No. 61. — James Wood.

Is going to 8 years old. Has been down the pit six weeks. Keeps a door. Goes away from home before 3 o'clock. Goes with his brother, who keeps the chains down the pit. His mother calls him. Gets home about the same time as the other boys. Is not frightened (goes in about a mile). Never beaten. His brother (aged 9 years) took him down at first. Has never been to any school. Works in Percy Pit. [Is very little.]

No. 62. — Mark Wood.

Aged 9 (the brother of the preceding witness). Keeps the chains in Percy Pit. Puts the tram on the rollers and puts the switch right. Has been down the pit a year. Kept a door at. first. Gets 1s. 3d. a-day now. Leaves home about 3 o'clock and takes his little brother with him. Gets home before 5 o'clock of a night; never later than 5. It is almost always near 5 o'clock when he gets home. The pit makes him sick now and then; has made him sick twice. Threw up his victuals each time. Never sick more than those two times. Head works sometimes; every two or three days. Feels sore on the top of his head when he is in the pit; never when out of it. Never feels it at home. Never beaten by anybody. Never lamed or hurt. Never worked more than one shift at a time. Cannot read or write. Went to a Sunday-school at Shields. Went to a day-school, before he went into the pit, for half a year. Does not go to church or chapel regularly. Father is a hewer down this pit. Has another brother a putter, who is 14 years old.

No. 63. — John Corner.

Aged 11. Keeps the chains at the rollers, where the rolleys run, and minds three switches. Gets 1s. 4d. a-day. Has been down pits here two years and a half. Kept a door at first, for half a year; then drove for about a year. Leaves home at 3 o'clock; goes down the pit at 4 o'clock; comes up at 4 o'clock. Gets plenty to eat; could not eat more. Has been once down a double shift, half a year ago, for 24 hours at a time. Never more than that once; then drivers were scarce. About a year ago he felt sick once, and threw up his victuals. Pit does not make him bad at all. Not beaten. Can read (well). Writes his name. Goes to the night-school (John Beales's) every night except Wednesdays. Goes to Sunday-school (Ranters') and to the Ranters' chapel. Father is an onsetter.

No. 64. — Robert Dixon.

Aged 9 years. Drives down Howden Pit. Has been down Howden a fortnight. Was at Burdon Main Colliery six or seven months. Kept a door there. The water in this (Howden) pit is in some places up to his knees; not in many places; horses splash him. Never feels sick. Feels sleepy sometimes. Works in the night-shift every other fortnight. Is working in the day-shift now. Only the Howden Pit works a night-shift now. Feels sleepy whiles in the night. Cannot read or write. Goes to no school of any kind. Went to a Sunday-school once. Goes to no place of worship now. Father is a shift-worker. Has two brothers, one 11 and one 14 years of age; one a foal and the other a half-marrow; both putting down Howden Pit.

No. 65. — John Shotton.

Going on 13. Drives down Percy Pit; has been down five weeks. At no pit before. Likes it very well. At first it made his head work a little. Father works at field-work. Has a brother about 11 years old keeping a door in this pit. Cannot read or write. Goes to no school at all, or any place of worship. Went to a Sunday-school at Carville two years ago; stayed about two years there. Has forgotten his reading and nearly all he learned.

No. 66. — Richard Park.

Going to 10 years old. Keeps a door in Howden Pit. Has been down Pits about a year. Leaves home about half-past 3 o'clock, and gets home about a few minutes past 4 o'clock. His door is not far in; about two or three yards from the shaft. Feels sleepy sometimes. Will work in the night-shift next week. No one beats him. Had his finger-end smashed in Flatworth Pit two or three months ago. Knows his letters only. Cannot write. Goes to the Methodist Sunday-school and chapel. Lives with his mother. His father died four years and a half ago.

No. 67. — Robert Park.

Aged 11 and a-half. Keeps the Davy lamps in Howden Pit. Has been four years last binding down pits. Was down Seghill Pit a bout a year. Then was down Cowpen Pit. Lay idle half a year.

Goes down the pit here at 4 o'clock a.m.; comes up at 4. Works the same as other boys; cleans, and oils, and hangs up the Davys. Gets 1s. 3d. a-day for this. Kept a door at Seghill. His head worked in the Flatworth Pit. Had a pain in his forehead. Had it now and then; not very often. Likes the pits well enough. Sits down most part of the day. Has to attend to two doors besides. Sees the trams coming in time. Reads only very easy words; cannot write at all. Goes to the Methodist Sunday-school only and their chapel on Sundays. Is the brother of preceding witness.

No. 68. — Robert Baker.

Aged 8 years. Keeps a door in Percy Pit. Has been down half a year. His door is far near the end of the pit. Cannot read or write. Goes to Ranters' Sunday-school, and to their chapel. Never went to a week-day school. Father is a hewer down this pit. Gets as much as he likes to eat. Has three brothers down the pit; two are putting and the other clears the way. Father never beats him.

No. 69. — John Short.

Turned of 10 years. Drives in Percy Pit. Has been down half a year. Was lamed a-fortnight ago by the horses pulling the rolleys off the way and jamming him. He was four days. Likes his work. Goes down at 4 in the morning and rides at 4 at night. His two brothers down the pit; one is driving and is turned 11 years; the other is a foal and is turned 13. Father is a sailor. Cannot read or write. Goes to the (Ranters') Sunday-school but not always, or often to chapel. Went to a day-school when he lived at Shields.

No. 70. — James Allen.

Turned of 10 years old. Drives down Percy Pit. Has been down turned of two years. Putters sometimes beat him with a stick; not to hurt much. Can read (well). Writes his name. Goes only to a Sunday (Methodist) school regular and to their chapel. Father is dead. Has one brother only; he is a foal in the Flatworth Pit. There is some water here but he need not walk much in it; it is up to about his ankles.

No. 71. — Anthony Cooper.

Aged 11. Minds the switch at the top of the bank. Lives with his grandmother here. His mother lives at Shields. Is down the pit 12 hours. Has been down these pits about a year and three months. Was always weakly but is a vast better since he went down pits. Was bad with an inflammation of the lungs five years ago and has not had that since. Sometimes his head works. Sometimes feels sleepy and his legs ache a little bit. Can read (well) and write and cipher a little. Will may-be go to a night-school next fortnight. Goes to the Methodist Sunday-school at Shields and to the chapel there.

No. 72. — George Cooper.

Aged 14 the 24th of June next. Minds the top switch at the top of the bank. Has been down nearly three years in the Percy and Flatworth Pits. Has felt the headache very often. Was bad with that before he went down the pit. Legs sometimes ache. Was never very strong. A 'foals' work is the hardest. Can read (well); writes. Goes. to the Ranters' Sunday-school and their chapel. Goes to a night-school through the week. Has a brother who is a wasteman down the pit.

No. 73. — Ralph Phillips. April 29.

Aged 17. Is a half-marrow. Makes about 2s. to 2s. 6d. a-day. Works in Percy Pit. Has been down pits about this colliery 7 years. Kept a door for a month or so at first. Next he cleaned the way. Drove for 5 years and a half. Next put for a 'foal' 1 year, then became a half-marrow. Never strained his back; had sometimes pains in his knees; has not these now. Is not putting in a heavy place now. Pulls with soams every day one corf at a time upon a tram, never more than one at a time. Thinks he pulls about sixty corves in a day. Does not think his health worse from pit-work, nor does he know of any boy suffering from it. Has never seen boys beaten. Flatworth Pit is the hardest putting. Can read fairly can write his name. Goes to no school now of any sort; did go to school once. Goes to the Ranters' chapel regularly.

No. 74. — John Fiddis.

Going to 9. Has driven down Howden Pit for a fortnight. Was at Flatworth Pit before for 2 years where he kept a door. Gets now for driving 1s. 3d. a-day. Leaves home about half past 3 a.m., gets home about half-past 4 p.m.. Gets breakfast before he goes in the morning bread and coffee. Takes baits down with him. Father is a hewer in Howden Pit. Used to be idle about 4 days in the fortnight. Head has worked once or twice. Father would give it to the putters if they hurt him. Gets as much as he has a mind to eat. The water is above the horses' knees sometimes in the Howden Pit but he sits upon limmers (a sort of shaft) and so he does not stand in the water but the horse splashes him. Can read easy words, writes strokes. Goes to (Beale's) night-school every night when he is in the dayshift. One fortnight he is in the day and another in the night-shift. This is the first fortnight he has ever been in the night-shift. Does not like it so well as the fore (day) shift. Feels sleepy sometimes. Goes to the night-shift at 3 o'clock p.m. Leaves home about that time. Gets down the pit by 4 o'clock. Leaves the pit at 4 o'clock a.m. and gets home about half-past 4 o'clock. Goes to a Sunday-school (Methodist) every Sunday, and to chapel afterwards.

No. 75. — James Pendley.

Turned of 8 years of age. Keeps a door in Howden Pit. Was down Percy Pit a-year. Is now going in to work in the night-shift. Worked in the Percy Pit in the night-shift every other fortnight. No one beats him. His door is not above a few yards from the shaft. In the Percy Pit his door was more than a mile away. Can read the spelling-book, not write. Goes only to a Sunday (Ranters') school, and to chapel afterwards.

No. 76. — William Pendley.

Turned of 12. Is brother to the preceding witness. Is now going to the night-shift at Howden Pit to drive. Has been down pits 3 years. Kept a door for a year and a half. Father is a hewer in Howden Pit. Drives in the water all day. Stands about in the water many times in the day. This makes his head work and makes him sick, sometimes all night. Was sick most part of last night but did not throw up. Sometimes is sick once, or twice, or thrice in a week. Does not throw up his food, never does that. Legs work very often; has pains; pain in his arms sometimes. Was strong before he went down the pit. The pit and the water in it is making him bad. Has been in it a fortnight. Has felt worse in that pit since she has had water in. Can read. Goes to the (Ranters') Sunday-school. Writes his name. Goes to no place of worship. Putters used to beat him sometimes when he kept a door. Used to throw him down upon the plates and things, and made his head ache. Never laid him off work, nor made the blood come.

No. 77. — Robert Lowes.

Aged 14. Is a foal in Howden Pit. Has been there a fortnight. Has been 2 years in Flatworth Pit; drove there. Was 4 years in Percy Pit, and drove there 3 years and put as a foal for 1 year. Was 6 years old when he went to (Percy) pit. Has been lamed thrice. Was off respectively 4 months, 3 months and 2 months from these accidents. Was run over once by the rolleys. Another time, the chain, coming up the pit, got round his leg and the weight of two men was hanging on it, and he was squeezed by it about his ankles. The third time the full tram couped (fell) upon his foot. Has felt sick three times, brought up his victuals twice. Has felt sore pains in his legs about twice since he started to put. Putters used to beat him sometimes. Can read a little; cannot write his name. Goes to (Ranters') Sunday-school and chapel.

No. 78. — John Isbister.

Not quite 13. Is a foal in Howden Pit. Has not been quite a month down pits. Pits do not disagree with him. Work is harder sometimes than at others; is comfortable, not much in the water. Can read, and write (pretty well). Goes only to (Methodist) Sunday-school. Father is a sailor. Was at sea himself. Likes the pit best. Sea does not agree with him.

No. 79. — Joseph Rabeck.

Aged 11 and 2 months. Drives down Howden Pit. Has been 3 years in pits. Was sick with the water once. Was lamed in the Percy Pit 2 years ago and was off 3 months; the rolleys ran over him. Legs work sometimes with the water and so does his back. Putters beat him sometimes with their hands. Can read a little; cannot write his name. Goes only to a Sunday-school (Methodist) and to the chapel. Father is a shifter. Has two brothers down the pit one, who is a hewer, of 25 years of age, is very bad; the other, about 13 years old, was lamed half a year ago and was a year off work.

No. 80. — James Laverick.

Between 11 and 12. Puts as a foal down Howden Pit. Has been down pits 2 years. Helps the men up, and fills up the coals. One of the places is over low and the corf won't go in at all and so they let them stand at the crane and witness and the hewer fill them. Pulls with soams when he helps up. Soams do not hurt him. Loads are sometimes heavy. Never pulls more than one corf at a time. Took away 13 corves in 8 hours yesterday and 7 corves in 4 hours yesterday. The other day was hit over the mouth by a boy, not to hurt. His head worked sore once. Was never bad besides. Reads a very little, does not write. Goes to Sunday-school sometimes and to chapel sometimes. Father is a shifter. Has three brothers putting down the Percy Pit.

No. 81. — Ten Boys, aged 14 to 18 years.

Are all putters. Two headsmen, five half-marrows, three foals. All down Percy Pit. Headsmen go behind the tram, and push it from the hewers to the crane. A headsman and a half-marrow make up a tram. A foal assists a putter. The air in some places in this pit is good. The two headsmen are working in the broken. Some have been laid off with pains in the back once or twice. The foals pull with the soams and sometimes are put upon by the older boys. It is mostly rise-putting here, i.e. they put the full corf down and the empty one up. One last year put up a place rising 14 inches to the yard. Had a half marrow and a helper-up, and it was an empty corf. A lump of leather is sowed on to the backs of the jackets of the half-marrows and foals, because the corf runs against them sometimes when it is going down hill.

No. 82. — John Beaney.

Aged 18. Has many a time been laid off with the skin off his back, by the weight of the full corf being against it. His brother has been the same. Never puts more than one corf at a tune. Has put 70 corves to-day, about 100 yards each journey. Has been in pits 10 years about this colliery. Has thrown up his victuals often when he came home. Thinks the bad air makes him do this. His legs and arms often work down the pit.

No. 83. — Wilson Beaney.

Aged 13. Is a half-marrow. Has been down pits 3 years. Has often thrown up victuals after he has come home. His back and legs often work. Was laid off the back end of last year with pains in his back; was laid off a week. Has put 70 full corves to-day, down the incline. Pulls the empty corves up again with soams. Stands with back against the full corves in going down.

No. 84. — Robert Backworth.

Going 14; is a half-marrow. Has been down pits 8 years. Went down the Percy Pit at 6 years old. Kept a door for about 2 years. Has been a foal and a half-marrow for 3 years. Has been laid off two or three days since he first went down pits with pains in his legs, waxing pains. Thinks the shoving back against the full corf was too heavy for him. Often feels sick in the broken, where he is now. Has once or twice forced up his victuals again when he came home from the pits. Never knew any other boy who did so. Thinks the pits have him bad [looks rather delicate]. Thinks the foals who pull the empty corves up have hardest work. Has 2 brothers down the pit, a putter, 16 years old; and a rolley-driver, aged 11. The putter is a strongish lad; the driver, who has been down 4 years, is not strong, he got his arm broken by the rolleys running against him. His father is dead. Cannot read. Cannot write. Goes to no school at all. Goes to no place of worship. Was at a night-school last year, for three weeks.

No. 85. — Moses Dormand.

12 last September. Keeps a door and a switch, and rings the bell down the incline bank; Flatworth Pit. Has been down pits (at this colliery) 4 years last binding. Was down Flatworth Pit when the machine was broken, which kept the pit off a week. Kept a door first for a year and a half. Cleaned the way for a year or so. Then went to what he is doing. Has never had any pain except the toothache, and when he got a crush from the rolleys, by which he was kept off a week. Does any odd jobs that are wanted besides his usual work and if the rolleys get off the way, he assists to get them on again. Can read (well). Can write his name. Goes to a night-school pretty often. Goes to the (Ranters') Sunday-school and chapel.

No. 86. — James Carr.

Aged 13. Is a foal in the New or Flatworth Pit. Has been down pits 4 years. Kept a door the first half-year, then drove for three and a half years. Leaves home at 3 o'clock in the morning. Goes to the pit top and sometimes goes down the pit directly and sometimes waits at bank for a few minutes. Waits sometimes half an hour, when lie gets down the pit, for the headsman. The headsman generally come down about 4 o'clock, a.m. so that it is generally about half-past 4 before he starts work. The craneman makes little bits of wood, called 'cavils,' and puts them into the hats altogether and the boys put their hands in and draw one out at a time and on each piece of wood the headsman's name is put down. Then he knows where and with whom he is to go to work in the pit. Goes in a good bit by to where the viewers are and when a corf is toll he hangs on the soams to it to pull in level places but in steep places he holds on with his back against the corf. He has a piece of leather on his back to save his skin. All the toll corves are put down the cross-cut. Sometimes he has to pull up a place a full corf. If he had to go the same distance in each case, he would sooner put a full corf down than a full corf up. It is hard work to pull the empty corves up back again all day. Has this day put two score and seven corves the forty-seven down when full and up back again when empty. It was not a long journey, but a heavy one. The headsman and witness put the tram together and the headman pays him 4½d. out of every shilling. Asked the headsman if he would pay him 4½d. and he said he would. The headsman fixes his own price but all the foals are paid much about the same. Would rather drive, because it is easier. Took sick last night is often sick and was so before he went down pits at all. Arms sometimes work after pulling all day. Has worked in the night-shift but does not do so now because this (Percy) Pit is not on the night-shift. He does not like his work but it does not hurt him. John Dixon, who is the youngest foal he knows, says he is 12 years old, and he is very little. Can read pretty well; writes his name. Goes only to (Ranters') school on Sundays and to their chapel. Was at night-school for a year and more since he has been down the pits.

[On the 23rd of May I visited the parents of this witness. His mother said it was against her wish that her boy was made a foal, as she thought him over young for the work but the master says what boys must be foals. Foals get more than drivers in general. The backskin referred to was produced and consisted of a thick back of tough leather, sowed on to the back of the flannel jacket. Mrs. Carr has known many foals laid off with sore backs, especially last year and the year before, when the putting was said to be very heavy in the Flatworth pit. Some foals had to lic off a day or two to get their backs healed before they could go to work again.]