Explanation please

[IreneH]

Not sure if I'm really suppose to ask this question here - but what exactly is a "coal getter" and a "coal hurrier" ???

What do they do exactly? I found these occupations in a census of some Yorkshire family members.

Irene

[Carrie Meerten]

I did some searching on google and found the mining museum which I think will be the most useful for you of 'coal getter' and 'coal hurrier'.

http://cpcug.org/user/jlacombe/terms.html - A list of occupations

http://www.dmm.org.uk/history/ - Durham Mining Museum
... The actual coal getter is called the hewer, and is the one who is directly
employed in digging and filling away the coal. This work while it lasts is of ...

http://www.gendocs.demon.co.uk/trades.html - A list of occupations

[Mandie]

I had a look in 'My Ancestor Was a Coalminer' by David Tonks, for you, and it says in the glossary:

getter – A man producing coal at the face. In many cases he was often the filler (q.v.). (p117)
filler – A man employed on filling coal on at the coal face. (p116)

It doesn't mention a hurrier though. :/

[Carrie Meerten]

I did find the word 'hewer' (i think that was right), maybe hurrier is actually not the right word.

[AnnB]

From the Old Occupations site at http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/ a coal hurrier was a girl from the age of 5 used to haul coal underground - doesn't bear thinking about does it?
Best wishes
Ann

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

I've just posted a message to the Yorkshire County Forum (only just found out about this thread here) ...... but my Grandfather was a Coal Hurrier in Cap House Colliery, in Middlestown near Wakefield.

He hated it so much down there that he became the Village Blacksmith later on in life ...... don't blame him, as I went down there on a tour (now Yorkshire Mining Museum) and I got claustraphobia! Hope I've spelt that right?

[IreneH]

Thanks one and all. For some reason I'm not getting posts till 2 -3 days after they have been posted. Sorry for the delay in replying.

Thanks again
Irene

[johnpritt]

Irene,
are you refreshing your browser regularly? Check the preferences to see if it refreshes every visit. If it doesn't, then the page will load from the computer memory (if it's there) rather than go to the website itself. Could explain why you're seeing things late.