|
A hurrier, also sometimes called a coal drawer or coal thruster, was a child or woman employed by a collier to transport the coal that they had mined. Women would normally get the children to help them because of the difficulty of carrying the coal. Common particularly in the early 19th century, the hurrier pulled a corf (basket or small wagon) full of coal along roadways as small as 16 inches in height. They would often work 12-hour shifts, making several runs down to the coal face and back to the surface again.〔Channel 4. "(The Worst Jobs in History - Hurrier )". Accessed from the Wayback Machine on 13 November 2009.〕〔HalifaxToday.co.uk. "(The Nature Of Work )". Accessed 17 February 2007.〕 Some children came from the workhouses and were apprenticed to the colliers. Adults could not easily do the job because of the size of the roadways, which were limited on the grounds of cost and structural integrity.〔 Hurriers were equipped with a "gurl" belt – a leather belt with a swivel chain linked to the corf. They were also given candles as it was too expensive to light the whole mine.〔 ==Roles== Children as young as three or four were employed, with both sexes contributing to the work.〔North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. 2007. "(Ages at which children and young persons are employed in coal mines )". Accessed 17 February 2007.〕〔Rev. T. M. Eddy. July 1854. "(Women in the British Mines )". Accessed 17 February 2007.〕 The younger ones often worked in small teams, with those pushing the corf from the rear being known as thrusters. The thrusters often had to push the corf using their heads, leading to the hair on their crown being worn away and the child becoming bald.〔 Some children were employed as coal trappers, particularly those not yet strong enough to pull or push the corf. This job saw the child sit in a small cutting waiting for the hurriers to approach. They would then open the trapdoors to allow the hurrier and his cargo through. The trappers also opened the trapdoors to provide ventilation in some locations.〔〔Durham Mining Museum. "(Mining Occupations )". Accessed 19 February 2007.〕〔Riley, Bill. Pitwork.net. "(Early Coal Mining History: Child Labour )". Accessed 13 November 2009.〕 As mines grew larger the volume of coal extracted increased beyond the pulling capabilities of children. Instead horses guided by coal drivers were used to pull the corves. These drivers were usually older children between the ages of 10 and 14.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hurrying」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|