Stafford - thanks for the very helpful reply.
John
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stafford M Linsley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 4:51 AM
Subject: Re: Deputies' sticks
> Yes indeed, the deputy's stick had a number of functional uses as well as
> being a badge of office, Typically, in the north east, they were used for:
>
> 1. Testing the soundness of the roof, but a brass ferrule was needed on
the
> end for this - your rubber foot is almost certainly an addition.
>
> 2. Gas testing in the roof of workings, the testing flame lamp being hung
> from the handle end of the stick, via a leather thong or piece of string
> tied in a loop through a hole drilled in the handle end.
>
> 3. Measuring advances made in headings etc - the stick was of a particular
> length from end to end,
> eg 3 feet.
>
> 4. Checking tubway gauge - a groove cut round the stick at say 2 feet 6
> inches from the handle end.
>
> Can't explain your spiral groove I'm afraid.
>
> I have two examples, from my late father who was a deputy, one of which
was
> cut down from a billiard cue, the other hand made, presumably by the pit
joiners
>
>
>
> >Some close friends recently gave me a colliery deputy's or
under-manager's
> stick as a birthday present - it was apparently the result of a lengthy
> search through antique shops across South Yorkshire, and I really
appreciate
> the gift.
> >
> >Unfortunately, we know practically nothing about it, other than that it
is
> believed to date from the 1930s. I'm told that the carving on the main
shaft
> of the stick (a sort of double, tapering spiral) is a clue to its origins.
> Can anyone help, or point me in the right direction?
> >
> >I'm aware that these were both "badges of office" and practical tools, in
> that they were used for testing the soundness of roofs and walls and
> pit-props. I've also been informed that deputies would hang a lamp from
the
> end to hold it up to high roofs to test for pockets of gas, and this one
> comfortably accommodates the handle of a flame safety lamp, if you remove
> the rubber foot. (Is this original or a later addition?)
> >
> >My cousin, who was a hewer in a South Wales coal mine until he was badly
> crushed in a fall about 10 years ago, tells me that one of their deputies
> would also use the stick to give them a crack over the head or on the back
> if they were felt to be slacking, skimping on the props or generally
messing
> about!
> >
> >I'd be grateful for any advice or information.
> >
> >Thanks in advance.
> >
> >John
> ><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
> ><HTML><HEAD>
> ><META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
> ><META content="MSHTML 5.00.2919.6307" name=GENERATOR>
> ><STYLE></STYLE>
> ></HEAD>
> ><BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
> ><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Some close friends recently gave me a
colliery
> >deputy's or under-manager's stick as a birthday present - it was
apparently
> the
> >result of a lengthy search through antique shops across South Yorkshire,
and I
> >really appreciate the gift. </FONT></DIV>
> ><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
> ><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Unfortunately, we know practically nothing
about
> >it, other than that it is believed to date from the 1930s. I'm told that
the
> >carving on the main shaft of the stick (a sort of double, tapering
spiral)
> is a
> >clue to its origins. Can anyone help, or point me in the right
> >direction?</FONT></DIV>
> ><DIV> </DIV>
> ><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm aware that these were both "badges of
> >office" and practical tools, in that they were used for testing the
> >soundness of roofs and walls and pit-props. I've also been informed that
> >deputies would hang a lamp from the end to hold it up to high roofs to
test
> for
> >pockets of gas, and this one comfortably accommodates the handle of
a
> flame
> >safety lamp, if you remove the rubber foot. (Is this original or a later
> >addition?)</FONT></DIV>
> ><DIV> </DIV>
> ><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My cousin, who was a hewer in a South Wales
coal
> >mine until he was badly crushed in a fall about 10 years ago, tells me
that
> one
> >of their deputies would also use the stick to give them a crack over the
> head or
> >on the back if they were felt to be slacking, skimping on the props or
> generally
> >messing about!</FONT></DIV>
> ><DIV> </DIV>
> ><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'd be grateful for any advice or
> >information.</FONT></DIV>
> ><DIV> </DIV>
> ><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks in advance.</FONT></DIV>
> ><DIV> </DIV>
> ><DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>John</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
> >
> Stafford M Linsley
> Lecturer in Industrial Archaeology
> The University
> Newcastle upon Tyne
> England
> NE1 7RU
> Tel. 0191-222 6795
>
>
>
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