The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-03-04
COAL-PTT WORKERS
HELD IN SLAVERY
Scottish Miners Long the
Property of OWners.

At the beginning Of the Seventeenth
century when coal was first mined In
Scotland, the miners, who daily risked
their lives in their hazardous employ
ment, were s!evss.
In those far-off days, miners, both
men and women, were bound for life
to the pits in which they worked, and
were actually transferred with the
collieries, when these were sold to q
new owner, as part Of the property.
This extraordinary state Of bondage,
sanctioned by Scots law in 1908, con-
tinued for nearly two centuries.
Even for the children, there was no
hope of escape, for as soon as they.
started to work, they too were
Thrilled" to the pit for the rest Of
their lives. Parents were so Injured
to the hardships of their own lot that
they regarded slavery as inevitable
for their children also.
Some infants were sold to the mas
tiers at the time of their baptism, in
the presence of the minister, who wit
messed this bargain in human life.
The employer then presented "arles"
or earnest money to the father, and
from that moment the babe was bound
for life to the pit.
If any miner, reused by a bitter
sense Of injustice, tried to gain his
freedom by running away from his
servitude, he was Immediately arrest
ed as thief. In the eyes of the law,
a miner was the property Of his mas
ter and if he dared to make his es-
cape he was punished for the crime
of stealing himself. a valuable piece
Of property that belonged to his
owner
Toward the middle Of the Eight
eenth century, the first CLEAN Of in
dependence began to stir in the
breasts of the miners, and in 1743 Is
men who worked in the Gilmerton pits
managed to make their escape. Their
master, Sir John Baird of Newbyth
advertised for them, that they might
be arrested, and also to prevent any
other master from breaking the law
by employing slaves who were not his
own property.
In the same year, three boys be-
longing to the marquis of Lothian
ran away from the colliery Of New
battle, and took refuge upon another
estate. The marc uis wrote to Lord
Oxenfoord explaining that the boys
were his property, "and If my claim is
found to be good, shall expect the
boys be returned without my being
obliged to find them out"
The compensation that the miners
had for this life of slavery was that
the master was compelled by law to
keep his serfs all their days, and to
supply coffin for their burial.
But gradually the public conscience
was awakened, and in 1775 an act was
passed to emancipate all persons who
after that date, "shall begin work as
GOLFERS" The act also provided that
the existing miners should be set free,
some in seven years, and others at the
end of ten years. -
To many of the miners, the new act
brought no relief, for it's provisions
were somewhat complicated, and quite
beyond the comprehension of ignorant
men whose intelligence had been
Slapped by generations Of serfdom, and
so they continued in the bonds Of
slavery till the end of their days.
But the year 1899 saw the dawn of
freedom for the miners of Scotland,
when a new law was passed which
gave unconditional liberty to all who
worked in the pits.-Weekly Scots
man.