Northumberland Miners' Association facts for kids

Burt Hall in Newcastle, former headquarters of the Northumberland Miners' Association.

The Northumberland Miners' Association was a special group called a trade union in the United Kingdom. It was created to help coal miners in Northumberland, a county in England. Miners are people who dig deep underground to get coal. This association worked to make sure miners had fair pay and safe working conditions.

What Was the Association?

The Northumberland Miners' Association was formed in 1864. Before this, there was a short-lived union for miners in both Northumberland and Durham. When that union ended, the Northumberland miners decided to start their own group.

At first, it was called the Northumberland Miners' Mutual Confident Association. The people who started it wanted it to be a respected and serious organization. They asked members to pay high fees to join. They also tried hard to avoid strikes, which is when workers stop working to demand better conditions.

Joining National Groups

For many years, the Northumberland Miners' Association worked on its own. It did not join the main national group for miners, the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, until 1907.

Later, in 1945, the Miners' Federation of Great Britain changed its name to the National Union of Mineworkers. The Northumberland Miners' Association then became the "Northumberland Area" of this larger national union.

End of the Association

The Northumberland Area of the National Union of Mineworkers continued to represent miners for many years. However, as coal mining in the UK changed, the need for such large unions decreased. The Northumberland Miners' Association, as part of the National Union of Mineworkers, was finally dissolved in 2018. This means it officially stopped existing as a separate group.

Key Leaders of the Association

Over its long history, many important people led the Northumberland Miners' Association. These leaders worked hard to improve the lives of miners and their families.

General Secretaries

The General Secretary was a very important role, like the main manager of the association.

• 1864: William Crawford
• 1865: Thomas Burt
• 1913: William Straker
• 1935: Jim Bowman
• 1950: Robert Main
• 1975: Sammy Scott
• 1992: Ian Lavery
• 2010: Denis Murphy

Presidents

The President was another key leader, often the public face of the association.

• John Nixon
• 1872: William Grieves
• John Bryson
• 1896: Hugh Boyle
• 1907: Joseph English
• 1914: William Weir
• 1927: William Golightly
• 1940: Hugh McKay
• 1960s: Tom Holliday
• 1980s: Denis Murphy

Financial Secretaries

The Financial Secretary was in charge of the association's money.

• 1906: John Cairns
• 1918: Ebby Edwards
• 1929: John Carr
• 1939: Jack Besford