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Colliers Riots 1822

Heartland

master brummie
Riots are part of the present as well as the past. In April & May 1822 the colliers at Bilston, Wednesbury and Wolverhampton were part of of group who protested against the drop in their wages. This was a period when trade was in a depression period. Bankruptcies for iron and coal masters were increasingly becoming a common occurrence. General provisions had become cheaper after the ending of the war with the French and the mine owners saw this factor as a reason to reduce wages. This was also the time when colliers were often paid in provisions and beer at the Truck Shop.

With the maintenance of order troops of cavalry and yeomany were called on to keep the peace and some of the local soldiers employed in the West Midlands still comprised an element of the battle hardened troops that fought in the Battle of Waterloo.

There was a flare up of violence on the outskirts of Wolverhampton, near Monmore Green, where William Firmstone was attacked by colliers who threw stones at him in May 1822. He called for assistance and various troop arrived in the area to maintain order. Some rioters were arrested at the time, whilst others were detained later at their homes in Ettingshall Lane. This lane linked two turnpikes and was also known as Hell Lane,

All were taken before the Assizes at Stafford in July and the punishment ranged from 3 months to a year in prison. The ring leaders all received the longer term.

The prisoners who attacked Firmstone, did so at the turnpike gate. Their names were given as William Roe, Richard Preston, Benjamin Walker, Richmond Powell and Richard Brisbane. There was also Abraham Harris, Backhouse, Davis and Cooper named and of all these named Benjamin Walker and Abraham Harris were said to be the most active.

In addition to stone throwing, the rioters were charged with attacking a banksman and the crew of a couple of canal boats.

At the trial all were said to be of good character and perhaps pleas by the defence council affected the sentence.

There is the question to be resolved on what happened to those imprisoned and why some adopted the more active role
 
One thing that is missing from the above account is that shots were fired, and a man named Robson later died from his injuries.
 
Yes.

I quote this in my book South Staffordshire Ironmaster p 58, but the above post was to highlight another aspect especially the fate of those who were prosecuted. Yet as you might discover in my book. Ironmaster Price was found with his throat cut in his home (p 67).
 
The title of the thread is “The Collier’s Riots, 1822” so people may also like to know other information relating to the event in the Black Country.
 
Firmstone may also have influenced the sentences as he applied to the court for a mitigated punishment, on the account of the prisoners good characters.
 
Looking for fatalities at Monmore Green Colliery between 1820 and 1829, here are a few mentions in the newspaper archives. Note they include a women and an 11 year old boy.

Jan 1821 Man killed by explosion of foul air.

Feb 1822 Man killed by earth and rubbish falling upon him.

July 1822 Man killed when blowing up stone

December 1822. Ironstone, man ejected from skip by sudden jerk and killed.

March 1827. Peter Carr, a boy of 11 years of age, killed whilst at work in the pit, by a large quantity of ironstone falling up on him.

1828 Woman killed by being knocked down shaft.
 
These were certainly dangerous times before regulations came into force. When it is considered that working under ground in a mine had so many hazards, even creating regulations could only reduce the risk.

There were roof falls and danger of suffocation by the methane gas that could be found in the workings. There were inundations where water could flood the mine and there was a variation where sand mixed with water could flow in. Sometimes the miners had their own terms like “Bump”. In this case the problems of deep coal mining, like at Sandwell Park Colliery, the floor of the workings might give way such were the pressures acting down on the workings. A “bump” happened suddenly and without warning. The floor shooting up could bring down the roof and miners were buried in the workings.

Apart from gas, fires could start under- ground as happened at Hampstead Colliery, trapping miners and the pit horses with serious results.

Those working at the pit bank faced danger through falling into the unfenced pit shaft. And those miners being lowered in the “bowk” may be killed if the pit rope or chain broke. Coming up the pit there was the danger of being drawn over the pulley and then being tipped down to the bottom of shaft.

Also on the surface there was a danger of coming into contact with a pit tub or being run over by a train of wagons going to the canal wharf or railway sidings. Haulage of the trucks varied between horse, rope or locomotive. There were some accidents from the 1860’s where people suffered fatal injuries from being hit by the newly introduced locomotives used on some South Staffordshire industrial railways.
 
Before regulations were in place, the times were dangerous. Even though regulations can only help reduce risk, they are not enough when you consider the dangers of working underground in a mining environment.
Roofs could fall and methane gas in the mines was a danger. Inundations were possible where water would flood the mine. Another variation was where sand and water mixed together could be pumped in. The miners would use their own words, such as "Bump". The floor of the coal mines, such as Sandwell Park Colliery in this case, could give way due to the downward pressure. Unexpectedly, a "bump" occurred. The roof could collapse due to the floor shooting up. Miners were also buried under the workings.

As happened at Hampstead Colliery in London, fires can start underground, not only from gas. They can trap miners and pit horses, causing serious consequences.

The pit shaft was not fenced, so those working on the pit bank were at risk of falling in. The pit rope and chain could break, resulting in death for the miners descending into the "bowk". The danger was that when you were going up the shaft, the rope could be pulled over the pulley.

On the surface, there was also the danger of being hit by a pit-tub or a train of rails heading to the railway sidings or canal wharf. The trucks were hauled by horse, rope, or locomotive. In the 1860s, there were a few accidents where people died after being struck by newly introduced locomotives on South Staffordshire Industrial Railways.
 
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