Hurrier

[JMR]

My family had quite a few hurriers working in both the iron and coal mines in Yorkshire. When I first read their occupation I'd never heard of a hurrier and I thought it may have been transcribed incorrectly. I was horrified when I googled the word and found out what a truly horrid job this was. In my case the little boys were hurriers for their fathers who were miners.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurrying

Luckily my little ones were born after the law changed outlawing children doing this work under 10 years. I have attached a photo of my Gt Gt Uncle Henry Wells in 1862. He is 16 in this photo. You can see the coal dust engrained in his hands. Even though he has cleaned up for the photo the coal dust is a dead giveaway. He married at 18 to 16 year old Sarah Coultas. The emigrated to the USA in 1871 after already burying 3 children in England. The had 16 children altogether. Henry ended up owning a homestead in South Dakota - no wonder he called hiss youngest son Freedom Coultas Wells.

Fingers crossed the photo works!!!
Cheers,
Jill

 

[p.risboy]

My family had quite a few hurriers working in both the iron and coal mines in Yorkshire. When I first read their occupation I'd never heard of a hurrier and I thought it may have been transcribed incorrectly. I was horrified when I googled the word and found out what a truly horrid job this was. In my case the little boys were hurriers for their fathers who were miners.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurrying

Luckily my little ones were born after the law changed outlawing children doing this work under 10 years. I have attached a photo of my Gt Gt Uncle Henry Wells in 1862. He is 16 in this photo. You can see the coal dust engrained in his hands. Even though he has cleaned up for the photo the coal dust is a dead giveaway. He married at 18 to 16 year old Sarah Coultas. The emigrated to the USA in 1871 after already burying 3 children in England. The had 16 children altogether. Henry ended up owning a homestead in South Dakota - no wonder he called hiss youngest son Freedom Coultas Wells.

Fingers crossed the photo works!!!
Cheers,
Jill View attachment 32

Great picture Jill, He does look a bit redf) in the face. Must have been rushing to get his picture taken.

Steve.

 

[JMR]

Great picture Jill, He does look a bit redf) in the face. Must have been rushing to get his picture taken.

Steve.

It's my oldest and most favourite old photo. It's an ambrotype a kind of reverse negative set on glass. I think the pink cheeks have been hand painted on the photo, maybe at a later stage I don't know. Henry is my Gt Gt Grandfather's brother James and Henry's wife, Sarah Coultas was the sister to James wife, Martha, my Gt Gt Grandmother. James died in 1877 and I don't have a photo of him or Martha (Sods Law), but I have loads of Sarah and Henry sent from the USA by 3rd cousins, so I feel like I know what they would have looked like (could be dead wrong though couldn't I?).

CHeers,
JMR

 

[p.risboy]

It's my oldest and most favourite old photo. It's an ambrotype a kind of reverse negative set on glass. I think the pink cheeks have been hand painted on the photo, maybe at a later stage I don't know. Henry is my Gt Gt Grandfather's brother James and Henry's wife, Sarah Coultas was the sister to James wife, Martha, my Gt Gt Grandmother. James died in 1877 and I don't have a photo of him or Martha (Sods Law), but I have loads of Sarah and Henry sent from the USA by 3rd cousins, so I feel like I know what they would have looked like (could be dead wrong though couldn't I?).

CHeers,
JMR

A couple of my pics. have been 'enhanced' also. Clever folk them Victorians.
Steve.

 

[benny1982]

Hi

This makes interesting as my ancestors were also miners in Durham. I havent yet come across any hurriers but some were hewers and colliers, pitmen and one was an overman, meaning a coillery supervisor.

One time, children as young as 3 were sent down the mines to hold the doors open for the other older workers.

Ben

 

[JMR]

Hi

This makes interesting as my ancestors were also miners in Durham. I havent yet come across any hurriers but some were hewers and colliers, pitmen and one was an overman, meaning a coillery supervisor.

One time, children as young as 3 were sent down the mines to hold the doors open for the other older workers.

Ben

I know Ben and horrifyingly, it was only in abt 1842 or so that it was made illegal to send children under 10 into the mines. We have a few of the poor little people in my family, who were Hurriers and in at least 3 of the cases they hurried for their Fathers. Just goes to show how desperate they were.

I prefer to think that they were forced to do it, just to survive. They worked in 18 inch tunnels bent over for most of the day and in the pitch dark. I have a 10 year old Granddaughter, I can't imagine her lasting long in that job!!!

Cheers,
Jill.

Cheers,
Jill

 

[benny1982]

Hi

In those days childhood finished early. It was very common. I have ancestors who were working at aged 11 in 1871. One was resident in London aged 11 and listed as "Employed" in the census.

Imagine how hard it was working in coal mines not knowing if you'd come out alive, all to make ends meet.

Ben