The inspector for the 1842 child commission report visited Cromhall colliery
in 1841. He stated they employ "about 40 hands". The 1841 census however
only
lists 24 people immediately identifiable as "miners", the other employees
are presumably either missed by the census or included under other job
descriptions such as carpenter, blacksmith etc
As an example of smiths working at a colliery is given below......
The Gloucester record office contains inventories of items at Cromhall
colliery in the late 18th century.
The older one includes among other things (prices in £ S & d)
1
Hammer ditto
0
1
0
1
Pair Smiths Bellows ditto
1
10
0
1
Small Vice ditto
0
5
0
The later one has many more items those possibly connected with the
backsmiths include
1
Smiths Bellows
1
10
0
1
Ditto Anvil
1
10
0
1
Ditto (Bickiron)
0
15
0
1
Large vise
1
10
0
1
Small ditto
0
6
0
16
Ditto Tonge's, 1 Poker 1Slice
1
4
0
12
Ditto Hammers
0
12
0
3
Ditto Sledges
0
5
0
1
Ditto punching Engine for y Boiler
2
0
0
1
Ditto Shoeing Box Hamer and (?)
0
2
6
50
Ditto drift irons
And punching irons and wedges
2
10
0
8
Ditto (Rubers) and files
0
6
0
1
(Bittle) & 2 Wedges
0
2
6
This line Crossed out
1
Grind stone with a frame and handle
0
10
0
2
Timber axes or hatchets
0
3
6
2
Drawing knives
0
2
0
1
Pair stockes with 3 taps and screw plate with 4 taps and 1 standing
stock
3
3
0
1
Smiths (Towel) rote iron new
0
4
0
1
Candle Chest and one nail box
0
6
0
l
Large and 1 small iron (leadles)
0
1
6
5
Different Size Barrows
0
4
0
3
Powder Hornes
0
1
0
3
Smiths Sledges
0
6
0
3
Dividers
0
2
0
2
Drill Throughs
0
3
6
1
Screw jack
1
1
0
13
T Q lb
Small Boiler plates now 10 about 2-2-0
3
3
0
1
Hand saw
0
2
6
4
Half Hd wt cast iron with (binges)r
1
1
0
8
Spring (crooks)
0
12
0
3
Fire grates
0
7
6
2
(Chermers)
0
10
0
1
Smiths Square
0
1
0
7
Different size spanniers
0
10
0
142
Large and small different size cast iron single links N. 142 with 83
ditto. rote Iron pins N.66
4
0
0
Regards
David
----- Original Message -----
From: "Eve Gardner" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 11:59 PM
Subject: [MINING-HISTORY] Blacksmiths and mining
> William Hallam (1819-1888) was a miner but not from a mining family --
> thus,
> he didn't fall into mining naturally or as a matter of course. His father
> was a blacksmith and William was trained as a smith. Some time after 1848
> William became a miner and in the 1871 census he was said to be a fireman
> at
> a coal pit. This was his title also when he died in 1888. My question is,
> would his being a smith have been an advantage in applying for work at the
> mines? Was there a job in the mines in the 1840s and 1850s that would have
> required the training of a smith?
>
>
> --
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>
>
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