William Brown (miner)
William Brown (1824 or 1825 – 21 September 1900) was a British coal miner who became a prominent trade unionist. Born in Rothwell, West Yorkshire, Brown worked as a coalminer from the age of ten. He settled in Hunslet, near Leeds, working at Waterloo Colliery near Thorpe Stapleton. In March 1858 when the West Yorkshire coal owners implemented a 15% wage cut, the miners at Waterloo came out on strike and were supported by a levy raised from men at nearby pits. In September, the owners closed all the collieries throughout the West Yorkshire coalfield and introduced a  lockout. Brown was one of the platform speakers at a large rally of miners on Woodhouse Moor, Leeds, called to protest the lockout. A few years later, Brown was sacked for his activity on behalf of the West Yorkshire Miners' Association (WYMA). Unable to find work in the mines, he became a greengrocer, and also earned money as a singer at a Methodist New Connexion chapel. In 1863, following wage cuts, the WYMA was re-established, and employed Brown as its secretary and agent. While in this role, he was probably responsible for compiling and publishing the "Miners' Hymn Book