Book inspires memorial to Neston’s coal miners
A memorial sculpture to remember the coal miners and their families has been unveiled in Ness, Wirral, after a resident was inspired by a book published by the University of Chester Press.
Ness resident, Mike Cross, read Dr Anthony Annakin-Smith’s book about the Neston Collieries during lockdown and thought that there should be a permanent memorial to remember the local coal miners and their families who lived, worked and in many cases died at the area’s collieries.
Anthony Annakin-Smith’s book The Neston Collieries, 1759-1855: An Industrial Revolution in Rural Cheshire was published by the University of Chester Press and is available to order online.
The book looks at the appalling conditions in which the men and child miners worked – including 100-hour weeks and the constant danger which led to many fatal accidents. Other topics covered include the living conditions and health of the miners and their families, the operation of the land and sea trades which saw Neston’s coal shipped as far as the Americas, and the network of links to Chester, Wales, Lancashire and beyond which were vital to the mines’ operation. Events are placed in the context of the profound changes which were affecting Britain during the Industrial Revolution. The extensive research in the book means that this is one of the most comprehensive accounts of rural British collieries in this period.
The memorial was brought to life through the efforts of the Burton and Neston History Society, with generous support from local residents and organisations. Additional funding came via Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Spacehive crowdfunding initiative. At the unveiling, Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of the Council, spoke movingly about the importance of honouring those who once laboured in the coal industry.
Created by artist Hazel Blundell, another Ness resident, the sculpture features three metal-cast figures of a miner accompanied by two children. Their attire reflects the garments worn by miners during the height of the local coal trade in the 1780s, offering a poignant glimpse into the region’s industrial past.
Anthony, a local historian and alumnus of the University of Chester, has researched the mines for a number of years. He said: “Many people don’t realise that the Neston area has a long coal mining history. Yet there was local mining for at least three hundred years, probably employing thousands of people over that time.
“Boys as young as age nine were part of the workforce at the colliery Sadly, some of them died underground as did many of the men. We know of at least forty-two deaths in accidents. The memorial commemorates those who died but also celebrates all those who worked there and those who supported them.
“This is an important place in the region’s history. It’s where west Cheshire’s Industrial Revolution started.”
Founded in 2001 and launched as the University of Chester Press in 2011, this Chester publisher shares excellent original research, professional practice and creative work associated with the University and then prioritises publications with a significant relationship to the history, life and culture of Cheshire and the wider region. For more information visit https://www.chester.ac.uk/university-press