The Sun.
London, England, 1831-02-04 00:00:00

THE DERBYSHIRE LEAD ;NUNES.

(Prom the Sheffield Iris.)
Tsto or three weeks since we called the attention of
the Public to the distress at present existing among the
iearl miners in the Peak of Derbyshire. We have subse-
quently- had the satis'gction of announcing the receipt' of
sundry sums of money, contributed to alleviate that dis-
tress, by benevolent individuals, who had read our Etat,-
ments. Castleton, Hucklow, and Bra.lwell, may be men-
tioned aS the platies where the greatest privations are en-
dured. the priniiipal seat of the distress, however, as
Bradwell: We have before us two letters addressed by an
individual of that village to Mr H. Cocker, of Hather-
sage, who has actively and laudably exerted himself in
connexion with some other kindly disposed individuals,
in promoting a subscription to assilt the suffering in
habitants. From the former of the letters, it appears
that the pdpulation of Bradttell is 1,220 souls, con-
stituting 210 or 216 families; of these families, 50 may
be said to depend for subsistence altdgether on the raising
and smelting of lead ore; 50 more on weaving ; another
50 by employment in an adjacent factory ; and the re-
mainder are employed either in farming, or other miscel-
laneous occupations. Of ateie, the miners and weavers
are the parties suffering most seVeteir. Time writer says
(Dec. 21, 1830), they " are actually earning, no more,
on an average, than 4s. 6d., or, to say the most, ss. per
week, al.d this is only obtained lay more than common
hours of labour." This latter circumstance the writer is
greatly afraid (and with reason) cripples both the cor-
poreal and the moral powers of the sufferers. He adds—
" Ho , these poor creatures exist I canot tell; it is true there
are some helps in reference to coals, or rather fire—the cupolas
fUrniih ashes, or rather cinders, to perhaps one-fourth of these
without expense, and Were you present there, viz. at the cupolas,
for one week, I am surd you would feel Very much : small chit_
dren from eight to men and wonidii of seSenty years of age are
there sight and day waiting of their turn dotting on, when they
must gather them. I am led to think, that even negto slavery
itself in many of its branches, is but the miniature of human
woe, compared with what is experienced in some of the doleful
dtvellings of the inhabitants of this town."
The second of the letters above referred to, and which,
was only written on Saturday, contains the following

cases, via.:—

Ist Case.—One family when visited, consisting of man, wife,
and four children, (and who have recently buried tti•ci others,
supposed from real starvation,) were found in the most wretched
condition—the wife having been confined in bed by affliction for
a Icing Limb, find now no better; while their aggregate earnings
amounted to no mote than 6s: per week.
2d f. ase.—A man and wife, With eight children, whose income
for the whole family had only been Ss. pCr week for the last 32
weeks previously to being visited—of this I had personal know-
ledge.
3d Case.—Five men with families, all of which work at ofie
and the same mine, whose earnings only amounted, on an average,
to for the last 32 weeks.

Ath Gse.—(Noticed by Mr. Joseph Barber.)—A family of six
ptrsdhi, Who for eight weeks had got no more than 7s. per week.
sth Case.—Two brothers, both married men ; one having one
one child, the other two, *ere found in the most destitute con-
dit.on, they had neither fire, bedding, nor hardly any food of
any description : their clothing would scared, be worth the
notice of a common rag gatherer, if found on the highway ; and
what is truly astonishing, none of the above have made applica-
tion for parish relief.
" We should (says the writer) feel comparatively happy if the
above statements were culled from the circumstances of the in-
habitants generally, as solitary instances of wretchedness and
Woe, The suffering, indeed, ash ou well know, is not universal,
but we venture to say that it is general. How impossible to exist
on the pittances above referred to ; yet they are facts to which
we pledge ourselves as being responsible for their authenticity ;
and we really think that many fine boys and girls (as well as
aged persons) have been brought to the grave—the house appointed
for all living—prematurely, for want of food and nourishment
necessary for the support of animal life.
It is, however, due to many of our townsmen to state, that
the poor, as paupers, are well maintained ; and we feel it also
our duty to say, that a goodly number of the inhabitants, whose
horizon has been illumined with brighter rays, have done much
in a regular way for these sufferers ; but many of these, in their
turn, are now themselves come under the iron hand of poverty.
In addition, I may just mention one particular. Many of the
poorest families are permitted by the farmers to plant two, three,
four, and some five or six pecks of potatoes, the produce of
which forms the chief source of supply in their greatest necessity."
We can add nothing to the eloquence of such state-
ments as the foregoing : hut having submitted such evi-
deuce of the unequivocal existence of very deep distress at
Bradwell, and in the districts adjoining thereto, we may
venture to appeal to the humanity of our readers, and
through them to other individuals, on behalf of these poor
Derbyshire miners. We have, as above stated, already
received several contributions for this purpose, and we
shall gladly take charge of any further donations that may
be entrusted to onr care, and which, we believe, will be
judiciously dispens,d to relieve the most necessitous
cases by a Committee formed and acting on the spot.
To our townspeople in general, this appeal is urged on
tke ground of neighbourhood to the suffering districts ;
to- those engaged in cert tin manufacturers, in which
a large quantity of lrad is used, the reduced price of this
article., which had led to the ruin of the miners, should
furnish a motive for rendering souse assistance; and may
we be allowed to add, that opulent individuals at a dis-
tance, who may have visited the unsurpassably romantic
scenery of the Peak, or have been delighted by its beauty,
through the means of pictures or descriptions, might do
honour to their best feelings, were they, on this occasion,
to transmit their mite of benevolence, however small,
tow -rd mitigating the pressure of such evils as above de-
scribed, existing at this moment in the most interesting—
and let us add—peaceable part of Great Britain.