A book that may be of interest ...

_Letters of John Buddle to Lord Londonderry, 1820–1843_, ed. Anne Orde, Publications of the Surtees Society 217, published by Boydell & Brewer Sept. 2013



Publisher's information (http://www.boydellandbrewer.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=14293)

John Buddle (1773–1843), the most eminent coal viewer and mining engineer and manager of his day, worked for a number of different coal owners in North-East England. In particular, for over twenty years he acted as colliery manager for Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry. In this capacity Buddle wrote to his employer more than 2,000 letters, of which this book provides a selection. They give not only a detailed, and at times almost a day-to-day account of the coal trade of the Tyne and Wear at a time when the industry was expanding rapidly, but also a discussion of Lord Londonderry's always difficult financial affairs, of his local political activities, and the general condition of the region in a period of change. Buddle emerges from these letters as a self-confident professional man with far-reaching ideas tempered by prudence, ready to speak his mind and by no means always agreeing with his aristocratic employer, though ultimately always bowing to his decisions; Londonderry is revealed as ambitious, willful, and incapable of living within his means. The letters reveal the sometimes troubled relationship between the two very different men, one that came close to breaking-point in 1841, though the breach was repaired before Buddle's death in 1843; more widely, they paint a vivid picture of north-east England in the early nineteenth century, of its politics, its economy, and its social situation at a time of lively development.

Anne Orde is a retired Senior Lecturer in History, University of Durham.



The above publisher's blurb gives a good idea of the subjects covered but underplays the emphasis on coal mining and the innovations that Buddle was concerned with bringing to the industry. The following paragraphs from the author's introduction to the book do better justice to this:

John Buddle was viewer and colliery manager to the third Marquess of Londonderry from 1820 until his death in October 1843. In the course of those twenty-three years he wrote to his employer some 2000 letters, of which the following are a selection. The letters printed here are representative, in their subject-matter, of the correspondence as a whole. It is not the primary purpose of this edition to give a picture of the relationship between the two men, although that does emerge. Nor can it be to give a complete picture of Buddle’s career, since it covers only a part. The purpose is to present a picture of North East England at a time of social and economic change, seen through the eyes of a well-informed participant. The main focus, naturally, is on coal and related matters – the industry, colliery affairs, the coal trade, property, the building of Seaham Harbour, industrial relations. A second subject that received a great deal of attention was Lord Londonderry’s financial affairs. Thirdly there are reports on local public affairs, notably politics. Taken together the letters give a picture of North East England at a time of far-reaching change.

Buddle did not write a great deal about the day-to-day working of the collieries; but he did write about new machinery such as the transferer for lifting tubs of coal off keels into a ship. He was much occupied with wayleaves for transporting coal from the collieries to the shipping points, working out routes for new waggonways and negotiating the terms of leases. He reported on major accidents, both a few that affected Londonderry directly and others that involved Buddle himself, including the Wallsend disaster of June 1835.



Declaration of interest:

My partner, Pam Cope, who is a freelance copy editor, worked on contract on this book for Boydell and Brewer, hence my knowledge of it. However, neither Pam nor myself have any financial interest in the published work.

Dave
-- 
Dave Linton
01341 280901

If you need to leave the list, send the following message to [log in to unmask] -

leave mining-history
---------