The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-26 00:00:00

The Colliery Evictions at Cramlington.

The Newcastle Chronicle reports a renewal of the
painful scenes in the neighbourhood of the colliery
at Cramlington. At a meeting on Monday the men
decided to remain out on strike. The work of
eviction commenced soon afterwards, the soldiers
and police being present to protect the " candymen."
The New Stone Row at the Low Pit was fronted by
the police force, and their charge, the "candy men,"
walked into two or three dwellings. Wm. Hedley
had voluntarily removed, and the next turn, says
the Chronicle, fell to the lot of Mrs. Elizabeth Tre-
wick, one of the oldest inhabitants, and, as may be
supposed, the ordeal was to be a trying one. The
associations of the past had caused her to have a
strong attachment to the place. She could look back
38 years, to the time when her late husband
worked first in an ordinary capacity, and then as a
weighman, to his death, which occurred but three
hours after he had given up his employment ;
and now her son, a hewer, upon whom her hopes
were fixed, was called upon to share with her
the presenthardship. John Fisher, his wife, and four
children, next came out amid the pileof furniture in
front of their doorstead. No distinction was made.
Had there been any, Mr. Thos. Lumsden should
have escaped. He had lost one of his legs in the
service of his masters, owing to the cage carelessly
being drawn up so as to entrap him in the slide and
spear. The act, therefore, was to him like a second
martyrdom at the end of the 19 years' experience
which he had had in the pit. The father of his wife
—Mr. Peter Bulmer—was killed on leaving the
shaft of the colliery ; and each and all had the repu-
tation of being advanced in intelligence and skill.
Benjamin Alderton had departed with his wife and
five children. John Carlton and his wife were com-
pelled to leave their domicile. The bailiffs then went
to Thomas Graham. A beholder inquired " how
many there were in the family," and Mrs. Graham
somewhat amused the company by replying, " Five
children and a fat pig." Thos. Pringle, the father
of one of the young men charged with committing a
breach of the peace, was then ejected. Mrs. Pringle
felt this to be an addition to her already heavy
trouble. Her husband had been engaged at the col-
liery 34 years, without being absent three days from
Cramlington, and she recollected being out in a
field adjoining during the encampment on the occa-
sion of the strike in 1844. Stephen Hubback, his
wife, and two children, were the next thrown upon
the "wide, wide world ;" and following him Benja-
min Bell, sen., his wife, and two children. The offi-
cials then visited West Wood-row, and put Benja-
min Bell, jun., his wife, and one child, out of the
door with their miscellaneous effects. Then, in order
Thomas Burn, his wife, and several children ; Mat-
thew Johnson and wife ; John Greenwell, his wife,
and four children ; and Robert Dick, his wife, and
one child, were dealt with. In the Special Row,
John Smith, with his wife and three children, were
evicted. Not more fortunate were Martin Roberts,
wife, and three ; John Hogg, wife, and five; Dennis
Chute, wife, and two children. From the Corvan
Row, John Charlton and his blind wife ; John
Carr, and his wife and family of three, were expel-
led ; and from the Old Stone Row, John Wilkin-
son, wife, and four ; Andrew Knowles, wife, and
two ; Thomas Davidson, wife, and two ; Geo. Willis
and wife ; and Wm. Robinson, wife and two children.
From houses near came forth Alexander Phillips,
wife and three ; and Ralph Gray, wife, and two
children. The party then went off to the High
Terrace-row, but left it unmolested, as one family
which it was intended to oust had voluntarily left.
Marching from thence to the Shankhouse Row,
Joseph Lacey, his wife, and five children, were re-
moved with their goods from their house to the
ground in front. Robert Lowther and his family
had left of their own accord. Thus ended the day's
programme, which had resulted in the driving out
of about 33 families. Many persons have been left
out in the district during the last two or three nights,
and provision for sheltering those and others who
cannot find a home is to be made in the shape of a
camp. Hundreds of men, women, and children
hooted the police and bailiffs as they proceeded to
execute their task, but no violence was used. The
colliers behaved remarkably well. The soldiers were
not required, and at eventide they amused themselves
by dancing with some of the village girls to the
strains of music. There is not any sign of a general
movement for departure. The remaining tenants
know not in what direction to bend their steps. Some
Cramlington men managed to get work at another
colliery, but were dismissed when the circumstance
of their case became known. If the men cannot
leave the village upon being expelled, it is to be
feared that more serious consequences may arise.
On Monday the roads were strewn with bedsteads,
beds, chests of drawers, tables, chairs, earthenware,
culinary vessels, clocks, birdcages, gunpowder bar-
rels, picks, axes, and all those miscellaneous articles
necessary to furnish a pitman's house.