Dominic Cronin11/6/04 7:24 PM
Post by Dominic CroninPost by Chris RyallChris Rockcliffe wrote on "Black Leg Miner"
Post by Chris RockcliffeThis was where the term *blackleg* for a strike breaker originated.
You seem to have covered every issue except the origin of the term
'blackleg'. I was told that they were Cornishmen and had (culturally)
black leggings of some kind. Anyone know?
Well presumably moleskin.
[Celtic trimmed as irrelevant, Geordie added as relevant]
(for the benefit of u.l.g - we've already noted that Seghill/Delaval
is Northumberland not Durham - then Chris reckoned that the blacklegs
in question were Irish.)
Hi Dom,
Songs like these are historical documents themselves and it helps to
understand their wider context to more fully appreciate the sentiments.
It's a historical fact that large numbers of Irish were brought in to the NE
coal industry in 1844 to help break the strike by Londonderry and others.
The blacklegs were provided with new work clothes - including moleskin
(heavy cotton) trousers and boots and also tools. Blacklegs were given tied
houses and striker's families evicted.
In those days, coal miners had to buy their own clothing, headwear,
footwear, tools and safety lamps, so that was yet another reason for anger
and resentment. It was simple political muscle-flexing to show who was
boss.
It was also the dawning of the modern trade union movement and a major
political storm blew up about it. It raised awareness of unions and planted
the seeds of real union power.
Many of the striking miners already here were also 1st and 2nd generation
Irish from the Napoleonic and post Napoleonic era - first quarter of the
century - when the really deep mines were first sunk (with German help) to
reach previously unknown deep seams.
Many more Irish came seeking mining work after one famine or another all
around the 2nd quarter of the 19th century. The N.E. had a large growing
Irish catholic population and as a result after Catholic Emancipation (1829)
many new churches were built in the NE in mid 19th century as further
evidence of the arrival of Irish then.
Steam was then king and Londonderry and others were all investing huge sums
in putting in new steam driven pumps and cage winding engines to speed
productivity; planning and building local steam railways to transport coal
more quickly from coastal mines to the ports; and building new staithes to
fill larger vessels. They were also expanding existing mines and sinking new
and deeper shafts all over the NE.
The strike bit hard at cash flow and coal profits. The mines were expanding
and demand for coal was growing. The enforced wage cuts were to help pay
for it all. But working class lives were cheap enough then.
It mattered not to Londonderry - a multi millionaire and the most vociferous
anti-trade union Lord in the House, that the very poor died or were injured
in street battles in the heat of the political process, or how many of them
virtually starved, as long as he and his cronies won the day - which
effectively they did anyway.
Londonderry wanted the British army to be involved and to shoot on sight
what we later called pickets and those barracking and attacking blacklegs.
Even Queen Victoria - via her beloved Prince Albert's influence no doubt -
asked questions and spoke out against Londonderry to the then Prime Minister
Sir Robert Peel. This was of course the primary era of huge reform,
Victorian order, Christian values and respectability.
It was reported that, such was the hateful venom that Londonderry spouted in
the House, that he scored own goals with the more liberal and slightly
leftish-leaning, Christian-thinking Lords and MPs.
The dispute had a positive side because it opened up wider discussions and
debate in Parliament about many aspects of coalmining and its working
conditions - and also conditions in other industries and the plight of the
working classes - accelerating discussion which might otherwise never have
been aired for years and years.
Inadvertently, in the longer term, Lord Londonderry and his supporters
helped the striking miner's wider cause enormously.
CR