LEAD AND LABOUR.
The Miners of Leadhills.
PREFACE
"For the chiels are as likely a set as ye'd meet
Frae the muir and the glen to the square an' the street,
They'r buirdly an' bold like the hills o' their hame,
An' no cruppen doon wi' inherited shame,"
Robert Reid.
The lead mines have left scars and stony skeletons for visitors to gaze at, but the imprints of the miners themselves are less tangible. The mines where they worked under the moors are now inaccessible, the mining record tells us little about the lives of the men and their families, and the rows of books still on the shelves of the village libraries are only mute memorials to the consciousness of their readers.
But if we only find the bones of the dead bird, let us not forget it once had a song.
British lead miners and their apparent lack of militancy. Social historians said to be only interested in the coal miners. The "stand for Justice" that was taken "time and time again" at Leadhills. The influences which moulded attitudes. The "long and painful process" to trade unionism, and the great Rally in 1910.
PART 1.
A thematic study of the historical background, and of the creation of social and work attitudes.
The history into the nineteenth century. The landlord’s ‘tack’. The role of the Hopes, Earls of Hopetoun, at Leadhills. The nature of the workforce and its origins. The landlords insistence some miners should be always in work. The Scots Mines Co. at Leadhills. The Quaker Co. at Wanlockhead. Paternal managers and the creation of a docile workforce.. The influence of two 18th C. managers, James Stirling and Gilbert Meason. The record in a diary for 1745. Support for the Covenanters but not for Prince Charles.
Chapter 3. THE BUSINESS OF MINING.
A "Severe and unremitting labour". The nature of the ore veins. Mining and smelting techniques. Manual work practices. Drainage, and the need for a constant supply for the wheel driven pumps. William Symington builds steam engines at Wanlockhead and Leadhills. The water-pressure engine. The management structure.
Chapter 4. WAGES AND CONDITIONS.
A. The bargain system. Examples of its variety. A pace of working not dictated by machines. "Hopes of rich reward" favours the skilled men and discourages combination. The place of ‘adventure’ bargains. But all are settled at an annual ‘pay’. The role of the overseers, and attempts to control the pace of work. The family as an economic unit, and the place of domestic work in the economy.
B. The condition of labour. Housing. The wide variation in living conditions. The Company Store. The socio-economic place of small-holdings. The role of the landlords. Health and accidents. Accidents seen as the fault of the victims. The Commission on the Employment of Children.
Chapter 5. INSTITUTIONS & RECREATIONS.
A. Church and Library. The role of the Scottish Church. The establishment of churches in the two villages. Dissenters and Covenanters. Company attitudes. Time allowed for the Communion services. Schooling and the role of the Kirk Session. The founding of a Reading Society at Leadhills in 1741. The library, its organisation,. The bookstock.
B. Clubs and Councils. Their role. Charitable societies. Sports and pastimes. Curling and the need for organisation. Fishing and poaching. Temperance societies. Friendly Societies. The social hierarchy in village affairs.
The independent miner. The Gibson Letters, 1834 to 1845. Gibson one of an elite of skilled men who might respect authority, but did not always "run to its call". The letters offer comment on housing and diet; the role of religion; and the social strata in Leadhills.
PART. 2.
Events from circa 1830 to the closure of the mines.
"Tyrannical power". The mining companies changing fortunes. A Lanarkshire factory owner, J.A.Borron and his son William take over the management of the mines at Leadhills and Wanlockhead. They attempt to move away from a climate where the bargain takers set the pace of production, and achieve the sort of control found in the factory.. An attempt to ‘alter the books’ to cover for Bills of Exchange drawn by the elder Borron leads to tensions at Leadhills and the senior overseer, James Stewart, is sacked. The Wanlockhead miners complain to the landowner. To cut costs, old works at Leadhills are re-opened, leading to unprofitable bargains and accidents. Attempts at worksharing. James Stirling’s "regulations" are abandoned
Chapter 8. THE STRIKE OF 1836.
"A Union or Society". Discontent at Leadhills. A visit from a Cameronian preacher, a sect "vehement in its politics". The Leadhills miners form a union and ‘determine to strike work’. They write to local papers. Soldiers, led by Vere, the Depute Sherriff, are sent to the village. He finds the strikers "are better informed that other workmen". Most men return to work, but many are sacked. Borron insists on a tighter and accountable supervision and the opportunity to benefit from a rich strike is denied. Criticism from overseer. An attempt to upgrade low quality ore. Highland miners are brought in to improve the temper of the workforce. However, in a dispute over the payment of a bargain, two of them take William Borron to court.
Dissension and disruption. The Duke of Buccleuch takes the management of his mines at Wanlockhead. Although sacked from Leadhills, Stewart is appointed manager. He builds a new smelt mill. The inspector for the Commission on the Employment of Children visits Leadhills. His concern about the washer boys. William Borron opens a new store that offers "every article a household needs" on credit. He also seems a proprietary role re the mines. A quarrel over the dinner to mark the Centenary of the Leadhills library points to the different factions in the village. Dissent among church members. The attempt to form a Free Church Association at Leadhills. Worship on a hillside at Wanlockhead. Some Wanlockhead men dispute a bargain and find they have to "leave (their) homes for no fault but pleading for a fair living". Technical innovations in smelting and pumping. Men drowned when opening old workings at Leadhills.
Chapter 10. THE WATER DISPUTE.
Mischiefs on the moors. The need for water and the Shortcleuch leats. The Scots Mines Co’s. claim to ‘all the water’ is disputed. The Snarhead Co. secure an interest, but is denied "the right to water". Its men "interfere with the lades" and the Company is taken to court. The dispute escalates and includes the Earl of Hopetoun. Borron orders a "barricade" in a drainage level. He takes the opportunity to drastically cut his labour force and impose severe conditions for bargains. Many look for work elsewhere. Harriet Martineau visits the village and bemoans its "half ruined" appearance. Attempts to open new ground. The water dispute goes to the House of Lords on appeal, but the Scots Mines Co. give up and sell their lease to the Leadhills Mining Co.
Chapter 11. 1860 – 1880. THE COMING OF THE STOCKJOBBERS.
All the Leadhills mines now in the hands of the Leadhills Mining Co. It invests in a reservoir and new machinery. The miners now use dynamite. But all aspects of the working day are now governed by a firm and explicit set of rules. However, the men now paid quarterly. Money is advanced for housing repair, and there is a limited piped water supply. Following the lead of John Hope, the Temperance reformer, temperance organisations are formed in the villages. Hope also arranges for parties of poor boys to holiday in Leadhills. There are improvements at the Wanlockhead mines, but the men there are still paid yearly. This is criticised by members of the Truck Commission who visit the village. In an attempt to meet some of the criticism, the men are allowed to run the Store as a co-operative. The Leadhills Mining Co. give up its lease to a syndicate who float the Leadhills Silver-lead Mining and Smelting Co. It starts work on a new shaft, puts in new plant at the dressing floor and smelt mill, and claims £5,000,000 worth of gold lies in the moors. The optimism is not reflected in the share price.
Chapter 12. 1880 – 1903. A TIME OF ROUSING.
A time of recession in the industry. New ground opened at Leadhills, and steam engines installed at the mine and dressing floor,. Operations at Wanlockhead frustrated by lack of investment. Wages are reduced and the small holdings and summer visitors, help families to "get by". But the men have no title to their houses or small-holdings. Books in the library reflect a interest in Land Reform and Home Rule. Problems with pollution. The Leadhills miners pan sufficient gold for a presentation ring, but the Company’s attempts to find gold on a commercial scale are unsuccessful. An Order in 1897 allows a light railway to be built to the villages. An increase in the price of lead is not reflected in an increase in wages, and some of the Leadhills mines join the Lanarkshire Union of Mineworkers. Encouraged by the Union, they go on strike in 1898. This drags on for three years. In spite of an attempt to open a gold mine, the Company fails to prosper and goes into liquidation in 1903.
Chapter 13. 1903 – 1910. THE ROAD TO THE RALLY.
The Leadhills Company Ltd. take the lease. It opens a new mine, Glengonnar, and installs electric power. But the smelter is shut down. A new company, the Wanlockhead Lead Mining Co., take those mines and appoint a manager, James Mitchell, with the instruction he is to "make a stand" against casual work attitudes. A face to face meeting with the men. The manager at Leadhills, Baden Skewis, begins a contentious reign with increasing discontent. A majority of the Leadhills miners join the Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers (GW&GL). A dispute over bargains leads to the men being locked out. There are demonstrations against those still working and pickets, including several women, are taken to court. The dispute gets much sympathetic publicity and the support of the Independent Labour Party. The company install an air compressor with the objective of breaking ore with air drills using unskilled men. There are attempts at mediation. A great rally is held in the village. The strikers accept a offer put forward by the company and the dispute ends.
Chapter 14. 1910 – 1938. THE RESTLESS YEARS.
The dispute is settled, but the ompany refuse to employ those perceived as militants and attempts are made to break the old hierarchy of skills. At Wanlockhead, Mitchell opens new ground that contains a large ore body. The effects of the 1914-18 War. Mitchell takes pit ponies underground and employs women. Another dispute at Leadhills and the Union brings some men out on strike in 1916. The committee is less than enthusiastic and the actions of the GW&GL comes in for criticism from Robert Smillie, the Labour leader. The Leadhills miners re-join the Lanarkshire Union of Mine Workers, and they are later joined by those at Wanlockhead. In 1921 both companies cut wages and the men strike. The dispute is settled, but both mining companies face declining fortunes. The Earl commissions a report which criticises the Leadhills Company and Skewis. The Leadhills Co. is wound up in 1929, and the Wanlockhead mines close in 1931. An Edinburgh based company re-start operations at Leadhills, producing roadstone as well as lead ore but the venture is not a success. The mines finally close in 1938 and all plant in sold off.
Appendices Output, Employment, Weights & Measures
Bibliography and chapter notes.
Map of Scotland with sites of commercial lead mines.
The two villages.
Leadhills and mine sites.