Taken from The History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.

Of the actual life, character, and peculiarities of the pitman considerable ignorance formerly existed, and in a lesser degree still prevails amongst outsiders. Many amusing anecdotes might be given of the ludicrous mistakes occasioned by the erroneous notions relating to the working of collieries and of pit life entertained by some of those who are strangers to the mining districts, displaying as they do such a want of knowledge of the actual state of affairs as to cause both surprise and amusement. William Cobbett, in describing the northern coal-mines during his tour in 1832, says, "Here is the most surprising thing in the whole world thousands of men and thousands of horses continuously living underground; children born there, and who, it is said, seldom see the surface at all, though they live to a considerable age."

The unsanitary condition of many of the colliery villages, and especially of the miners’ dwellings, has long been a matter for reproach and complaint. In the majority of the villages the houses were built long before the question of the proper housing of the working classes had assumed the importance it now holds. Built with little regard to the necessities of the people who had to occupy them, the dominant idea seems to have been to economise as much as possible in space, labour, and material.

A colliery village usually consists of houses built in pairs, which are placed in rows. The space between the fronts of the houses, forming the street, is unpaved and undrained; but that between the backs of the houses not unfrequently exhibits a jointstock dust-heap and dung-hill running along the avenue, flanked here and there by pig-sties and heaps of coal. The pitmen’s houses are erected either by the coal-owners, or by certain petty companies, who speculate in the building and letting of them to the proprietors of the colliery, at rates varying from three to four pounds per annum. As these houses are erected for the convenience of the men employed in the pits, in the neighbourhood of which they are situated, it follows as a necessary consequence that when the pits are abandoned the villages arc abandoned also, and in such cases they present a most desolate appearance. The houses may be divided into three classes: the first, or best class, possesses only two rooms on the ground-floor, with a kind of loft above; the next ciass have only one room on the ground-floor, with a loft above; while the third possesses only a single room.

Some of these dwellings are allowed to remain in very dilapidated condition, the lofts or attics being scarcely fit for human beings to sleep in. It is no uncommon occurrence in winter to find on waking that Dame Nature has put on a counterpane in addition to those put on by the "auld wife" the night before. It is pleasing to note that the colliery owners of the present day are doing their best to make up for the shortcomings of their predecessors; houses built within the last ten years are models of comfort and convenience, with ample outdoor accommodation. To most of these gardens are attached, and in some instances even hothouses and greenhouses. In some districts much of the available land adjoining the villages is utilised as kitchen gardens. Many of the pitmen take great pride in the cultivation of their gardens, and display an extensive knowledge of horticulture.

Although the northern miner has little cause to be proud of his dwelling-house, still he takes a pardonable pride in the goods he puts into it. With the married miner of twenty or more years ago the four post, or as it Is called the "fower pole," bedstead was an institution, and the thicker the posts and the more difficult the bed was to get into, the greater the measure of "Geordy’s" superiority over his neighbours. To-day the "fower pole" has given place to the French bedstead, with its ornamented footboard. The desk or press bed is now much used, forming as it does a nice piece of furniture during the day, and a "canny" bed for the "bairns" at night; half-a-dozen hair-seated chairs are also among the essentials, and after these the individual tastes of the couple come into play; bookcases, chiffon iers, and in many cases pianos, American organs, and other musical instruments being some of the articles over which their fancy ranges, It has often been a matter for speculation why the miners of Northumbria should take so much more pride in their household goods than the miners of other counties. Various reasons, in the opinion of the writer, might be given, the most important being the more settled nature of their employment and immunity from distraint for rent. Living as he does in houses belonging to the colliery, he has little fear of his goods being taken for an accumulation of rent should he be thrown out of work through no fault of his own, by breakage of machinery, sickness, or accident.

The pitmen are said to be "fond of good living", in which they indulge as often as circumstances will permit." While admitting the truth of this statement, it may be safely assumed that the desire to dine well and often is by no means confined to miners. Still it does not necessarily follow that a strict interpretation should be put upon that remark. It should be remembered that the arduous nature of the pitman’s employment is such as to require food of a substantial kind, if that labour is to be efficiently performed. Under ordinary circumstances an ample supply of good food is generally to be found in the home of a steady collier, in which good things all the members of the household share, sometimes, it is said, to the detriment of the younger branches of the family, by injudicious feeding. Of flesh meat the pitman seldom partakes oftener than once in a day, when in most cases his favourite dish is what is termed in the north a "pot-pie," which consists of meat cut into small pieces, which are put into a dish or pot, seasoned, covered on the top with a layer of paste, wrapped in a clean cloth, and cooked by boiling. They have also a great liking for rich currant cakes well buttered, called "singing hinnies," girdle cakes, dumplings, and various kinds of puddings.

On starting out in the morning the miner takes with him his bait, that is, a piece of bread and a tin flask of tea or water, his Davy lamp, and his "baccy-box." Some prefer to go to work fasting, others indulge in a little bread and water or a cup of coffee before leaving their homes. On his return after working his "shift" he is quite prepared, as may well be imagined, to face his pot-pie or roast beef, and do ample justice to either. Considering the amount of physical exertion he has to put forth whilst at work, his gastronomical instincts cannot be termed extravagant, and we may safely conclude that his present mode of living differs little from that of ordinary beings.

Everybody seems to award credit to the wives of the pitmen as being indefatigable in their exertions to keep everything right and tidy at home, so far as the arrangements of the houses and the employment of the people will permit. The household duties of a pitman’s wife are very numerous. The male portion of her family may be divided into "putters" and "hewers," the former going to the mines when the latter leave, and the hours of labour and rest are consequently not the same thus there is entailed the necessity of preparing numerous meals, and at irregular and various hours of the day. Every man and boy, immediately on coming from his work, changes his dress or goes to bed, after taking a meal and washing himself from head to foot. The flannel dress, too, in which the pit work is done, has to be subjected pretty frequently to the action of soap and water.

The children of colliers are comfortably and decently clothed. Cleanliness, both in their persons and houses, is a predominant feature in the domestic economy of the better females of this community. The children, although necessarily left much to themselves, and playing much in the dirt, are never sent to bed without ample ablution,

The pitmen used formerly to delight in gaudy colours. Their holiday waistcoats, called by them posey jackets, were frequently of very curious patterns, displaying flowers of various hues; and their stockings were blue, purple, or even pink, or mixed colours. Many of them used to have their hair very long, which, on week-days, was either tied in a queue, or rolled up in curls, but when dressed in their best attire it was commonly spread over their shoulders. Some of them wore two or three narrow ribbons round their hats, placed at equal distances, in which it was customary to insert one or more bunches of primroses or other flowers.

These peculiarities in the holiday dress of the average miner have now all but disappeared, the only distinctive feature now remaining being his working dress of thick white flannel, consisting of loose jacket, vest, and knee-breeches, cloth cap, long stockings, and strong shoes.

The amusements and recreations of the pitmen display considerable variety. Quoitplaying, bowling, fives or ball-playing, are essentially the games in which nearly all rake an interest; but rabbit-coursing, dog-racing, pigeon-thing are also popular. Indoor games, such as whist, draughts, and dominoes are quite common. The miner has also a decided weakness for those prevalent and besetting evils, horse-racing and gambling. Indications, however, are not wanting of the advent of a better state of things in this respect. That there is a tendency for amusements of a more harmless kind, and an increasing desire for intellectual improvement, the numerous libraries, reading-rooms, and improvement classes in the mining districts sufficiently prove.

The social condition of the miner has, within living memory, and more especially in recent years, been greatly advanced. Mr. Wilson, nearly half a century ago, ascribed this improvement principally to "the diffusion of useful knowledge through cheap publications, the establishment of Sunday schools, and the introduction of savings banks." To these may be added the spread of general education, and the development of the Co-operative system, which has had the effect of imbuing them with notions of thrift and economy; fully eighty per cent. of the miners, it has been computed, being members of one or other of these societies. The weekly and fortnightly meetings of the miners’ associations are also considered by many to have much to do with giving a more elevating tone to their aims and aspirations, the spirit of emulation either in the pit or out of it being a strong characteristic of the Durham miner. That there is room for further improvement it were idle to deny, or to ignore the fact that the average collier consumes more ale than is sometimes good for him, and that like many others in a similar condition, he is apt to become coarse and unruly; but as a rule he is not so bad as he seems. One who knew well the habits of the northern miner, says, "The ruffian is considered as much a ruffian in a colliery village as anywhere." In his general conduct and behaviour the Durham miner will compare favourably with those of any other county, he being by no means deficient in that natural courtesy and kindly demeanour, especially to strangers, which is such a pleasing trait in the character of the inhabitants of the northern countics.

It has been the privilege of the writer, during some of his perambulations in the mining districts, to make the acquaintance of miners who, whilst daily wielding the pick, have, by their steady perseverance, force of character, and education &ndash in many cases acquired under unfavourable circumstances – become leaders of men, not only in their own sphere, but also in other movements, both social and political, and whom it is a pleasure to know. Miners, as is well known, now occupy seats in the Imperial Parliament, County and Borough Councils, and hold other important offices, proving, if any proof were needed, that natural ability and intellectual capacity of a high order are qualities by no means rare amongst this useful and hard-working portion of the community.