Highley Miner’s Diary, 1928-1944

These are extracts from a diary kept by a Highley miner. The notes were made from a transcript and the diary is far from comprehensive. It contains a mixture of information about the village and the mines of the Highley Mining Company. It records a variety of events in the village. Some, such as the arrival of mains electricity in 1930, would have been important events for all villagers; others, such as the purchase of a new van by the Co-op were even at the time, probably of interest only to the author alone. The diary provides useful insights into events within the Highley Mining Company. The author worked at Highley Colliery and was transferred to the new Alveley Colliery as it opened in the late 1930s. This can be followed in some detail but the document also shows the problems at the company’s other mine at Kinlet, that was closed in 1937. Besides technical information, the diary gives insights into the social history of mining; wages, shift patterns and the re-establishment of a union all feature, as well as accidents, fatal and non-fatal.

Text in square brackets represents editorial comments and are not part of the original transcript.

Wages H.M.Co. £150-0-0
Income tax return £23-18-0
Value of property £11-18-0
Total £173-18-0
£5-00-0 Interest on Mortgage, £5 at 5% on £100

Ballot taken on Jan 8th 1928 for Checkweighman; J. Findlay appointed

Gothic Hall burnt down 1st Oct 1928 [This date is suspect; one witness recalls this event happening on the eve of the New Years dance ie Dec 31st 1928].

Got injured on 21st March 1928 & started work on 17th May after 8 weeks at home

J. Rogers got hurt on May 13th 1928. Got 13/6 to pay for income tax on property

Mr Lawley’s silver wedding June 27th 1928. Tea in Assembly room – over 200 people

J. Wall broke his leg on June 2nd 1928, just below the knee

House painted by J. Blakemoor Nov 2nd. Had water laid on Friday 24th Aug 1928

Meeting at Chapel on June 5th 1929 in connection with Sunday school work. Mr Spooner of Baxter Church addressed the meeting

J. Brookes left the Bcount [?] to work at Highley Mining Co. on Oct 4th 1929

S. Lawton took to Bicton on Oct 28th 1929

New Morris Cowley van at Co-op stores. Total cost £212-8-0

Received bill for water £1-5-0

Stopped bottom district on March 26th 1930 and started me & G. Blount in new pit with W. Price, A. Price, H. Price, & P. Bytheway, April 3rd on nights. First week 4¾ shifts, second week 4¾ shifts

Started in the new pit on 3rd April, nights, 1930; in 21’s at week 1, 153.00

Started union of May 9th 1930. E. Westwood sec, F. Wagner treasurer picked by men, Assembly room Tues 6th Oct.

Co-op bought Mr Armstones premises Oct 1930 for £850


Formed a union on May 6th 1930 to join Midland Federation. 2/7 paid 1st week on 9th May 1930

Mr Lewis, station-master died June 2nd 1930

Electric light came into force at Highley June 1930. [Date given as July 10th 1930 elsewhere in the diary]

C Davies got killed at Kinlet, also at Highley William Pope got killed by a coal cutter same week on 30th Oct 1930

7½ Hours came into force on May 18th 1931. No reduction to day men

R. James left colliery on July 1931 – been manager since 1911

L. Richards got killed on Monday 15th Feb 1932 by a fall of roof & coal, also William Kynsley got injured – took to Kidderminster Hospital – died in Hospital Tues, Feb 1932

Lot of men came from Kinlet to Highley Colliery in July 1932

Mr G. Plant finished at colliery on 1st Nov 1932. Mr Thompson, new under-manager started on Nov 5th 1932

More men came from Kinlet to Highley at the end of Jan 1933. Very bad at Kinlet

About 57 men stopped at Kinlet on Friday 7th July 1933

Alfred Hyde got killed at the colliery Oct 4th 1933. Electrocuted. Mr G. Amphlett got killed at the pit on Jan 22nd 1934

William Page started work on the bank at Highley having been out of work for long time Feb 22nd 1934

Sub committee meeting of welfare at Kinlet on 3rd Sept at 1 o‘clock, Mr Perry, Mr Nicholas, Mr B. Robinson, Mr Wagner present

Highley Mining Co started sinking a pit shaft at Alveley in Aug 1935

Mr Eardley, manager of the colliery, died 27th Jan 1936

J. E. Parry left Kinlet colliery 30th April, 1937

Harry Price & George Blount started work at Alveley new pit on June 10th 1937 Sent the first tub of coal up. 21 Arthur Price & Philip Bytheway started work at the new pit on Wednesday afternoon 23rd June Fred Wagner started work at the new pit Alveley on Thursday 24th June, a fortnight after opening We got through to Highley Colliery on June 8th 1937 on the day shift 5/- each given us when we got through to Highley

One of the Hayes sons from Yew Tree Villas got killed down the incline at Highley colliery on 26th July 1937

Put new cages on Alveley pit for Monday 20th Sept 1937. Me & G. Blount started the other side of the new pit at Alveley on 6th ? 1937 Kinlet colliery closed for coal drawing on Sept 29th 1937. We put girders up at pit bottom of Alveley just before Christmas 1936 (6). Put 2 more girders up on March 26th 1938. There are two more to put up on Alveley side of the pit bottom. Started heading on 6th April 1938 at pit bottom at Alveley

We received holidays with pay on July 30th 1938; £1-10-0 for the first year

Finished the pit bottom at Alveley on Sept 21st 1938. Got through to 23 on Sept 23rd 1938. Men started going up & down new shaft at Alveley on Sunday night, 13th Nov 1938

R. Corfield started as overman 1st Feb 1939

Finished drawing coal up Highley on Sat 19th Jan 1940. J. Findlay finished being checkweighman. A. Price left us & went firing on Jan 26 1940

There was an election for sec & president of miners union, Feb 5th 1941

Machine first cut coal in crutt on 8th Sept, night shift, 1942. Finished stall work with 21st on Oct 2nd 1942
Last pay day on 9th Oct, 5 turns

Mishap to the winding engine at Alveley, we had to come up Highley pit, Aug 28th 1943


Wages 1936

2 turns, April 3 1-15-0
5 “ “ 9 3-15-0
4 “ “ 17 2-16-0
15/-
6 “ “ 24 5-8-0
6 “ May 1st 16/- 4-16-0
6¼ “ “ 8 16/- 4-16-0
5 turns May 15th 16/- 4-2-3
6 “ “ 22 4-16-6
5 “ 29 4-0-0
3 “ June 5 2-12-0

Whitsun Holidays
6 turns June 12 4-17-0
6 turns June 19 4-16-0
4 “ “ 26 3-4-6
0 “ July - - -
1 “ “ 10 17-6


Record drawing coal up Alveley colliery was on the week ending 16th Sept 1944; 5,106 tons. Best week ending 23 Sept, it was 5,349