement which had no direct link with coal mining but which nevertheless felt threatened by the exclusion proposals. The study culminates in the retaliation by an effective West Lancashire pressure group, a deputation of pit brow women to the Home Office and the eventual success of their struggle for the right to continue working.

current_repository

This thesis provides an examination of the role played by women in the British coal mining industry between 1840 and 1890. But, in addition to considering the nature of their underground and surface employment, it is equally concerned with the fundamental problems and attitudes that such work posed and the relevance of those problems to nineteenth century society. It is therefore not just a study of coal mining but of aspects of society in general. The study opens with introductory general surveys of both coal mining history and of the position of women in Victorian Britain. The origins of female pit labour underground are next considered. The early nineteenth century situation is examined against the background of industrial change and a new social conscience. The exposure of conditions of work first in Scotland and then in England is described and Ashley's vital espousal of the Cause explained. The origins of the Children's Employment Commission are traced and its 'subsequent findings critically examined for each major area of female employment. The impact of this revelation on public opinion is considered next and the course of the Parliamentary struggle leading to female prohibition in the Mines and Collieries act of 1842. Chapter three deals with the problems raised by the act, the reactions to it and the difficulties of finding alternative employment. A brief assessment is also given of the efforts of the few coalowners who tried to alleviate hardship by phasing out female employment more gradually. The work of the mines Commissioner, H. S. Tremenheere, is evaluated as is the widespread evasion of the law and the massive problems of enforcement. A comparison is provided by a brief consideration of underground female employment in Belgium. The second part of the thesis deals with the lesser known aspect of female colliery work, the surface labour. The jobs of the pit brow lasses are explained and in order to examine their living and working conditions more thoroughly, the Wigan coalfield is used as a case study. This involves extensive use of the contemporary diaries of A. J. Munby. The public exposition of the women's work is seen through literary and journalistic sources. Their treatment by both the miners' unions and by the masters is sketched and the validity of their arguments assessed. The 1886-7 campaign to exclude the pit brow women from their work is examined in detail and the wider implications concerning the right of women to labour at outdoor work. This includes surveying the interests of groups such as the early suffrage movement which had no direct link with coal mining but which nevertheless felt threatened by the exclusion proposals. The study culminates in the retaliation by an effective West Lancashire pressure group, a deputation of pit brow women to the Home Office and the eventual success of their struggle for the right to continue working.

Description

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Keyword:

mining, women,

keyword

mining, women,

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Language:

English

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English

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Language Code:

eng-GB

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eng-GB

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Subject:

University of Manchester

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University of Manchester

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Subject:

Libraries--Special collections

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Libraries--Special collections

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Subject:

John Rylands Library

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John Rylands Library

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Subject:

Academic publication series

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Academic publication series

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Subject:

Articles

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Articles

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Category of Material:

Printed

MEDIA INFORMATION

Colliery legislation and its consequences: 1842 and the women miners of Lancashire