1900 - 1994

Silverwood Mine

Hollings Lane

Thrybergh

FACTS AND STORIES

THE SILVERWOOD MINE STUDENTS PAGE

Welcome to the site and a page just for you the student, my name is John Doxey and as you may be aware I am the webmaster of this site.

 I was born in Rotherham Hospital and raised in Thrybergh, I now live in Sydney Australia. My father was a Miner at Silverwood Colliery from 1925 until 1964.

This site is my hobby, I have no degrees or certificates for computers, my skills on computer are self taught by simply reading, and learning from mistakes.

The site was my original idea as a tribute to the men who worked at the mine. Over the last five years the amount of information I have received from ex miners and their families has been fantastic, and I have learnt much about the mine where my late father worked. What is the real bonus is that I have gained a lot of knowledge about the men themselves

You may be quite surprised at what you learn about the miners, and hopefully discover some surprising things about working in a mine.

The miners themselves have made it pretty clear to me that they want the children of tomorrow [ You ] to know about their lives, and they hope that you will learn the truth about how they were treated, what they suffered, what they enjoyed. So in a way this site like many other similar sites  has become a gift from the miners, a legacy for others to learn from.

You may be here on this site because someone in your family was a miner, or you may be using the site as a source of research for a project, whatever your reason there are a few points you may like to think about.

RESEARCHING

When researching you will often find information on different sites or books give different points of view, this is because the various authors have their own points of view. History books in general will often be biased depending on the nationality of the author.

This site for example is biased in favour of the miners because I am a miners son, and I believe their story should be told.

This site is not aimed at making a political statement it is about recording the history of the Silverwood Miners and the mine in a truthful factual way. The political references you will find are included as a part of that history

You may find that your parents or others may disagree with the opinions on the site, this is their right to disagree. Just as it is your right to disagree. However the miners and myself have the same right to state a point of view.

The best advice is to read this site and then read other sources of information and consider what is being said and why it has been said. Try and discover the  background of the author.

Once you have both sides of the story consider the points each side makes and come to your own conclusion, in other words you decide what you think is the truth. Remember the truth can often be hidden by the writer but often just plain commonsense when applied will unearth the truth and facts.

I have read large amounts of information regarding the miners and the way they have been dealt with by Governments and mine owners throughout the history of mining, so my conclusions are stated on this site in a truthful manner, in other words I firmly believe the truth in what I have written.

The miners and their families also firmly believe the truth in what they have submitted to this site.

For you the student the most important word is "Why " Keep asking why about everything you read, ask why on everything you are told.

Remember that often simple questions do not have a simple answer, and sometimes the most difficult of questions will have a simple answer.

Regarding history always realize that learning from the past helps to create a better future.

Some common questions.

Do we really need Unions today ?

Why did the Miners go on strike ?

Why did men , women and children work down the mines ?

Why did Mrs. Thatcher and her Government destroy the industrial Coal and Steel heritage of England ?

What was it like to work down a mine ?

Some common facts

Women were still working in mines. around one hundred years ago [ from time of writing 2005 ]

Boy's age 14 started work, at age 15 they were working down the mine. around one hundred years ago [ from time of writing 2005 ]

Troops were used against Welsh Miners in 1926.

Armed Police were used against Miners in 1984/85.

Miners risked death every day of their working life underground.

Coal produced many by-products including medicines.

 YOUR OPINION

If you have any questions as a student,  would like to pass an opinion, or maybe send in a suggestion for future inclusions to this site, then please contact me on the link below.

If you find this site has been helpful or maybe not, then please let me know, your opinion will be respected. Your Opinion

YOUR POETRY

Poetry is not something most people would associate with miners, but as you will see some of them put their thoughts into verse. If you would like to add your poem about mines or miners  to this site please send it in.

YOUR INTERNET SAFETY

You will not find any swearwords on this site they have been excluded to keep this site available to young people and acceptable to School authorities. The only exception being a few coarse words that were and still are in everyday use.

Should you contribute to this site your email address will not be published as a safety measure against spam.

Personal abuse is not allowed and to ensure that it does not happen all contributions, guest book entries, etc. are added via email.

HOMEWORK

Sorry ! I do not do homework for anyone, but will try to help point you in the right direction.

If you would like to ask a question regarding anything on this site Ask here

YOUR SCHOOL

If you would like to add the name of your School on this page Add it here

USEFUL LINKS

Why not visit the The National Coal Mining Museum

Registered Office:
Caphouse Colliery, New Road, Overton, West Yorkshire, WF4 4RH
The National Coal Mining Museum is located on the A642 halfway between Wakefield and Huddersfield with easy sign-posted access from the M1.

Click on graphic to visit the site

OTHER USEFUL SITES

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/england/pwar_miners_strike_brighton_bomb.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastmidlands/series5/miners_strike_coal.shtml

You will find other useful links here

Mining Links

Recommended

Start your visit to this site on the site guide

Be a bookworm, reading is still the best way to gain knowledge, learning from the past will teach you about yourself and your environment. It will also teach you about others and help you gain an understanding why we as people are so different individually.

Reading is a great way to educate yourself, it will also improve your writing skills.

Reading is