verne Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 No apologies for a lengthy story... My grandfather, Herbert Taylor, was born sometime in the late 1800's and became a sort of mining engineer called a Pit-sinker. In the Yorkshire coal pits before nationalisation the mines were privately owned. A land-owner with coal on his land would employ a Pit-sinker to sink the shaft, instal winding gear and dig out the main roadway underground. After that the task was only to oversee the drainage pumps and ventilation as the local traders would put their own men down there to remove the coal... One day, believed to be sometime in the 1920's, Herbert stopped anyone going down Lord so-and-so's mine and there was a gaggle of men standing around the pit-head when Lord whatsits right hand man strode up demanding to know the cause of the hold-up. "Gas in the mine sir" said Herbert. "Rubbish" the right hand man retorted, "get out of the way and let those men in. Time is money"... In due course the situation was resolved by fisticuffs and Herbert was sacked with the reassurance "I'll see you never work in mining again, Taylor". Apart from something he did in Glasgow when he lodged with a family of ten in a single room apartment in the infamous Gorbals he never could find another mining job. He said the apartment walls there were all black - from the soot from the candle flames used to chase the bed-bugs and other vermin away before sleeping. After mining had finished with him, he went to be a waggoner on his brother's farm somewhere north of Lincoln. The laden waggons had to be fitted with skis to get them safely down the cobbled steep hill to the market in Lincoln. He said he always made sure the produce was well packed with straw or hay so when he had finished at market he could sell this for some personal pocket money to the bargees moored at the Brayford. In due course he managed to find a small-holding of his own with a house big enough to hold the family of eleven. After buying a waggon from a local auction for a remarkably low price he began making an income by carting for others... The new waggon, he found was remarkably cheap because no one wanted it as it was known locally for making the horse sweat and strain too much. Herbert discovered the axle(s) had been fitted the wrong way around causing the wheels to toe-out instead of toeing-in and after a day of effort had a fine waggon for his business... It was while delivering a load of sugar beet to the Newark sugar factory where the horse and waggon had to be reversed up a concrete ramp that the horse slipped and fell on Herbert injuring him badly enough to prevent him working for some time. When back on his feet he demanded compensation from the sugar factory manager on the grounds the ramp should have been cleaned off after every unloading - which hadn't been done. He visited several times without success until he was forcibly "ejected" and told he would no longer be allowed onto the site. My grandmother Alice, who was a doctor's daughter and ostracised by her family for marrying beneath her, suggested Herbert, who had been a life-long member of the Sheffield Druids Society, should journey to Sheffield for an interview with the society's secretary to ask for his help. Herbert was politely ushered in to the secretary's office where he was able to tell his story. The secretary provided him with a sealed letter and instructed him to deliver it by hand to the sugar factory manager with the seal unbroken. Herbert did eventually get one further interview with the factory manager and handed over his letter. After reading it the manager immediately agreed to pay all the required compensation but did not disclose the contents of that miraculous letter. My questions are: - What was the Sheffiel Druids Society in the early part of the 20th century? Do they still exist? How did they exert that sort of influence? What on earth did that letter say? I hope you enjoyed this rather rambling tale. Any help from the Sheffield greybeards would be most appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillsbro Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Hi verne - a very interesting story! I can't tell you much about the Sheffield Druids but you might like to see a thread that I started a few years ago with scans of a photo, letter from the Druids etc. - click here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbeard Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 You may find this thread from 2007 useful http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=263071 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verne Posted March 14, 2012 Author Share Posted March 14, 2012 Thanks very much. Matter of interest our family used to own one of those marching banners which was from the Ancient order of Forresters. I did some research before it was sold when we cleared our parents' home and discovered the main movement is now in America. They split from the UK traditionalists after a row about life assurance. The Americans wanted it but the others wanted to stay faithful to their original principles... Like the Buffs, the Forresters are dying because no new blood is showing any interest... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucifer Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Sheffield Equalised Druids have an office in Wath On Dearne, try Google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banker Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Sheffield Equalised Druids have an office in Wath On Dearne...Yes - it's actually the "Druids Sheffield Friendly Society"; there's a link to their website in hillsboro's thread (see posts #2 and 3 above). But here is a link to the Druids' site.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggsy Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 We used to pay out annual ground rent to the Druids society but they sold the deeds to a proprty company, the property eventually sold all the deeds to the house holders at an inflated price.. I made a lower offer for the leasehold which they rejected but came back a few months later and offered it to me for quite a bit less that I had offered Does this mean that i'm now 'Landed Gentry' ???!!! :D:D Biggsy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucifer Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 We used to pay out annual ground rent to the Druids society but they sold the deeds to a proprty company, the property eventually sold all the deeds to the house holders at an inflated price.. I made a lower offer for the leasehold which they rejected but came back a few months later and offered it to me for quite a bit less that I had offered Does this mean that i'm now 'Landed Gentry' ???!!! :D:D Biggsy We don't know if you bought it do we ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggsy Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 We don't know if you bought it do we ?. Well I sent them a cheque, they sent me the document, I took said document to the soliciters to put in their safe and the last time I went past, the soliciters had gone They have a main branch in town though John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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