coal ash labourer

[Davran]

I've just come across a "coal ash labourer". Anyone any ideas of what he would have done?

Coal ash is obviously the residue left from buring coal, but I wonder what this chap would have done with it. He was in Ramsgate, so not in an industrial area.

[Jan1954]

Hello Davran,

I did a search with the words "coal ash labourer" in this site and it brought up a couple of hits. Click on search at the left of the page:

http://www.victorianlondon.org/

A lot of reading is involved but it seems to refer to dockside labourers in one part.

[*bunty*]

Could coal ash refer to the powdered coal rather than lumps? I wonder if they were responsible for the clean up of 'slack'? At present, coal ash refers to the mineral content in coal (ie the rock as opposed to the carbon-based material), which is washed out as part of clean coal technology. Not sure if this relates though ;). I am interested to find out what the job of coal ash labourer is, as I am a mining engineer at a coal mine :).

[Davran]

Thanks for the link, Jan, but I couldn't find anything specifically relating to coal ash.

Bunty, I doubt it was anything to do with mining. Ramsgate is a small sea port with a hinterland of farmland. There were no mines in the immediate vicinity, though there were several within a 20-mile radius - now all closed down.

[helen57]

Hi Davran,

What year was this?

Could it be that he was the forerunner to what (in my day :)) was called a dustman, who collected the ashes from open fires? (in modern times referred to as 'refuse collectors' ?)

Regards Helen

[Davran]

It was 1861. I had considered someone who collected ash from open fires, but I think most people used to chuck the ashes down the garden or maybe used them in the privy. And why specifically coal ash? I believe wood ash was used in soap making at one time, but I don't know about coal ash.

[Davran]

Just found this website:

http://www.ukqaa.org.uk/AboutAsh1.html

Seems like coal ash can be used in concrete/building blocks, but would this have been the case in 1861?

Oh dear, I'm off at a tangent again! This chappy was nothing at all to do with my own family and there I am finding out about his job!

[*bunty*]

Yes, a dustman sounds like a possible job. Fly ash from coal wasn't used in concrete until the 1930s though. It may have been used in some other product though. Perhaps brick making?