No. 228. — May 12th. Mr. Brown, Agent.

Here observes, that about a dozen families moved from here at the last binding, and about the same number at previous bindings. They have about 220 families or houses occupied by workmen on this colliery; of these about 140 will be the families of hewers the remainder are joiners. blacksmiths, masons, &c. Forty more of the 220 houses may be occupied by overmen, deputies, wastemen and shifters, all employed down the pit.

About six or eight weeks ago, in repairing an old shaft, 4 men were killed. In removing the cribbing or wood tubbing of the shaft a quantity of old timber fell from this tubbing upon the scaffolding that the men were standing upon and threw the scaffolding and 4 men down the shaft, and killed the 4 men, who fell a depth of 95 fathoms. Within the last 2 years another man was killed down the pit by stone falling from the roof upon him.

Mr. Brown was at Seghill Colliery, when efforts were made for the education of the children, and observes, that little could be done as the parents did not assist the agents in their efforts. There is at Seghill, a circulating library in a room given by the colliery owners, of perhaps 500 volumes and he does not think that more that 20 pitmen subscribe to it.

No. 229. — Cuthbert Todd.

Aged 19. Is a putter; has been down this pit 10 years and 1 year at Cramlington Colliery; kept a door for a year, helped up for half a year, drove the rolleys for about 3 years, has been putting ever since. Gets up at about 3 o'clock [a.m.], and goes down about half-past 3 o'clock and starts work about 4 o'clock: stops work about half-past 3 [p.m.]. and gets up the pit about 4 [p.m.] Works in the night shift one fortnight, and the day shift the next. In the night shift goes down about half-past 3 [p.m.] and comes up at 4 in the morning. Some of the places here are wet, over his ankles. Is many times the most part of the day in water, over his ankles; most part of the pit is wet now; this causes a swelling in his face very often; whenever he gets his feet wet is very seldom clear of a swelled face, [is suffering now from it]. Has been laid up many days from this, perhaps three or four days in a month sometimes. is head works very often. The air is not good. They use all candles. In some places there is some stythe. Puts a tram by himself; has done so three years. Has rubbed the in off his back, in low places, many times. Half-marrows put two to a tram. Mostly the full corf is put up hill. Can read [well]. Can write his name. Goes to no school now; went to a night-school last winter, not before. Seldom attends any place of worship.

No. 230. — Thomas Dodds.

Aged 17 last February. Has been down 5 years in pits; one year in this pit; three years at Unthank pit near Berwick, a landsale colliery, where they may employ about 100 hands altogether. Was a strong boy when he went down at about 13 years of age. Is off with bad air several times in a year. It makes his head work and all his body; sometimes it makes him sick; often he has thrown up his food from his stomach, both when he was down the pit and sometimes when up; yet be can eat his meat well generally. This is the worst pit for air. Is working far in by about half a mile at putting. Has strained himself once in putting, by his foot slipping in a heavy place; was off two or three days then. Puts for 12 hours a day Makes about 3s. 6d. a-day. Can read (fairly). Goes to night-school in winter time. Does not go to Sunday-school but goes to meeting or chapel pretty often.

No. 231. — John Jeffery.

Aged 18. Is a putter, has put here for a year and a half. Has felt rheumatism in his arms and pains in his back very often. Lies off work sometimes two or three days a month from the hard work. Puts mostly up hill. Has strained himself now and then at Shilbottle, not here Can read [well]. Writes his name. Goes to n school now, or place of worship. Went to a night-school at Shilbottle. Thinks boys have more schooling at that place, at night schools, &c.

No. 232. — Oswald Gleghorn.

Aged 17 this mouth. Has been down this pit about nine years. Is putting. Makes 3s. 6d. a-day. Two or three years since he was off work three or four days from being sore in his feet and arms and having his wrist strained. The wet gave him colds and pains. Is putting now in a wet place; sometimes over his shoe-tops. May be two or three hours out of the twelve in the water. Is not in low places. The corf is 20-peck corf. It takes him and his brother [aged about 12] to put up, with helpers-up, at places. Reads only very easy words. Cannot write. Was at night-school for a month or so last winter. Goes to no Sunday-school or place of worship.

No. 233. — William Ellison.

Aged 15. Puts with another lad of fifteen and a half. Makes about is 8d. a-day. Works from half-past 3 to half-past 3 p.m. Twice has worked a double shift, of 24 hours, without coming up the pits, from lads being wanting and once worked a shift and a half following. Has been down this pit six years. Has had sore feet from the water. which is rather salt and takes the skin off his feet once or twice in a month. Has been sick often. It is heavy putting, up banks, with helpers-up. Last year often rubbed the skin off his back, when a place was low; the corf stuck a good deal. Can read (fairly). Can write his name. Goes to no school at all now and only sometimes to chapel.

No. 234. — John Dobson.

Aged 17 past. Has been down these pits eight years. Is laying rails. Gets 2s. a-day. Goes down at half-past 3 [a.m.] and comes up at half-past 3. Is whiles 14 hours out of the house, generally 13 or 14. Before he helped up, and used to hit his ankle against stones, plates and things. Was often laid off work for a day, because he could not walk. Once got sore lamed, three years since, when he was driving, by falling off among the waggons; was off six weeks. Three years ago has worked a double shift, of 24 hours, without coming up; perhaps has done this seven times. Once worked three shifts following, three or four years ago. Then he was down 36 hours without coming up the pit. Did this of his own wish, pocket-money and because there were no lads. Gives his money to his father and then his father gave him 2s. for pocket-money. Made 4s. for those 36 hours. Drove the rolleys then. Has seen some lads do these three shifts besides himself. May be he was 15 years old then. Has had many times, perhaps six or seven, to go ho me from being bad with his belly working oftener from the headache. Often got a headache after lie was hurt. Does not think bad air hurts him. Can read [fairly]. Writes his name. Was at night-school two years ago for three months. Goes to no Sunday-school now, and not often to a place of worship.

No. 235. — Robert Brown.

Aged 18 past. Is whiles putting, and whiles leading small coals. Makes about 3s. 6d at putting a-day; and gets 2s. 6d. a shift for leading water, &c. Goes down at half past 3 [a.m.] and rides at halfpast 3 [p.m.] Has been more than two years down this pit. Never was a very strong boy and the pit does not agree with him at all. Suffers from sore feet from the water. Often from the headache. Has been twice lamed. Got his leg sore cut here by a stone falling from the roof about two years ago. Was off between five and six weeks. Was lamed in the same way at Earsdon and was off three months being cut in the same leg before the above-mentioned accident Cannot read anything more than letters; cannot write at all. Goes to no school at all, and seldom to chapel.

No. 236. — Thomas Raveley.

Aged 16 past. Has been down this pit seven years and was a year as Cramlington colliery. Is now putting, a half-marrow, with his brother. Makes about 3s. 6d. a-day. both together. It is in a very wet place, over his ankles sometimes. The small coals and wet fetch all the skin off his feet sometimes. Has often been laid off a day at a time with sore feet. Headache and sickness often trouble him. The air is very bad at places; it is better in some places now. This makes him whiles short of health. Was never bad at all till he went down the pit. The corves often stick against the roof and against the wood on the sides. Was off three months ago for a day at the week end, from straining himself at the corf sticking. Was once off a month by some stone falling upon his head from the roof. Once wrought a double shift of 24 hours. Very often the last year wrought on Sundays at leading water; going in at 6 o'clock on Sunday night and coming up at 4 in the morning. Some little boys have been often sore beat, not lately. They were beaten whiles with the men's hands — the putters hands. The putters mostly beat the helpers-up in this way. Not so much of this lately. Can read [imperfectly]; writes his name. Goes to no school at all now, and seldom indeed to chapel; scarcely at all.

No. 237. — Eight drivers, of the ages, 15 to 12.

Six read easy words; five write their names; five go to Sunday-schools and to chapel pretty often; three have been lamed sore, all by the rolleys or waggons and were off respectively three months, five weeks and a fortnight. Several complain of being made sickish and unwell at times by the pit.

No. 238. — Thomas Gladson.

Aged 14. Was nearly blind last week by the bad air. Was off work a day with it. [His eyes seem weak now.] The doctor said it was the air. They often get their thumps from the overmen and others. He hits them with a yard wand. The putters and rolley-way men whiles strike them. Five boys have wrought double shifts, of 24 hours respectively, the following number of times — three times, seven times, twice, twice. Nine or ten times at Cramlington one wrought once three shifts following in this pit and another boy two and a half shifts following once.

No. 239. — John Watson.

Aged 17 next June. Has been down nearly 11 years down this pit (all but ten weeks). Went down at 6 years old. Kept a door for 14 days. Cleaned the way and drove for five years; helped-up for 14 days. Is leading water now. Goes down at half-past 3 a.m., and comes up at about 4 p.m. Makes 2s. a day; paid by the shift. Has wrought three shifts following three times, driving rolleys, because lads were wanting. Was not forced to stay. Was very sleepy and fell asleep very often in the third shift. There was a good few boys down; some working the whole three shifts. This was about three years ago, for that once. Felt very tired and weary. There was two or three lads lying idle lamed at that time and that made others stop. These treble shifts were of 36 hours, or three shifts of 12 hours each. Twice he has worked double shifts, — that is, 24 hours each time. Never came up the pits at these times; not resting any length of time; not more than a few minutes at a time. He drove three corves at a time, and they drew up all three on one rope. Was strained two years ago by helping-up at a heavy bank, by his foot slipping from a stone, and he was off a day. One time he fell down the staple (small shaft) in the pit and was off a week. Has three times been sore lamed with the rolleys when he was driving and was off two or three days at a time. The bad air had made him bad about six or seven weeks ago. They have changed the air flow, but nobody could work in it then and the pit was often idle two and three days together. Was never bad with the air much before this. Only knows his a, b, c; cannot write at all.

Goes to no school at all now, but attends worship on Sundays pretty often. Was at school before he went down the pit for a year and could read the Bible then; now he has forgotten everything. One boy, whose name is George Tunny, is now down the pit keeping a door and is not more than seven years old. He has been down about a year and a half. His cousin, Thomas Tunny, was down this pit at six years old.

The agent, Mr. Brown, stated to me the next morning that the mother of George Tunny says he is nine years old; and the agent adds, that he is only partially employed, as they have more trappers than are required for the pit.