THE 
 
 LANCASHIRE 
 
 COIJLIER GIB £4 
 
 A TRUE STORY. 
 
 Sold by HOWARD and EVANS, 
 
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THE 
 
 Lancashire Collier Girl. 
 
 A TRUE STORY. 
 
 JN a small village in Lancashire there lived, a 
 raw years ago, an industrious man and his wife 
 who had six children. The man himself used to 
 work in a neighbouring colliery, while the wife 
 took care of the family, attended also to their lit- 
 tle farm, and minded the dairy, and when all her 
 other work was done, she used constantly to sit 
 fevn to spin. It will naturally be supposed that 
 .fc children of such a mother, even when very 
 n% were not suffered to be idle. The eldest 
 foghter worked with the Mother at the spinning 
 which she learnt to think a very pleasant 
 em ploymtnt, and she sometimes accompanied 
 er Work with a cheerful hymn, or a good moral 
 on ^vhichher parents had takea care to teaqfr her 
 yrtthe second daughter of the name of Mary, 
 ' e chlef subject of the present story ; when 
 
this girl was nine years old, the honest colliery 
 ing that he had but little "employment for ^ 
 above ground, took her to work with J 
 down in the coal pit, together with one ofhi 
 who was then no more than seven years oft 
 — These two children readily put their strenjj 
 to the basket, dragging the coals from the 
 men to the mouth of the pit, and by their joints 
 bours theydid the duty of one of those whom 
 are commonly called the 'drawers, 'clearing tfe 
 by no less than seven shillings a week for the 
 rents, it must be owned to be not impos 
 that they may have sometimes exerted themsefe 
 even beyond their strength, which is now aiii 
 thenthecase with little children through the fa 
 of those who exact the work from them; but $11 
 in this case the father had an eye to them <k 
 the hours of labour, while they had a prudent; 
 tender mother also, to look after them athoi 
 there is no particular reason to suppose, $ 
 the time of which we are now speaking, j 
 were ever much over-worked. 
 
 Here, then, let us stop to remark howdife 
 was the case of this numerous family fr onl \ 
 many others, in the same humble situation 
 life. Mary and her brother, so for from be j 
 burden, were bringing a little a fortune to 
 parents, even when they were eight 01 * en 
 
I 
 
 „ the family were getting forward by the 
 But alas! in the midst of this cheerful and con- 
 
 f these little creatures, and their worldly 
 
 every side. 
 
 tented diligence, °n a fatal day, while the good 
 Lwas in the act of fixing a basket in order to its 
 k i n g wound up, the children standing near him 
 in the coal pit, some stpncs fell from the top of 
 the pit, one of which fell on the father's head, and 
 killed him on the spot. What a melancholy 
 event was this ! some dismal circumstances also 
 remain to be told, which were the consequences 
 of it, but in order to relieve the pain of my reader 
 1 will here remark, that the most grievous afflic- 
 tions are often appointed by Providence, to be the 
 means, in one way or other, of calling some ex- 
 traordinary virtue into exercise ; and according- 
 ly we shall see that the calamity which is now 
 spoken of, will introduce Mary the young col- 
 fa" girl, to the farther good opinion of the reader. 
 
 The mother, on hearing the news of her hus- 
 band's death, together with the description of the 
 sa d accident which gave occasion to it, received 
 Sllc h a shock, that her mind was not able to bear 
 U P under it; she became disordered in her under- 
 Ning,nor d|d she to the end of her life recover 
 . senses. Being now rendered extremely help- 
 ess > she was separated from her children by the 
 
parish officers, who continued to take the 
 ofher for the space of five years. & ^ 
 after the father's death, the eldest daughter 1 ? 
 spinner; married and went from hotiie . -j* 
 the brothers (of the age of nine and seven^ 
 bound apprentices by the par i s h,and also tooh 
 charge^oftwo others ( one three years old theothi 
 an infant ) until they should be sufficiently 
 tip to be bound out also. 
 
 In this place I cannot avoid observing, 
 blessing it is to poor people in this country,! 
 parish officers are obliged in all such casesofo 
 cessity as that of which I am now speaking,!: 
 give maintenance to those who apply to Aft 
 and what a pity it is that this wise and mercil 
 provision of our laws should ever be abusei- 
 Mary the girl of whom we are giving the hista] 
 having been already trained in industry, wasi 
 no means disposed to seek any an necessary n 
 from the parish, being now between elevens! 
 twelve years old, she determined to maintain^ 
 self, like a little independent woman, by her * 
 al work in the coal pit, where she was gen 
 able after this time to earn at least ashitaj 
 day; in three or four years afterwards, eafflj 
 no less than two shillings. And now I woU'i 
 my young female readers, what they tmn ^ 
 fchfe manner in which she employed all* 5 
 
' . frv ? Do you imagine that she laid it 
 > flier 1 ?v of dress, inniceeating and drinking, 
 0UtinVan dless expense? or do you suppose 
 li rn wouia now indulge herself in idleness on 
 * two days in the week, because she had got 
 1 for herselfto live up^n during the four or 
 
 a n0 such expectations ; I hope you will be 
 aware what Mary did with her money, by ha- 
 
 ^ already reflected what you would have done 
 with it in the like case. She in the first place re- 
 leased the parish from the burden of maintaining 
 her mother, which she did as soon as she was ar- 
 rived atthe age of sixteen,being extremely anxious 
 to take this poor disordered helpless parent home 
 to live with herself ; she then relieved the parish 
 officers from the charge of one of her brothers, 
 and she continued to provide for him until he 
 died. Having been taught never to consider 
 her duty as done, while any part of it seemed to 
 be left undone, she afterwards undertook the 
 maintenance of one of her other "brothers, who 
 remained with her during sixteen weeks illness,, 
 # the end of which period she followed him to 
 *e grave, burying him at her own expence. After 
 about seven, years the mother died also, and was 
 feed in like manner by this dutiful child, with - 
 0ut any assistance from the parish, 
 
I 
 
 8 
 
 U any of my readers should here 
 
 it could be possible for so young a J, 
 
 11 
 
 e 
 
 «je extra 
 
 ordinary calls upori her, she used to betak 
 
 - 1 a child 
 
 port ail these relations, many of them be' 
 
 occasionally very burdensome through the 
 
 ness? the answer is, that in the case of these 
 
 to extraordinary labour, sometimes earning, 
 less than 3s. and 6d. in the four and twenty hj 
 by taking what is called " a double turn" J 
 coal pits. 
 
 The ready submission of Mary to her pare* 
 when she was in early life, is so pleasing apt 
 of her character, that it may be proper ij 
 place again to make a remark upon it Leti 
 young readers recollect that in submission tol 
 command of her father, or rather tothatlari 
 God which enjoins parental obedience, she cheer- 
 fully followed him down into the coal-pit, burykj 
 herself in the bowels of the earth, and thereat 
 tender age, without excusing herself on acci 
 of her sex, she joined in the same work with* 
 miners, a race of men rough indeed, but higH 
 useful to the community, of whom I am alsotof 
 py tosay,that they have the character of beingW 
 nested faithful as well as remarkably COM 
 ous, arid that they have given moreover sow 
 striking instances of their readiness to received 
 ligious instruction, when offered to them.-" 
 
: ' v ":".-'- >r - if./"- 4 s 
 
 Amonff these men, to their honour be it Spo • 
 ke n Mary's virtue was safe, and after the dead 
 of her father, she is even said to have received 
 protection as well as assistance from theni, her 
 fatigue havingbeen sometimes lessened, throilgli 
 their lending her a helping hand with great feel* 
 ing and kindness. 
 
 But though Mary's mind was naturally strong* 
 and her constitution of body was very stoat also* 
 yet towards the end of the period which had beeri 
 spoken of, she began to be bowed down id some 
 .measure by the afflictions and labour which shS 
 had endured. It was evident that she had fiotf 
 been led to exert herself beyond her strength".— 
 How lamentable is it that while so many peopld 
 in the world are idle, and are contracting diseases- 
 both of body and mind, from the abundance; of 
 their riches andfrom thewant of some wholesome 
 and Useful exercise, there should be any bending 
 like Mary, under their work, hidden in coal-pit^; 
 or for some cause or other removed from obft 
 vation! what a pity it is, I say, that the forrr.cT 
 should not employ alittle of their tim<StfSi(l moneys 
 in endeavouring to find these distressed objects' 
 And I may also add, how lamentable a think isi£j 
 that while so many poor people are seen, who* 
 are apt to complain too moon, there should kg 
 any, who do not tell their distresses to those 4 \vhd 
 
10 
 
 fan Tielp them (which I trust however does n 
 ten happen till ) it is almost too late. ^ 
 
 I was observing that Mary began about this 
 time evidently to lose her strength, and her head 
 was also troubled by some of those strange and un- 
 pleasant imaginations, which are known by per " 
 sons conversant with the diseases of the poor to 
 be no unusual consequence of bad food,and great 
 bodily fatigue, joined with excessive grief, At 
 first she was not aware that she laboured under 
 any disorder, for she had seldom experienced ill 
 health, while her relations were alive; and it 
 seems probable that the comfort which she de- 
 rived from the refection of affording them sup- 
 port, and the pleasing sensations which arose du- 
 ring the exercise of her attention to them, had 
 served both to keep up her spirits and to prevent 
 her constitution from breaking down. 
 
 I trust it is not superstitious to suppose, that 
 when sincere Christains come, as Mary now did, 
 into very trying circumstances, they may hope, 
 notwithstanding any appearances to the contrary 
 to experience still in one way or other, the pecu. 
 liar blessing of Heaven; I do not expect that 
 such persons will be free from pain, poverty and 
 sickness, or other worldly evils, for it is often 
 quite the contrary, but, then I believe that these 
 very afflictions will be made the means of encreas- 
 
s their trust in God, and prove in trie eil& (1 
 inean either here or hereafter) to have been en- 
 tirely designed for their good. The calamities 
 of Mary were now risen to such a height, thai 
 those who are not accustomed to view things itt 
 this religious and most comforting light, might 
 be ready to imagine, that the Almighty had fbf~ 
 saken her, and that there is little use in serving 
 him. Let us here number up her afflictions. She 
 had seen with her own eyes the dreadful death of 
 her father, she had for a long time witnessed the 
 affecting condition of her mother, who used to 
 follow her about the house without knowing thb 
 hand by which she was supported ; Mary, besides 
 this, had attended the long and drooping sickness 
 of her two brothers : and now, having fallen sick 
 herself, being both weak in body and sadly enfee- 
 bledin her mind, she was dwelling all alone in £ 
 little comfortless habitation, having been depri- 
 ved by death of every one of those, dear relatives P 
 the sight of whom had many a time cheered her 
 spirits, while the idea of supplying them with & 
 comfortable subsistance had been used to sweet- 
 en her employment, and lighten the seventy of 
 her toil. J. ' .• ? -.^V" 5 
 
 It was at this period of her extremity that it 
 pleased God to raise up for her some kind frier* efe 
 >nthc manner which I shall now describe.. 
 
12 
 
 A lady of the same village heard that 
 yant's place was vacant in a neighbouring r 
 and advised Mary, feeble as she was to ■ 
 herself there as candidate to fill this corn^" 
 tively easy and comfortable situation. AscmT 
 ly the poor girl, with anxious heart, Went too'? 
 her services ; she mentioned, with her m ^ 
 nesty, what had been the habits ofher formerffi 
 and what was the, state of her health also; i tseem : 
 ed undoubtedly much against her interest to da 
 so, but it was perfectly right ; and howcananyof 
 us hope for the blessing of God, or except an, 
 true comfort in our minds when we fall into afflic- 
 tion, if we fly to unfair means of rescuing oar- 
 selves out of it: and instead of trusting in God, 
 trust to our own little frauds and crooked contri- 
 vances. 
 
 The answer made to Mary's application was 
 unfavourable, for it was thought, and indeed it 
 was gently hinted, that a young woman hitherto 
 so much exposed as she had been, was not likely 
 to prove a very fit inmate in a sober private 
 family. 
 
 Mary felt very keenly this unhappy suspicion 
 against her character, but what could she do? she 
 walked very quietly away, with a down cast look, 
 and with a mind quite broken down by this fresh 
 afiliction and disaster. The owners of the man- 
 
13 
 
 , „, ne d however to observe her counte- 
 Si ° nd the peculiar modesty of her manner, 
 fZ was taking her departure, for her patient 
 
 as 
 
 than 
 
 they rcen>inVher.The gentleman went himself 
 
 U any loud complaints could have done^ and 
 
 lies 
 on 
 ter 
 
 therefore determined to make some enqm 
 scoace.ningher.The gentleman wenthimsel 
 the same day to the colliery, where the mas- 
 r of the pit replied to his questions, nearly in 
 Rowing terms: "Sir," said he, "she is a 
 C oor girl that has over-worked herself, for she 
 has undertaken what we call task work, which is 
 very hard labour ; she is one of the best girls that 
 ever 1 knew, and is respected by all the colliers; 
 aid though (added he) I cannot deny that now 
 and then my men take a cup too much, which is 
 apt to make them sometimes quarrelsome, yet 
 they never suffer a bad word to be spoken, or an 
 affront to be offered to a girl in the pit. without 
 punishing the fellow who may be guilty, and ma- 
 king him heartily ashamed of himself." 
 
 This rule of decency and propriety towards 
 young women, established by a set of coarse mi- 
 ners, is here recorded for the benefit of some of 
 those persons who are pleased to call themselves 
 their betters. 
 
 The gentleman, after a very minute and full ex- 
 
mmtt°m< was so well satisfied of the h 
 
 f^cter of Mary, that she was receiVe?^ 
 
 % com- 
 er he, 
 
 f Feat, and she is said to be of a very^marS 
 
 Service, in which she has now been ^ 
 &mjf ft* the space of six years. Her health 
 « recovered, her habits of diligence are still 
 
 may 
 
 of 
 
 Hiodest, humble, and contented spirit. It n 
 hot be improper to mention, that the matter* 
 {fee house in which she is, has furnished all the 
 materials of this story. 
 
 I will now take leave of my readers, by re- 
 parking, that the little tale which I have been 
 ^citing, seems to me to hold ouf the following 
 ysefpl lessons : 
 
 In the first place, I think it may teach thepodr 
 Jhat they can seldom be in any condition of f 
 ?° ] P W as to P rev ent their rising to some degree 
 pf independence^ they chuse to exert themselves, 
 3nd that there can be no situation whatever so 
 jnean, as to forbid the practice of many noble 
 Virtues. It may instruct the rich not to turn the 
 poor froni their doors, merely on account of first 
 appearances, but rather to examine into their cha- 
 racters, expecting sometimes to find modes- 
 ty and merit, even in the most exposed sft$# 
 c,ns. This story also may encourage the afflicted 
 fo serve anq trust God in every extremity; 
 gnd finally it may teach all descriptions of per- 
 
wh0 may have to pass through dangerous 
 Irvine circumstances, that they may expect 
 divine protection and blessing, provided they 
 not needlessly throwing themselves^ inthe 
 
 ^to karn and labour truly to " get their own 
 living, and do their duty in that state of life, unto 
 which' it hath pleased God to call them." 
 
 sons 
 
 the 
 
 of tetnptation.but are endeavouring like Ma- 
 
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T 
 
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