Woman admitted as Freeminer · AditNow Community

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AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

15 years ago

Just seen this on the BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-11495315 , seems like some of the freeminers aren't happy with women being allowed the old Forest rights.....

Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!

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simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

15 years ago

Good for her :thumbsup: why on earth would anybody have refused her permission?

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

Looks like the fuss is based on the wording of the Act.

"The Dean Forest Mines Act, which set up the ancient right on a legal basis, refers to freeminers as men."

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

15 years ago

That may be so, but the act is then in breach of current equality law, and as newer law that takes precedence. Given the choice between having the law that brought the status of the freeminers into law struck off the books, and accepting that in the 21st century mention of "men" in an old law can be taken as gender-neutral for legal purposes, I know which I'd prefer!

Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

15 years ago

"Morlock" wrote:
Looks like the fuss is based on the wording of the Act.

"The Dean Forest Mines Act, which set up the ancient right on a legal basis, refers to freeminers as men."

That might be interpretive though. As in the term 'men' encompassing men and women? The historical significance and importance of women (and children) in mining is hard to overlook so I'm surprised anybody made an issue of this.

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

I just see it as the usual resistance to change in a long established organisation, Traditionalist versus Modernisers.

Ty Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

"simonrl" wrote:
Good for her :thumbsup: why on earth would anybody have refused her permission?

Because she is a Woman.

The 1842 commission outlawed women and children working underground,for Damb good reasons.

See it for what it is,Good advertising for Clearwell caves and museum,nothing else.

Bill L
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

Did not the great M. Thatcher, friend of Freedom and Equality, get the legislation allowing women to work underground repealed?

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

I hope that was meant in jest!!! :ohmygod:

Phil Ford
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

15 years ago

#10

Well done by her, the more miners that are working the better be it men or women. I have only come accross one woman working underground, she was a geologist at the Dinorwic project in 1977. :thumbup:

DougCornwall
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#11

Golly gosh chaps what is the world coming to ... women as free miners ??????

before we know it they will want to become free masons...

Have to have a chat with the fellows on the committee at the club .. what ho..

[/center][/i]Always have a backup plan.[i][center]

Daz
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#12

Hmmm, whatever next! Will they be learning to drive? 😉

Daz

Moorebooks
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#13

"Phil Ford" wrote:
Well done by her, the more miners that are working the better be it men or women. I have only come accross one woman working underground, she was a geologist at the Dinorwic project in 1977. :thumbup:

I recall there were female workers at South Crofty before it closed

Mike

grahami
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#14

"Daz" wrote:
Hmmm, whatever next! Will they be learning to drive? 😉

My Aunt who died in her 90s in 1990 told me that as a young lady, she was one of the first women in Lowton (nr Leigh, Lancashire) to learn to drive a car....

Cheers

Grahami

The map is the territory - especially in chain scale.

Wormster
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#15

"Phil Ford" wrote:
Well done by her, the more miners that are working the better be it men or women. I have only come accross one woman working underground, she was a geologist at the Dinorwic project in 1977. :thumbup:

When I went to Boulby a while back, they had a female (I think she was Polish, (I'm sure somebody WILL correct me) geologist working there.

Better to regret something you have done - than to regret something you have not done.

AdM Michael
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#16

There are plenty more at Winsford working underground, but mainly for Deepstore.
But that's something entirely different to being admitted as a Freeminer in the Royal Forest of Dean.

Tamarmole
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#17

I employed the first woman to work underground in a Devon mine (albeit a tourist mine) in 2007, I was quite surprised that I wasn't struck down by a thunderbolt from above!

Bill L
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#18

We employ a, er, lady who works underground at Geevor. The previous posting explains a lot! 😢

PaulatNent
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#19

Back in 2002 the Mine Manager for the Carrs Show Mine at Nenthead was a woman🅱

cobba
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#20

I cannot remember when the legislation came in but the wording was such that a female could not spend the "majority" of her shift underground.It may well have changed since then.

cobba