White Miner · AditNow Community

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Monty Stubble
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

14 years ago

Doing a bit of research at the moment and while trawling through census records I found someone (in the 1850's) referred to as a 'White Miner'.
This was in Portsmouth (Lancashire) and while there are quite a few coal mines in the locality, apart from stone over near Rossendale there isn't much else.
Would I be right in assuming a white miner is involved in the fireclay industry?

Any thoughts?

The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time.
Henry David Thoreau

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Mr.C
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Maybe barytes? It used to be mainly mine as a white pigment I believe, before the demand for it as a drilling mud.

We inhabit an island made of coal, surrounded by a sea full of fish. How can we go wrong.......

derrickman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

this was ( briefly ) my job title, in South Africa in the late 70s.. or more correctly ''Assistant White Miner''. It may be that the deceased was so described, although it sounds a little early for that term to be in use.

''the stopes soared beyond the range of our caplamps' - David Bick...... How times change .... oh, I don't know, I've still got a lamp like that.

Monty Stubble
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

14 years ago

"Mr.C" wrote:
Maybe barytes? It used to be mainly mine as a white pigment I believe, before the demand for it as a drilling mud.

No barytes in the Cliviger valley, I'm afraid.

The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time.
Henry David Thoreau

Monty Stubble
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

14 years ago

"derrickman" wrote:
this was ( briefly ) my job title, in South Africa in the late 70s.. or more correctly 'Assistant White Miner'. It may be that the deceased was so described, although it sounds a little early for that term to be in use.

Nice thought - however I suspect my man was a stranger to description of job by skin colour.

Interesting thought though.

The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time.
Henry David Thoreau

Tin Miner
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Now if it related to Devon or Cornwall I would have suggested a smelter. My reasons here are that black tin was, in its natural form, after being crushed and white tin was once it had been smelted. I have heard of 'White' miners being related to before in the south-west, but can't rememeber exactly if my above was the correct in my assumption. Hope this helps...

Regards Tin Miner

derrickman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

what about fullers earth?

''the stopes soared beyond the range of our caplamps' - David Bick...... How times change .... oh, I don't know, I've still got a lamp like that.

rikj
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

As fireclay is often the seatearth to coal, a fireclay miner was usually the same thing as a coal miner.

I wonder if it was a term for any non-coal miner? i.e. anyone who wasn't coming home black at the end of the day. Or, by the same token, a surface worker at a coal mine.

As has been said, the only other extraction in the area would have been stone. Though I'm not sure there was any underground stone extraction within walking distance.

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Ganister is another possibility?

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

Ty Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#10

If as you say this is a mainly coal mining area,i would imagine the term White Miner could be construed as a Heading man,boring topholes,the rock dust would make them look like Homepride men.