Weardale Museum

Tow Law History Archive

Extract from the Northern Echo, referring to the opening of

the Aged Miners Homes At Tow Law, dated 1st May 1911.

MODEL HOMES

New Cottages At Tow Law.

Best in the County.

A CORONATION SUGGESTION

The six stone-built cottages erected at Tow Law Under the

auspices of the Durham Aged Mineworkers Homes Association were

opened on Saturday by Miss Samuelson of Thirsk in the

presence of a large number of people.

Mr John Wilson, MP, presided and presented in the name of the

committee a gold key to Miss. Samuelson, who amid applause,

opened the door of the center cottage. She expressed the hope

that those who might want to live in pleasantly situated and

neat cottages would spend many happy days of peace and rest

there.

The Rev H.J.Humphrise Vicar of Thornley, proposed, and

Mr.Robert Calland seconded, a vote of thanks to

Miss.Samuelson, and her father replied on her behalf, cheers

were given for Miss.Samuelson.

The Wesleyan Temperance Band, which had previously paraded

the streets, then led the procession to the Mechanics

Hall. The Black Prince lodge banner was carried aloft in the

procession.

Vitality of Trade Unions.

A public tea was afterwards held in the Mechanics Institute

and in the evening a large meeting was held in the Hall of

that Institute. Mr.James Vickers presided, and Mr.F.Samuelson

said that good as was the system of providing local or

district homes in large centers, it was better to provide

local of district homes. The latter kept the old people in

their respective districts. He congratulated the local

committee heartily on the success which had attended there

work.

Mr.Samuelson refereed to the unions, he said that many people

did not understand them, but he thought that they did a

worthy work in many ways. As a employer he found that they

got on with unions very much better than they would have

without them. He was not going to flatter them and say that

everything they did was right, but with reasonable and

thinking and cautious representatives he thought it was of

great benefit for both employer and men to meet and discuss

rationally and amicably their differences. With the best heads

on each side of the Conciliation Board table they could hope

to obtain the best results and secure peace and progress of

trade.

Mr.Wilson said that Mr.Samuelson's speech harmonized with his

views, and he was at one with him as to utility of a well

conducted, conciliatory trade union. There were trade unions

and trade unions. Some thought that they were not carrying

out their work unless they were fighting, but that was not

the spirit dominating the Durham Miners Association, which had

been to go along the lines of amicability and concord,

recognize that employers, like themselves, had their

interests and rights, and the inference to be drawn was the

just as employers believed they had rights so did the men, and

the best was was for each to look after its own in a sensible

amicable, and just manner, each striving to arrive at a fair

and proper adjustment of claims and rights.

Harmonious Co-Operation.

In these days the nations all the World over were brought

nearer and nearer together. Transit and communications were

annihilating distance, comparatively speaking. This greater

commercial intimacy and touch with each other, resulting in

greater trade competition between nation and nation and the

greater and keener the competition became the more it beholden

all parties to industrial Progress to bring about as much

concord and good relationship between the employer and

employed as they could. He was glad that Mr.Samuelson had

mentioned the matter, for it augued well for both capital and

labor when they could stand shoulder to shoulder and meet on

the same platform, trying to proceed in the same right

direction, and above all to make for the better life. In this

movement for aged mine-workers homes they desired to work in

useful co-operation with employers, who he might say, had

given large and material help. He was thankful to the

committee and friends at Tow Law, who had initiated and

brought their district scheme to so successful an issue. In

his opinion they had the finest houses in the whole movements.

On behalf of the committee, Mr.Wilson presented Mr.William

McIntyre with a gold watch for his services rended as honorary

architect in the planning and building of the aged miners

homes of the Black Prince, West Thornley and Hedley Hope

Collieries.

Artistic Effect.

Mr.McIntyre in reply, said it was pleasure to have had the

privilege to serve with the local committee who had helped

him all they could to make these homes as good as possible.

It might he thought it was extravagant to spend the sum of

900 pounds on the building of six cottages for aged miners.

It was the Rev.Mr.Espin who stimulated them to make large

donations as as to build them good cottages, he also

criticized the owners who would not give them good houses.

One man had said to Mr.McIntyre "you are building places not

houses." But he thought they would be justified in what they

has done. They had put a little porch to each house ; they

had put palisading on the front garden walls, and they had

done such things as these to add to the protection and

adornment of the houses. The porch and palisading had cost

slightly over 100 pounds, but they would have lost the

effects in omitting the provisions, nor would it have done to

have substituted wooden railings. Then it might have been

said they should have run up a brick building, and that would

have saved 70 or 80 pounds. But a brick frontage would not

look so well or stand so well as stone. He thought they were

justified in all the extra care and expenditure and that the

cottages would stand as long as they were needed and be a

lasting credit to the enterprise.

The Rev.H.J.Humphres suggested that their next step should be

to make some cottage homes provision for the sick. As they

all knew their own homes were often ill-adapted for the very

serious cases of accidents, which would as hitherto be sent

to Newcastle, but referred to the treatment of cases which

could be just as well treated in a cottage set apart as in a

hospital. There was a movement to do something to

commemorate the Coronation, and he suggested it might take

the form of a nursing home.

List of Subscriptions.

It may be added that the foundation stones were laid on the

15th of October 1910. Mr.Thomas Robinson the local treasurer,

furnished us with the following statement. They had revived a

grant form the general committee of 300 pounds. The

contributions from the local lodges were :- Black Prince,

œ138. 18s. ; West Thornley, œ95.18s. 6d. and Hedley Hope,

œ62. 13s. 3d. making a total from these three lodges of œ297.

2s. 7d.

Private donations :- Mr.E.Rogerson Durham, œ10 ; the

Rev.J.Humphres, œ2. 2s. ; the Weardale Coal and Coke Co.,

œ10 ; Sir.B.Samuelson and Company, œ25 ; Mr.F.Samuelson

Thirsk, œ50 ; Mr.J.H.B.Foster, œ5 ; Mr.J.Richardson Tow Law,

œ5 5s. ; Mr.H.G.Stobart Witton Towers, œ5 ; the Tow Law

Tradesmen œ13 7s 6d ; Tow Law Workmens Social Club œ5 5s ;

Messer Brough and Son œ2 2s ; Messer Gibb and Son œ1 1s ;

making a total of œ134 2s 6d, for outside contributions.

From other sources, concert arranged by Mrs.Naismith of Tow

Law œ13 2s 6d ; concert by Mr.Charles Dunn of Tow Law œ5 2s

3d ; profit from tea at the foundation stone laying œ2 10s

6d ; from the social œ1 19s 6d ; street collection œ1 1s 3d ;

interest on banking account œ1 13s 1d, making a total for

this section of œ25 9s 1d.

The grand total of income up to the start of Saturday last

was œ756 14s 2d ; But in addition that day the Tow Law

Mechanics Institute had given them a cheque for œ12 12s.

This brought the grand total to œ769 6s 2d.

The land on which the houses stand is on a nominal rent of 1s

per year for a lease of 90 years. Mr.Barren wished it to be

mentioned that the local committee had worked very hard and

enthusiastically, and that great credit was due to them, among

whom he might mention Mr.Vickers, Mr.Todd, and Mr.Robinson.

The honorary architect, Mr.McIntyre, had spared neither time

nor energy in seeing the work was done in a proper order.

They had now , he said to congratulate the committee on the

excellent result of their work and on the erection of the

best type of houses of their class in the County.