The Sad Death of 26 Children at Huskar Pit 1838

[dennford]

Thanks for that info' Alan. if anyone wishes to keep thier eyes peeled for the revised edition "The History Press" has a site http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/tabid/4038/Default.aspx

Not to be confused with the American "The History Press" http://www.historypress.net/index_new.php , although they do have a couple of interesting titles on there.

Denn

[liverpool annie]

I came across this looking for something else .... it was happening in America too !!

http://www.historynet.com/picture_of_the_day

Annie 

[tomkin]

    Thanks Annie,

                          ( you will need to go to Feb 19th to see the picture that Annie is
       referring to.)    That was in 1908 but Child slave labour is still rife all
      around the World today.

          Tomkin

[Bellejazz]

What a sad picture, poor little things.
 

- Belinda.

[adee7]

Tomkin,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

I am saddened by this thread and by the knowledge that, as has been said before, many children are suffering the horrors of heavy child labour today.

There is a book, "The Pit Pony" which tells the story of miners in Cape Breton which may be of interest to some.  The author is Joyce Barkhouse. 

Kathleen

The book became a favourite for the enlightenment of modern children and many adults who knew little of the miners' lives.

[dennford]

 That book although aimed at children gives a good insight into both children and ponies in the mines.

It seems that many children reading the book wrote to the author
 "Many children have written to Joyce about Pit Pony.  Some strongly related to Gem and have expressed anger about her death in the mine."

Having worked in the early 1960s as a pony driver I thought that I would have been one of the last of the pony drivers, But no! it seems that they were working at Ellington colliery in Yorkshire untill as late as 1994 and according to some scources were working in Wales up until 1999

these links give some info'
last pit ponies
http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/display.var.1305047.0.end_of_an_era_as_last_pit_pony_dies.php

a couple of stories that should be read about the life of modern pit ponies
http://www.pitponies.co.uk/modern.htm

Denn

[Blackwater Park]

I have been researching the family tree of a friend of mine, and it turns out that she is also related to one of the victims of this disaster, Elizabeth Hollings, who died aged 15. At the inquest a statement was given by her cousin Joseph Hollings, describing how he escaped but she didn't.

[tomkin]

  Hi Blackwater,
                          Josephs account is in the Book by Alan Gallop which
     is an excellent read if you can get a copy.

      Tomkin

[cathaldus]

It is when one reads of this kind of incident that the reality of the Victorian age become clear to the modern eye.   After a court of enquiry,  THEY decided that kids under TEN years of age should NOT go down the mine.  WOW now that's progress!  Remember always,  that when there was slavery in America,  there was slavery here and the slaves included children.  Read any biography of W.E.Gladstone and the politics of the 19th. Century.  For God's sake don't mention Democracy!!   These poor children died,  because they were poor and children.    The Mother of Democracy - I don't think so!!