Coal Mining terms. Definition of Putters, Putting
The job of putter has considerable longevity in the history of mining. Primarily a coal mining term, it means someone who transports the coal or mineral away from the workings and out of the mine. In the early days, this meant taking baskets of coal called corves on sledges, and pulling them out of the mine. Later, when rails were used, the corves were mounted on bogeys (sets of wheels) and
trammed out. Later still, metal tubs built on wheels were used. In each case, the putter was the man or boy who moveed the container. It does not include the process of getting the coal up a shaft (the job of the onsetter) and usually did not mean the deliver of the caol to the screens in a drift mine (the job of the banskman).
In some cases, putting also meant the process of shovelling the coal or mineral into the container prior to transport.
Putting requies more stamina but less strength than hewing. Therefore, boys were noramlly employed as putters, and they progressed to become hewers once they had developed the strength to so so.
The terms Putters and Putting are recorded in the mining glossaries:
Definitions
A glossary of Terms used in the Coal Trade of Northumberland and Durham, W. E. Nicholson, 1888:
Putter
A person who brings the full tubs from the hewer to the flat and takes the empty ones in to him
Putting hewer
A young hewer who is liable to be called upon to put if necessary.
English and Foreign Mining Glossary, Mining Journal 1871.
Putters
Newcastle term: Young men who convey the coals from the workings to the horseway.
A Glossary of Mining and Metallurgiacal Terms, R. W. Raymond, 1881 (America)
Put (Putter)
1. (Newcastle term) To convey coal from the working breast tot he tramway. This is usually done by young men (putters).
Quotes concerning Putters and Putting
The bords are driven in opposite directions from these inclines, to shorten the putting. A mode of payment has been practised at this colliery for some time, which is worth mentioning, as it possesses some advantages over that usually adopted. Instead of the price being per tub or ton, it is per cubic yard. Each place is measured once a month, to ascertain the average height and width and the distance driven; the cubical contents are then calculated, and the hewers and putters, who are-generally in sets or gangs of three or four men for each place, are paid at the agreed price per yard. At present, 41 cents. or Is. 72d. per cubic yard is paid in the whole workings, and 35 to 38 cents. = 1s. 44d. and Is. 6Qd. In the pillars. The capacity of the tub used is about half-a-ton, but as the men put their own, or at least find the putter, they have no inducement to send away ill-filled tubs, but on the contrary, to shorten the number of trips made to the balance ways by filling the tubs well; the coal is therefore built up in them near the top, and a much larger quantity is thus conveyed per tub.
From
COAL-FIELDS OF NOVA SCOTIA. BY JOHN RUTHERFORD., Read the article
here
This state of the mines is the most complete security that young Children are never employed, nor can be profitably employed, to bring the coals from the workings to the horse-ways, because such heavy work can be done far cheaper by strong boys and young men. The putters do not become of too large size for this work at fourteen, and from that age to fifteen, but may continue on to twenty-one, as most of them actually do. James Richardson, aced seventeen, putter: In the Bensham seam they are putting places 2 feet high, and dare not keep their fingers oil the tub at the top, else they would get knocked against the roof
From
Minutes of evidence to the Children's Employment Commission. Chapter 5. State of the place of work in coal mines, Read the article
here. The Institute holds the complete report which contains hundreds of references to putting like this.
The labours of the “barrow-men or coal-putters” are also described. “These persons take the hewed coals from the hewers as they work them, or as fast as they can, and filling the corves with these wrought coals, put or pull away the full corves of coals upon a sledge of wood, and so halled all along the barrow-way to the pit-shaft by two or three persons, one before and the other behind the corfe, where they hook it by the corfe-bow to the cable, which, with the horses, is drawn up to the top, or to day, as it is in their phrase, where the bank’s-man, or he that guides the sledge-horse, has an empty sledge to set the loaden corfe on, as he takes it out of the hook on the pit-rope, and then immediately hooking on an empty corfe, he leads his sledge-horse away with the loaden corfe to what place of the pit-heap he pleases.”
“The wages of the barrow-men is usually about 20d. or 22d. a day for each tram; that is to say for putting so many loaden corves as are carried on one sledge, or tram, in one day to the pit shaft.
the more and further a pit is wrought, the dearer she lies in the charge of barrow-men, or putting
The putters used to be divided into trams, headsmen, foals, and half-marrows. These were all boys or youths. Their employment consisted in pushing or dragging the coal from the workings to the passages in which horses could be employed. Formerly the coal was conveyed by the putter in corves or tubs. Now small waggons called trams are generally employed. When a boy dragged or put a load by himself he also was designated a tram. When two boys of unequal age and strength assisted each other, the elder was called a headsman and the younger a foal. The former usually received two-thirds of the amount earned jointly by the two. When two boys of about equal age and strength aided each other they were called half-marrows, and their earnings were equally divided. The introduction of metal plates and waggons in place of corves, however, has almost done away with joint labours of this kind. Formerly the labour of the putter was of the most arduous description. Wilson describes it as having been “the most distressing slavery.”
From
Comprehensive Guide to the County of Durham, by J. R. Boyle, F. S. A. . Read the article
here.
The Insitute's Bell collection conatisn much detail on putting and individual putters and their activities. For example:
Poster advertising the non-union hewers and putters for Waldridge Colliery, printed by M. Atkinson, Chester le Street, 24 Dec 1831.
Warrant to arrest George Thompson, bound putter at Walker Colliery for breaking his agreement, 9 Sept 1824. 1pp.
Plan, sections and description of the method of putting in cribb tubbing
Description of putting in plank tubbing
Search for references to Bank and Banksmen in the library here.
Search for references to Bank and Banksmen in the Colliery Guardian and Mining Journal on-line index.
Search the Institute on-line catalogue for Bank and Banksmen here
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