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Description: | Printed in 1832, this is one of a number of songs printed in support of local pitmen. The pitmen formed their first trade union in 1825. This was the United Association of Northumberland and Durham Miners. After a limited start, a new union was formed in 1830, largely as the result of work by Thomas Hepburn. When the time approached in March 1831 for the renewal of the annual bond or working agreement between pitmen and colliery owners, meetings of pitmen were held in Gateshead and Newcastle. Here the unions urged the men to demand regular work and wages, and shorter hours for boys working under ground.The employers, however, refused and by April the pitmen tightened their pressure by forcing collieries to join the strike. After seven weeks the coal-owners agreed to a 10 per cent increase in wages and restriction of working hours for boys to twelve hours a day. A repeat of the strike in the spring of 1832, however, was not a success. Coal-owners brought in outside labour and evicted their workers from their cottages. Much violence and rioting ensued and the pitmen were eventually forced to return to work. This is one of a number of songs printed in support of the pitmen. The accompanying illustration shows the principal characters involved in the strike of 1832.The songs forms part of a collection held by Newcastle City Library. The collection comprises much of the original material collected by Thomas Allan for the publication of 'Allan's Tyneside songs'. From original Ned Corvan manuscripts to photographs of Joe Wilson, and correspondence from local figures such as Joseph Cowen, the collection provides a genuinely fascinating glimpse of some of the region's best known composers. The material dates from 1860 to 1890, spanning the dates of the various publications of the book in 1862, 1863, 1864, 1872, 1873 and 1891. ; Song manuscripts, correspondence and broadsides collected for the publication of Allan's Tyneside Songs. | Publisher: | W. Stephenson Gateshead ; Tyne and Wear | Rights holder: | rights holder : Newcastle City Library | Subjects: | strikes & protest & miners & mining industry and occupation & protest | Temporal: | start=1801;end=1840; | Source: | Folk Archive Resource North East | Identifier: | farne:L0112201 | Go to resource |
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