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[Illustration: _Frontispiece_: THE MINERS' HALL, DURHAM]




A HISTORY OF THE

DURHAM MINERS' ASSOCIATION

1870-1904

BY

ALDERMAN JOHN WILSON, J.P.

_Corresponding Secretary to the Association, Chairman of Durham
County Council, and Member of Parliament for
Mid-Durham Division_

"A tale should be judicious, clear, succinct;
The language plain, and incidents well link'd;
Tell not as new what everybody knows,
And, new or old, still hasten to a close."

COWPER.

Durham

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY

J. H. VEITCH & SONS, 24 AND 25 NORTH ROAD

1907

_PRICE THREE SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE_




To

MY COLLEAGUES THE MINERS OF DURHAM

   this outline of their associated history is respectfully dedicated by
   one who knows the hardships and dangers of their lives, who
   understands their character and esteems it, who has been with them in
   their struggles for freedom, equality, and a better life, whose
   greatest pride is that from early youth he has been (and still is)
   one of them, whose highest honour is that he is trusted by them to
   take part in the varied and important duties of their association,
   and whose hope is, that avenues of greater good may by their united
   and individual efforts be opened out to them.




CONTENTS

                                 PAGE

PREFATORY EXPLANATION             xi

THE PREPARATION                    1

LAYING THE FOUNDATION             11

REARING THE BUILDING              16

THE LEADERS                       37

OPPOSITION TO THE BUILDING        41

HISTORY                           46

AFTER WORDS                      336

CHANGES                          337

IN MEMORIAM                      346

AU REVOIR                        350

APPENDIX I                       355

    "    II                      356

    "    III                     358

INDEX                            361




INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS

MINERS' HALL, DURHAM        _Frontispiece_

N. WILKINSON     _facing page_    25

T. RAMSEY                 "       40

J. H. VEITCH              "       43

THE FIRST DEPUTATION      "       47

W. CRAWFORD, M.P.         "       99

W. GOLIGHTLY              "      105

J. FORMAN                 "      123

W. H. PATTERSON           "      160

ALDERMAN J. WILSON, M.P.  "      182

J. JOHNSON, M.P.          "      217

T. H. CANN                "      276

ALDERMAN W. HOUSE         "      293

ALDERMAN S. GALBRAITH     "      305

H. F. HEATH               "      337




PREFATORY EXPLANATION


It is necessary that I should set forth the reason why this attempt
has been made to place on record, in a compact form, the rise and
progress of our Association, with the changes which have taken place
in our position. The inception lies in a letter received from one of
our lodges, and addressed to the Executive Committee:

   "Seeing that matters of a definite nature relating to the history of
   the Trade Union movement in the county of Durham, in its social,
   political, and industrial aspects, are difficult to obtain, we would
   suggest to our Executive that it would be opportune at this juncture
   to ask Mr Wilson, on behalf of the Association, to write a short,
   concise history of the movement in the county, giving the social and
   industrial changes that have followed its progress, and that the
   Executive issue the same free or at cost price to lodges for
   distribution amongst the members."

This was considered by the Committee. It met with their approval so
far as the history was concerned, but they, with very generous
feelings, remembered the many things I have on hand. They felt
confident that such a work would be appreciated by our members, but
they were loath to impose more work upon me. Their desire that I
should prepare such a work was expressed in such a kind and
considerate manner--not as a Committee dictating business to its
Secretary--that I could not have refrained from taking the task, even
if it had been irksome; but the request was in harmony with my own
desire, and therefore, if the labour had been more arduous, it would
still have been one of pure love and pleasure.

Yet, although it is pleasant, it is well to recognise a difficulty
which meets us at the start. It arises from the fact that at the
commencement of our Association no records were kept, or, if kept,
have been lost. The first Minutes that can be found commence with
1874, and even the Minutes for the years 1874-1875 are not all in
existence, and some which are, have been mutilated by portions of
them, and circulars, being cut out. In the period referred to we were
in the same position as other similar bodies or nations. At the rise
of these there is always the vague and uncertain period where
tradition plays the part of accurate historical record. In the
struggle for a position there is no time for systematic book-keeping,
or, if books are kept, there is no care in preserving them. This is
borne out fully in our inception and our early existence, and
therefore for facts in relation to our commencement and the first few
years of our existence as a Trades Union body we must depend upon
outside sources wherever such are available. In this some little
assistance will come from "Fynes' History," which, of course, cannot
supply much, as it deals with matters largely anterior to our
commencement. If we turn to the files of newspapers we by diligent and
close search can gather from published reports of meetings and
proceedings of that time useful information. There is another source
of information--viz. the books of the employers.

In respect to this matter I cannot too strongly express my thanks to
the proprietors and editor of _The Durham Chronicle_ for the kind and
ready manner in which they placed at my disposal the whole of the
files of their paper, commencing with 1869, and allowed me to have
them for use in our office. They have very largely helped me to fill
in the hiatus up to 1876. My thanks and yours are due to the employers
and Mr Guthrie for the free access they gave me to their books at any
time and in the fullest manner. They have not only allowed me
facilities for examination, but Mr Guthrie has assisted me in my
search, and has copied out portions which I deemed necessary for our
purpose.

The difficulty has therefore been lessened, and the work lightened by
the help mentioned, but if this had not been so the work would still
have been commenced, as the object lies near my heart, for two
reasons--first, because to me there is no dearer or more attractive
institution in the whole country than our Association. I will not say
it is superior to all others, but I will assert it has none, or not
many equals. From very small beginnings, from very unlikely
conditions, and in the face of bitter and opposing circumstances and
forces, there has been reared not merely a strong Trades Union as
strong as any extant, but one as beneficial as it is strong. The
second reason is the usefulness of the record. If, as Pope says, the
"proper study of mankind is man," then, if on a slightly lower plane,
it must be an important matter for a man to know the history of the
class to which he belongs and of any institution of which he is a
member.

It is useful, too, in showing our young men the condition we have come
from, the toil and anxiety those who were the initiators had to face,
and the large amount of unremunerative labour they had to perform. Our
present position has been bought with a price, the amount of which is
unknown to this generation, many of whom are like the prodigal, who
inheriting a fortune and knowing nothing of the hardships involved in
the accumulation, squanders with indifference that which has cost
bitter years and much hardship.

Let me conclude this preface by saying I offer no plea for inability.
That is too well known, by myself at least. If he is a wise man who
knows his own limits and failings, then I am a very wise man. But one
other thing I know as well: I have a full knowledge of your
toleration, and that you are ready to give full credit for good
intentions. The history shall be the best that I can do, keeping in
view all the circumstances. I remember that we do not want a mere
comment upon our history; that I could make from my experience, but it
might not be accepted as reliable, and therefore what we must aim at
(even if it be tedious) is a matter-of-fact statement, because that is
all we desire.

I fear the history will not be very concise; but that, like all other
words, is relative. If it is not as short as some would desire, it
shall not be verbose. We will waste no words nor use any useless
verbal padding; we will "nothing extenuate nor write down aught in
malice." Each general event shall have its place and mention.

This note may be added, that at the commencement of the Association it
was embracive of all sections of labour in and about the mines. Before
we had been long in existence there was a desire for the formation of
separate organisations, as it was felt that there were certain
peculiarities connected with the other occupations which the miners
could not technically deal with. The first to leave were the
enginemen, then followed the mechanics,