iKnow Lake District
- Barrow in Furness
- Grange Over Sands
- Seascale to Millom
- Solway Firth
- Ulverston
- Whitehaven
- Maryport & Workington
Whitehaven Accommodation
Whitehaven Pit Communities, photography at the Haig Mining Museum & Beacon
Pit Chimney Whitehaven CumbriaCoal Mining History Cumbria Coast Child Labour
John W. Skelly was born in 1913, and from the age of 14 began working at Wellington Pit on the Whitehaven coast first working on tubs at the pit bottom, than as a trapper opening ventilation doors for drivers, trailers and miners passing through passages.
The job of the trapper was usually performed by very young children, who had to remain alert for long shifts of up to 14 hours, with minimal light. John Skelly went on to become a bogey hand at Haig Pit, and further in 1955 to become under-manager. His mining life filled 44 years, and his father had also been a miner.
Child Labor and Children of the Pits
Before 1842 children were widely employed down the mines, indeed many had no choice as their small contribution was needed for the family wage. Many died in accidents and there is a Child Fatalities memorial in St Nicholas gardens, Whitehaven which lists the names of known child deaths in the Whitehaven pits.
Children, both boys and girls, performed monotonous yet crucial jobs such as trapping, which involved opening ventilation doors for drivers and ensuring that they were closed tightly afterwards. A mistake here could mean parts of the mine being cut off from airflow, or indeed could result in explosions due to lack of ventilation and build up of firedamp. Shifts were long, and child Trappers were alone with often just a small candle.
Commissioners investigating child labour in mines in the early 1840s were a little surprised at the conditions they found, and the press did widely exaggerate a picture of half naked children, immoral behaviour underground and appalling conditions for children. However, it was certainly a hard life and there is evidence of young girls being 'fair game', and children falling asleep through exhaustion.
Children of the Pits
I work at Lord Lonsdale's Countess Pit. This week I am on at night. I go down at 6 in the evening and come out at 6 in the morning. I get my breakfast of porridge and milk when I come out, and then go to bed, and get up between 2 and 4 o clock. I get my dinner of potatoes and meat-always meat, and then we get ready to go to pit. I drive a horse.
I used to trap. It's four years since I began to go. I like driving; I did not like trapping, it was such hard work. I had so many doors to trap, and to run before the horse to open six doors at once.
They used me well though; it was not very wet where I was. I had a lantern. I had no time to amuse myself. I earn 7s. a week now. (Joseph Hodgson, 15 years old, interviewed 30 July 1841 at a pit near Whitehaven) Quoted from 'Children of the Pits. Child Labour and child Fatality in the Coal Mines of Whitehaven & District', by Ray Devlin, 1988.
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