MINERS STRIKE PHOTOS 1912

  

   I love this photograph because of the iron work. The pit shaft support in the background and the finials (rounded spikes) on the helmets.  In the days of cottages with low ceilings, the finials would often punch holes in the plaster work as policemen were not allowed to remove there helmets till inside their cottages.

  The miner’s strike of 1912 was part of the first national strike by coal miners all over Britain. It lasted thirty seven days, after the government intervened by passing a minimum wage law getting rid of the complicated wage structure that was in place at the time. The previous year a similar strike had taken place in South Wales which was also a repeat of the unsuccessful strike of 1894.


   The national strike in February 1912 started in the pits of Derbyshire and  spread nationwide. During the strike, there were riots in South Wales at Tonypandy and also Llanelli during the Railwaymen’s strike. 


  Chief Constable Captain METCALFE of the Somerset Constabulary requested the assistance early on, of the Bath Police mounted division in case of rioting and under the charge of SGT HEMBURY, six mounted officers were tasked.
Dorset Constabulary also sent a posse of officers to the Radstock mining area during March, were they remained to help keep the peace for a short time until the strike was over.

   The Dorset Contingent of twenty eight men were under the command of recently promoted, Sherborne Superintendent  Arthur SWATRIDGE.

  The officers are seated ( left to right )

   1:    PC    138     Henry     LANE

   2:    PC      35     Tommy   LARCOMBE      Winterborne Abbas

   3:    PC       8      Walter     BLEATHMAN

   4:    SGT   22     William    WHITE              HQ Drill SGT

   5:    SUPT          Arthur     SWATRIDGE     Sherborne division

   6:    SGT    ?       Frederick OSMENT          Portland division

   7:    PC    119     Reginald  KENT                 Puddletown

   8:    PC      52     John         WILLS                 Bere Regis

   9:    PC    114     James Eli  HANN                Corfe Castle ?

   MIDDLE ROW   ( left to right)

   1:    PC     79   Ted        CRABBE                 Bridport

   2:    PC   107   Francis  VATCHER

   3:    PC     57   Tom       DURRANT

   4:    PC   137   William  TOLLEY

   5:    PC     77   Edward   JOYCE ?

   6:    PC     50   William  COWLING

   7:    PC   123   William  BURROUGH

   8:    PC   116   Harry    HANSFORD          Bridport

   9:    PC     63   Oliver    BAGG

   BACK ROW   ( left to right)

   1:    PC    94  Thomas Lionel    CARTER      Swanage

   2:    PC     88   Louis                  DEWLAND ?

   3:    PC   129   Harold George UDELL 

   4:    PC   154   Reginald            SIMS

   5:    PC   141   Edward J            JUKES

   6:    PC   122   Walter C            WHITTLE

   7:    PC    54   Henry                  WINTER

   8:    PC    22   Frank Oliver       DAY           Bridport

   9:    PC    59   Bertie                 HEATH

  10:   PC    12  Matthew L          TOBIAS 


 

 Arthur SWATRIDGE was in the Army before he joined up, the shoes look shiny and he looks as if he was in charge, which he was.   Arthur SWATRIDGE 1865- 1931.