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The history of the miners bond or "binding"
It would be unusual for a miner to have had a education in 1809, so the yearly binding was very much in favour of the mine owner. At the yearly binding, which took place in the month of October, the owners by planned arrangements amongst themselves, but in which the men were not allowed to have any part, decided that the latter should be engaged for a quarter, or a year and a quarter, in order to bring the binding time into the latter end of December or the beginning on January. to this the men at first agreed; but upon mature deliberation they found that they had done wrong, and accordingly on the 16th of October 1810 a meeting of delegates was held at Long Benton, when it was resolved to resist the alteration, and that a strike should take place, unless the owners would agree to continue the binding from the 18th October as usual. The coal owners having a reason for desiring the change which they had arbitrarily declared should be made, refused to listen to the men, and the latter accordingly struck after the binding day. The delegates from the different collieries held frequent meetings, both in the Counties of Northumberland and Durham, for the purpose of keeping the men united, but they were hunted about from place to place by the owners and magistrates, assisted by the military, and committed to prison in such large numbers, till the prisons would hold no more. To such an extent was the old gaol and house of correction at Durham filled, and the fear of infection, some men were moved to the stable yards of the Bishop of Durham. where the Durham Volunteers stood guard. There were nearly 300 men held. To try and settle the dispute the Rev Mr Nesfield, a magistrate, and a Captain Davis, of the Carmarthenshire Militia had the good sense to speak to the leading men in the prison, who told them to talk to the men who were free. Eventually an agreement was reached to have the binding on the 5th April. This would not take place till all the men returned to work and before the bindings took place, he would place a advertisement calling a meeting of the trade, which would be held at Chester -le - Street on December 20th. There would also be two men from each colliery attending. there was a objection from Mr.Martindale, the clerk of trade of the river Wear, stating the river Wear does not constitute the coal, but the river Tyne, Hartley, Blyth and Cowpen formed the principal part of. because of this objection the meeting was then held on the 3rd January 1811. The coal owners agreed to the new proposals.
The binding money in 1800 ranged from ten to twelve guineas, in 1804 it was eighteen to twenty guineas, but by 1809 it was down to five guineas. The poor pitman eagerly took the proffered guineas and returned to their drudgery, too often having squandered their bounty in the public house. The following poem refers to the binding
The Pit Mans Pay
just like wor maisters when wor bun,
Iif men and lafds be verra scant
They wheedle us wi' yel and fun
And coax us into what they want
But myek yor mark, then snuffs and sneers
Suin stop yor gob and lay yor braggin
When yence yor feet are i the geers,
Maw soul , they keep yor paunches waggin.