Child Miners in the 1850's - Family Stories of Children

While researching a family history I came across an amazing report written by a gentleman by the name of Robert Hugh Franks Esquire. It was a report on the employment of children in the Iron Works and Collieries of South Wales in the early 1840’s. Its contents are shocking to our modern eyes and it contains transcripts of interviews with some of the children who worked in the mines or simple observations of the investigator. The following are a sample of some of the children interviewed, you will see that the children’s religious knowledge was tested as at that time it was seen to be essential.

'No.46. Mary Davis, near 7 years old, air-door keeper'

'A very pretty girl who was fast asleep under a piece of rock near the air-door below ground. Her lamp had gone out for want of oil and upon waking her, she said the rats or someone had run away with her bread and cheese so she went to sleep. The oversman, who was with me, thought she was not old enough, though felt sure she had been below for near 18 months.'

'No 43. Phillip Phillips, 9 years old, air door keeper'

'He began work at 7 years old and has often fallen asleep when tired. He was burned by the fire-damp nine months since and laid by five months, expected to die...the fire burned me very badly it took the skin off my face. I have returned to work 3 months. My Father is a Carpenter, Mother has eight children, three out of work. I was never at school and none of the children go to school. ' (Face quite disfigured)'

Air Doors were placed throughout the mine to aid ventilation into the mine and prevent the build up of noxious gases. The job of Air Door Keeper was normally reserved for a child of between 5 and 11years old. They would need to open and shut the door to allow the carts to pass through.

'No.18. Henrietta Frankland, 11 years old, drammer'

'When well, I draw the drams (carts), which contain 4 to 5 cwt. of coal from the head to the main road. I make 48 to 50 journeys. My sister, who is two years older, also works at dramming. The work is very hard and the long hours before the pay day much fatiguing. The mine is wet where we work as the water passes through the roof and the workings are only 30 to 30 inches high. I have been laid idle two months as a horse fell on upon me and the cart passed over me and crushed my inside. No ribs were broken but the pain was great and continues still. Sister Maria (13 years old) as well as myself have not been to school since work. I do not know whether God made me or anything about Jesus. There are no Commandments. None of us read any book. My sister is learning the spelling book. She has been 12 months at Sunday School and not yet in a book. (The sister was present having just returned from the mine. She did not know her letters)'

A 'Drammer' worked in low tunnels in the mine between the coalface and the bigger higher tunnels where horses could be used. The Drammer was often a young girl who pulled loaded carts with the help of a chain fixed around her waist. They would be expected to pull at least 40 loads each day.

In the above report it seems that Henrietta was not at work at the time of her interview as had been injured. I decided to try to find her on the 1841 census. The census, as many of you are aware, was handwritten by an official who went from house to house gathering information. There are errors as names were misheard or misinterpreted, and perhaps more so in Wales where Welsh was often the first language rather than English. I found a Henrietta Franklyn who is most probably the same Henrietta featured above. The age matches, the place matches and she has a sister called Maria which makes it highly likely that this is the same child. It is interesting that the census does not state that Henrietta or her sister Maria were working. A glance down the pages of the census show that none of the children listed are noted as working. Though the report above shows that this was actually quite common. If this is the same child, then Henrietta was one of six children and her Father, Samuel was a Collier. They lived on Trevor Street, Cyfarthfa Row, Merthyr Tydfil. Perhaps all the children worked in the mine.

Further research found that Henrietta’s Mother, Elizabeth, died in 1845 and by 1851 Henrietta and her father Samuel, were living with Henrietta's older brother John who had married and had three small children of his own. They were all living together in Aberdare around 8 miles from Merthyr Tydfil.  There is another child, called Henry, aged 10 on the 1851 census, who is probably Samuel’s youngest son, Henrietta’s brother. Both Samuel and his son John are listed as 'Colliers'. Henrietta was single, aged about 21yrs old and listed simply as a collier’s Daughter. We know that by 1851 she should not have been working in the mine as a direct result of the report in which she featured, however the census entry may not have been accurate.

The report was published in 1842 and was greeted with general uproar and disbelief nationally. As a result, in August 1942 ‘The Coal Mines Regulation Act’ was passed. This meant that from 1 March 1843 it became illegal for women or any child under the age of ten to work underground in Britain.

It was a great achievement that by law children could no longer be employed in such a dangerous environment, but it must have had a significant effect on their families at the time. The Government gave no compensation for the unemployed and it must have caused considerable hardship. The Act was not easily enforced as there was only one Inspector of Mines over the whole of Britain, and if he was planning an inspection, he had to give notice before the visit. There were still many children and women working in the mines for some time after the Act came into law. In fact I found names of several children and women on lists of fatalities for February 14th 1844 on the Welsh Coal Mines website:

In the above record, the name of the mine was not specified and it is sad that the full names of the victims were often not recorded. This was perhaps as the employers were trying to avoid action against them for employing women or children illegally.

This report is an unusual family history source, but well worth looking at if you had family members who were miners or lived in that area. It gives detail to the working life of these families and so adds to their family stories and you may be lucky and find one of your ancestor’s names within the report itself. Perhaps one of your ancestors died or was injured in the mines, in which case the Welsh coal mines website is a rich source of information.

Feel free to contact me if I can help with any aspect of your family history research – I love to help uncover those family stories!

References:

Children's Employment Commission 1842 by Robert Hugh Franks Esq.

All drawings featured above are taken from this report as are the quotes from the children interviewed.

Welsh Coal Mines: https://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk