Diigging myself into a big coal mine in Whitehaven!!

[yogibear82]

Hi everyone,

As you can see from the title of the post this is exactly what I am doing!! I have been trying to research the Rogan family living in Whitehaven for some time now and just about every single member seems to have been a coal miner. However I have a few questions which I hope somebody will kindly answer for me.
I am assuming that coal mining in Whitehaven was a reserved occupation but could men enlist for the war if they wanted to?
If so which regiment would they have gone in or would it have been straight into the territorials?
How many pits were operational in Whitehaven and for how long and is there some sort of mining archive somewhere?I have managed to go back as far as the early 1800's was there a pit opened then?
Hope all this makes sense and thanks in advance!
Yogi

[stanmapstone]

See THE CUMBERLAND COALFIELD from a pamphlet published by the National Coal Board in the 1950s. http://www.cmhrc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/cumberlandcf.htm
And http://www.cmhrc.co.uk/cms/document/1842_Cumberland.pdf
Stan

[yogibear82]

Thanks for that Stan,

I can understand a bit more of the Irish connection!
Yogi

[stanmapstone]

I am assuming that coal mining in Whitehaven was a reserved occupation but could men enlist for the war if they wanted to?

Hi Yogi
You don't say which war, but in November 1915 four lists of occupations scheduled as vitally important for war work and other essential requirements were published.
List A; Occupations required for production or transport of munitions supplied by the Ministry of Munitions.
List B; Coal Mining.
List C;
(a) Agricultural Occupations.
(b) Certain Occupations in mining etc.
(c) Railway Servants employed in the manipulation of traffic and in the maintenance of the lines and rolling stock.
List D; List of Occupations (Reserved Occupations) of cardinal importance for the maintenance of some other branches of trade and industry.
Each of these lists had a detailed description of the occupations included, which were subject to revision as the industrial situation of the country demanded. More occupations in Food and Clothing were added in Dec 1915.

A schedule of reserved occupation was issued in September 1939, Changes to the Schedule of Reserved Occupations were announced periodically up to 1941. There is a list for WW2 here
http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW2/conscription.htm


Stan

[yogibear82]

thanks again stan!

Was the local reg the Border Reg by the way?
Yogi

[stanmapstone]

thanks again stan!

Was the local reg the Border Reg by the way?
Yogi

It looks like it see http://www.1914-1918.net/border.htm

Stan

[emmsthheight]

Hi Yogi

This site also covers mines here in Whitehaven.  Doin't be put off by the Durham mining heading.  They cover mines all over.

http://www.dmm.org.uk

Yes, the main local regiment was the Border Regiment, though many of my Irish relis also joined Irish regiments from over here.

I don't know about official rules, but certainly I know of miners who did serve in the armed forces abroad.

Best wishes

Emms

[emmsthheight]

By the way, is there anything else or anything more specific in the local records we can help you with?

There are electora; rolls for Whitehaven in the record office here, which should include a list of absent voters for the war.  I could look on those if i had names and probably addresses or at ;east an idea of area.

If the names are quite recent you might want to use a pm though.

Also, if you tyhink they may have served, have you looked on the medal rolls and service / pension records online though the latter two didn't all survive.

Just a few thoughts.

Best wishes

Emms

[stanmapstone]

Hi Yogi

This site also covers mines here in Whitehaven.  Doin't be put off by the Durham mining heading.  They cover mines all over.

http://www.dmm.org.uk

There is a list of mines at http://www.dmm.org.uk/collnear/h015.htm

Stan