Address of the Coal Miners of the North Staffordshire District - A notice from the Enoch Wood Scrapbook
This notice invites us to explore the hardships suffered by North Staffordshire's coal miners in 1831 - when their early trade unions were still not widely recognised.
Employers often intimidated organised ...
Address to the Workmen in the Parishes of Burslem and Wolstanton - Document from the Enoch Wood Scrapbook
The Truck System
This was a system whereby the workers were forced to accept goods in lieu of payment.
They would be payed in tokens, which could only be spent at the company store or 'Tommy Shop.'
The ...
An Address to the Coal Miners - Pamphlet from the Enoch Wood Scrapbook
An apparently neutral observer introduces himself in this pamphlet, claiming to weigh up the respective cases of the coal masters and miners' union during industrial unrest in 1831.
Claiming to wish ...
Arthur Scargill at a miner's strike demonstration, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent 1984.
Arthur Scargill was President of the National Union of Mineworkers during the 1984 - 1985 miner's strike and became a household name. He attended rallys and demonstrations throughout the country including ...
Bass Union Leaders setting off for a conference, Burton-on-Trent
Group of union representatives on Burton-on-Trent Station ready to leave for a conference. The man on the right is G. Slater, the Bass Union Convenor.
Ben Tillet and John Ward
Lithograph print. A caricature of Ben Tillet (left) and John Ward by 'Spy', with caption 'Labour men' . Appeared in 'Vanity Fair' 29th July 1908.
Benjamin Tillett (1860–1943) was a socialist, trade ...
Brother Potters!
The early 1800s brought hard times for potters in Stoke-on-Trent. Costly wars disrupted trade abroad, while poor harvests caused hunger at home.
"One word with you, afore yo gon to do any moore mischif..."
Government ...
Cases of Distress and Oppression, in the Staffordshire Potteries; By Labourers Wages being paid in Truck - Booklet from the Enoch Wood Scrapbook
The Truck System
This was system whereby the workers were forced to accept goods in lieu of payment.
They would be payed in tokens, which could only be spent at the company store or Tommy Shop.
The ...
Children's day out, Kidsgrove.
During the 1984 - 1985 miner's strike there were ten womens action groups in north Staffordshire who supported the striking miners. They ran food centres, organised collections, manned picket lines and ...
Clough Hall Colliery Anti-Union Notice - from the Enoch Wood Scrapbook
Colliery owners did not take kindly to miners' early attempts to form trades unions.
Market forces
Most believed in an 'iron law of wages,' which dictated that wages would be related to market forces.
This ...
Coal getting at Longton
Photograph taken during the Coal Strike of 1926.
This photograph was probably taken from the East Vale /Meir Hay area of Longton. It’s the location of the much earlier Meir Hay Colliery. There ...
Coal outcropping at Longton.
Photograph taken during the Coal Strike of 1926.
This photograph was probably taken from the East Vale /Meir Hay area of Longton. It’s the location of the much earlier Meir Hay Colliery. There were ...
Coal strike, Longton
Loading coal during the Coal Strike of 1926. Photograph possibly taken at Meir Hay.
Coal strike, Longton
Photograph taken during the Coal Strike of 1926, showing a temporary tramway.
Fanny Deakin and A J Cook, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Fanny Deakin is pictured here A J Cook, trade unionist and miners' leader. This photograph may well have been taken during the General Strike of 1926, when they led a march of 200 or 300 miners through ...
Florence Colliery miners going on a demonstration, 1984
During the miner's strike of 1984/1985 many miners and strike supporters travelled to demonstrations around the country. In later years it became illegal to picket any place of work other than your own.
One ...
Food collection at Weston Coyney, Stoke-on-Trent
The miner's strike of 1984 - 1985 saw many families suffer great hardship as striking workers lost all their pay and benefits. Food collection and distribution points like this one at Weston Coyney were ...
Foraging for coal, Longton
Men foraging for coal during the 1926 coal strike.