A Miner remembers

This is a small historic record, in the words of a miner, who himself worked in Hanham pit, and wrote these words for the Hanham local History Society.   Opened circa 1866 and closed in May 1926. Minimum wage for top-grade miners at closure was £2.2.0d per week. Day workers £1.10.0d.

Old miners claimed that there was plenty of coal still there, and blame bad management for its closing.

Workings at one period extended underneath the Old Police Station, at Hanham (opposite the Horse and Crown, Public House) conditions in the pit were very hot, and the air in certain places was bad, and often caused the locked lamps, that were used, to go out suddenly. The majority of the miners because of the very hot conditions, wore short pants and many worked in their bare feet.

Miners  were allowed 3 cwts. of coal per week during the winter, and 2 cwts. per week in the summer. This was said to have been deducted from their weekly out-put. I saw many miners selling their coal tickets for 2/6d. each, when they did not really them.

The rate allowed for hewing coal, varied according to whether the seam of coal, was hard or soft, but the rate per ton averaged about 2/8d, and the miners earned every penny of it. The old saying was “if you have ever worked in Hanham Pit, you could work anywhere”.

I was told by an old Hanham miner, that the Pit Manager, named Mr Stevenson, with another Hanham miner named Samuel Hayman (who lived in Victoria road) once visited Kingsfield Lane, to look at what was claimed at the time to be “The Big Fault”, this ran down through the Hanham coal- field, and was cutting out the coal seams there. I saw several of these smaller faults myself, which appeared from time to time. When one of these faults was found to be slanting inwards, the miner would have to work beneath, until he found the coal again, and visa versa if it was slanting outwards.

A little way from the bottom of the Pit Shaft, ran a continual flow of icy spring water, and miners used to fill their tea-cans with it. The water when analysed, was found to be first-class.

The Hanham miners were given their week’s notice, one week before the Great National Strike, was to take place. They were quite rightly due to draw their Labour money, after they had signed on, but when they went on the Friday, they were refused payment, on the grounds that they were on strike. After a delay of six weeks, their case was settled by arbitration, and they were paid their arrears. This was at the old Labour Exchange at Kingswood, which is now the Woolworth Stores.

During the six weeks many of the miners had become destitute, and had to apply to the Board of Guardians for relief. Those who had been receiving relief, were very annoyed and surprised, to find an official from the Board of Guardians, waiting at the labour exchange, to take back money they had previously received from them. What the miners said outside, afterwards among themselves, must be left to one’s own imagination.

Whilst I was working there, only one fatal accident occurred, this was a miner named William Comley, who lived in a little cottage, in Anstey’s Lane Hanham. He was buried in Warmley Church Yard, on a Saturday afternoon. A short service and some hymns were sung at his house, a large number of miners (including myself) walked behind the hearse all the way. The deceased miner’s father, who lived close to Cadbury Heath School, was unable to attend the funeral, but was taken to see the cortege pass by.

Of the old Hanham Pit itself, only the old winding engine house, now remains, the pit shaft having been filled in long ago. The old lamp room which used to stand just inside the pit Gates, has been demolished.

There was a small emergency Pit-shaft, this was a short distance away from the main shaft, and was only just wide enough for a small one-way cage to be operated. It would only hold three or four men, and the winding gear was very slow when in use. It was only used once during the time that I was there, this was when the guides in the main shaft slipped out of place. The afternoon shift had to go home, and it took almost until midnight to bring the day-shift miners up. Their absence had by this time caused some anxious moments to wives and relatives, when they had not returned to their homes.

Written by an unknown Hanham Miner