LIGHTING THE MINES
In the very early days of mining the only means of illumination was either a candle or an oil lamp. This was dangerous because the coal leaked methane, which is a very explosive gas. Explosions were common and accounted for an unknown number of deaths. All eighteenth and nineteenth century miners were basically contractors and would have to provide their own candles. They often worked in family groups and, because of the cost of candles, only those who needed to move around the mine and were involved in the getting of the coal had a candle. Young boys or girls who sat in one place all day and just operated air doors did not have a candle because they were non-productive. This gave rise to a modern-day saying about someone's value, “He's not worth a light”.
As laws were introduced to protect miners lives, mine owners and inventors were encouraged to find ways to produce safe working lights. Two of these inventors were Sir Humphrey Davy and George Stephenson (of the railway engine fame). Davy's lamp was the most successful and was the basis of all future oil lamps. The miners of NE England however, favoured George Stephenson’s lamp and they became known as “Geordie boys” which lead to people in general from that area being known as “Geordies”.
The light from the oil lamps was not great and successive inventors developed a range of battery electric lamps which became the main light used by modern miners. The early electric lamps were “bucket type” like the oil lamps and finally these developed into cap lamps. Some oil lamps were kept as it was law that officials and a percentage of miners carried them as methane gas detectors.
Below are a selection of typical Bestwood lamps - click on them to learn more.
As laws were introduced to protect miners lives, mine owners and inventors were encouraged to find ways to produce safe working lights. Two of these inventors were Sir Humphrey Davy and George Stephenson (of the railway engine fame). Davy's lamp was the most successful and was the basis of all future oil lamps. The miners of NE England however, favoured George Stephenson’s lamp and they became known as “Geordie boys” which lead to people in general from that area being known as “Geordies”.
The light from the oil lamps was not great and successive inventors developed a range of battery electric lamps which became the main light used by modern miners. The early electric lamps were “bucket type” like the oil lamps and finally these developed into cap lamps. Some oil lamps were kept as it was law that officials and a percentage of miners carried them as methane gas detectors.
Below are a selection of typical Bestwood lamps - click on them to learn more.
