My mother has unearthed some notes written by my grandma while doing a bit of family history for another member of the family, and there is a section that is about my grandad and his work down the pit. Her writing was a bit wayward as she was going blind but we think we have deciphered it. We are wondering if someone could enlighten us as to the jobs he did from her descriptions. He worked at Wombwell Main until 1928 and his jobs were Door trapping (air lock?) Rope running Lamp carrying (gas detection?) Pony driving Tramming. After he left he went to work at Ingleton pit (where he learnt more than he had ever learnt at Wombwell-his words) before eventually returning to Wombwell Main where he worked as as deputy until 1950. If anyone can flesh out the jobs it would be appreciated. Cheers
Door trapping (air lock) opening and closing of air doors usually when transporting materials between intake and a return airway roads. The air pressure on theses doors could be really strong and difficult to open. This must’ve been from way back as the job didn’t exist when I started in 1977. Lampcarrying- gas detection. Oil lamps were initially the only way to detect Methane gas. Usually carried by a Mine official, Deputy or Overman. They could detect approx level of gas in workplace. Ordinary workman could carry a type of oil- lamp that couldn’t be re- ignited. Rope- Running. Sounds like a Ropeman who installed and maintained the ropes that pulled the tubs/ mine cars around the mine. Pony Driving. Self explanatory really Tramming, sounds like the Haulage lads job, transporting materials around the pit in tubs and trams., attached them to the aforementioned ropes. However, there was different terminology used for jobs between pit to pit and area to area
Door Trapping was not really a job men would open the air doors themself when passing the air doors of which there was 3 in a row and if they were a bit tight there was always a strut knocking about. Rope Running, Lads who moved Tramm's and Tubb's around the pit that was coupled up to an hoellage. Lamp carrying, The Deputy mostly carried the Davey lamp but some face chargemen took them down to the face and button men who were in parts of the pit watching belts were there was old working and not many people ventured Pony Driving, a bit before my time but what have heard the Pony Driver was in charge of the Pony that would be pulling tubs and trams Tramming, before my time but as I understand it colliers were hand filling tubbs of coal and would have a trammer to remove the full tubbs chalk his motty on it as they got payed per tubb and bring him another empty. Hope that helps but thi grandad finished in 1950 and I started in 1965. By the way, my uncle was the manager of Wombwell main in the 1950s
I think tramming is pushing tubs or minecars by hand. On the flat. Not sure if lamp carrying would mean someone who passed a flame safety lamp around the working face or a fast end checking for gas. Rope running might have been the lashing of tubs or minecars onto a haulage rope. Was still doing that in the eighties. I think door trapping was a job where the door or a vent flap was opened periodically to ventillate part of the workings, might be wrong.
My dad told me that his first job in the pit at age 14 was leading the ponies. So maybe that was a lads job? He said they could be very nasty and tried to bite him if they got chance. Can’t blame them considering the life they had down there.
My grandad once knocked a bloke out for Ill treating ponies down the pit he worked at warned him first time he saw him doing it then hammered him when he saw him doing it again. When he was up in front of the pit manager for it he asked him why he'd done it and his answer was that cruel ******* as a choice if he wants, if he doesnt want to work down the mine he doesn't have to the poor pony he were belting doesn't .He always said anybody who ill treats animals is a wrong un
