As others have pointed out the Mine Agent was more often also the land
owners land agent or steward.
A good history of the development of the mine agent proper is "Aristocratic
Enterprise" by Graham Mee. I got my copy on ABE.
He focuses on the Fitzwilliam estates in South Yorkshire and looks at how
the position of Mine Agent became more specialised as the technical
requirements increased.
Regards
Gavin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith Jackson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, June 09, 2008 10:32 AM
Subject: Mine Agents
> Several of my ancestors have proved to be Mine Agents in various
> coalfields and I understand that this term effectively relates to the
> modern post of mine manager, though I don't know whether that would have
> meant what we'd currently think of as a manager or would also have applied
> to posts equivalent to under-managers. I would not have thought it would
> have applied to deputies and over-men because the term agent suggests he
> would have been an owners' representative and there would have been only
> one per mine or perhaps one per shift necessary. I don't know when mine
> management became a statutory occupation but I'd guess in the early- to
> mid-19th century that there would neither a national qualification nor
> national or local registration of officials. On that basis, would I be
> right in assuming that Mine Agents would be appointed entirely on the
> basis of experience and aptitude?
>
> Although there would have been many small pits in this period, each with
> at least one agent, I can't imagine that it would have been all that easy
> for a miner to rise to agent, even so, and that there would have been a
> fair number of dead men's boots to be filled on the way up. Is it be
> reasonable to assume that it would be unusual for anyone to become an
> agent before their mid-thirties at the very earliest and to be more likely
> not to happen until they were into their forties?
>
> Although I'm ex-NCB, I worked at the MRDE/TSRE near Burton on Trent so my
> knowledge of mine management is limited as I was never pit-based.
>
> Keith
>
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