I find all of this appalling Stephen Western Australia ----- Original Message ----- From: "J Roberts" <roberts627@btinternet.com> To: <staffordshire@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2012 6:44 AM Subject: [STAFFORDSHIRE] Pit Ponies > Having worked all my life in Coal Mining in Staffordshire can confirm > that > there were stables underground. At the colliery I worked at the ponies > were > always well kept and the miners would often take special treats for the > ponies as they always thought very highly of these animals. > They were used to haul both full and empty tubs around the Pit Bottom > area. > The only time they ever came to the surface was for the traditional two > week > Miners Holiday. At the colliery where I worked the cage was rather small. > It > had three decks but only the top deck was sufficiently high to enable one > pony at a time to enter the cage. This deck was also very small in width > and > depth being designed for six men standing two abreast and three deep. When > the ponies were loaded into the cage they had to open a hatch at the roof > of > the top deck and the pony would be coaxed into this very limited space, > made > to sit down with its head through the open hatch. A very tricky > operation. > Because the lighting underground was negligible, they had to wear > "blinkers" > to protect their eyes whilst on the surface. It was a real treat to see > them > making the most of very limited freedom and to watch them gambol about was > a > great sight to experience. After the two week break the procedure would > have > to be gone through again to get the ponies back into the mine. Despite all > this, they were always well cared for. The colliery blacksmith was > required > to go underground to shoe the ponies when necessary. Inspections were made > at regular intervals by a Veterinary Surgeon and also the Mines > Inspectorate. > Hope this is of interest. > John Roberts > In the Staffordshire Potteries Where the Mugs Come From > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "brian" <brian@kddpowercentre.com> > Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 9:41 PM > To: <staffordshire@rootsweb.com> > Subject: Re: [STAFFORDSHIRE] 1881 -- The Iron Works, Moxley/Wednesfield > >> They had stables underground for the pit ponies, but they came up >> periodically, may have been annually ( from memory, but were going back >> to >> the 50's ) for a break. They had farms for them, and retirement, they >> were >> looked after at least in years, they were still going in the 50's / 60's. >> >> In the 1950's - 1980's there were around 100 pits, still working, >> Essington, >> Cannock, Hednesford, Rugeley, Cannock Chase, Walsall Wood, Brownhills >> area. >> >> We went down Hednesford number 5 pit on a school trip, all the way to the >> coal faces, at a unused face the guide had everybody turn off there >> helmet >> lights, I can still remember the total darkness. >> >> Brian >> >> ****************************** >> ATTENTION TO ALL:- When replying please remove the details that do not >> apply to your mail and change the SUBJECT LINE for best useage of >> ARCHIVED >> MATERIALS. >> ------------------------------- >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> STAFFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >> the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> >> ----- >> No virus found in this message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2114/4848 - Release Date: 03/03/12 >> > ****************************** > ATTENTION TO ALL:- When replying please remove the details that do not > apply to your mail and change the SUBJECT LINE for best useage of ARCHIVED > MATERIALS. > ------------------------------- > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > STAFFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

But then, it was normal. You cannot try to see past times in the light of what we know and think now. Consider the convicts to Australia, the treatment of aboriginals, and the list goes on. Even t =he "stealing" of children of single mothers up to the 1970s... I am inclined to think that the way of such children being brought up by neighbourse, others in the family, even by grandparents, was perhaps more common and kinder back in the 1800s and early 1900s kinder. Dawn (Melbourne Australia) -----Original Message----- From: staffordshire-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:staffordshire-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Stephen Victor Oddy Sent: Sunday, 4 March 2012 10:38 AM To: staffordshire@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [STAFFORDSHIRE] Pit Ponies I find all of this appalling Stephen Western Australia ----- Original Message ----- From: "J Roberts" <roberts627@btinternet.com> To: <staffordshire@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2012 6:44 AM Subject: [STAFFORDSHIRE] Pit Ponies > Having worked all my life in Coal Mining in Staffordshire can confirm > that > there were stables underground. At the colliery I worked at the ponies > were > always well kept and the miners would often take special treats for the > ponies as they always thought very highly of these animals. > They were used to haul both full and empty tubs around the Pit Bottom > area. > The only time they ever came to the surface was for the traditional two > week > Miners Holiday. At the colliery where I worked the cage was rather small. > It > had three decks but only the top deck was sufficiently high to enable one > pony at a time to enter the cage. This deck was also very small in width > and > depth being designed for six men standing two abreast and three deep. When > the ponies were loaded into the cage they had to open a hatch at the roof > of > the top deck and the pony would be coaxed into this very limited space, > made > to sit down with its head through the open hatch. A very tricky > operation. > Because the lighting underground was negligible, they had to wear > "blinkers" > to protect their eyes whilst on the surface. It was a real treat to see > them > making the most of very limited freedom and to watch them gambol about was > a > great sight to experience. After the two week break the procedure would > have > to be gone through again to get the ponies back into the mine. Despite all > this, they were always well cared for. The colliery blacksmith was > required > to go underground to shoe the ponies when necessary. Inspections were made > at regular intervals by a Veterinary Surgeon and also the Mines > Inspectorate. > Hope this is of interest. > John Roberts > In the Staffordshire Potteries Where the Mugs Come From > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 6935 (20120303) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com