Tallow Candles, Clay Pipe and Oatmeal
Tallow Candles
Who?
Miners, their wives and families and most other working people.
Why?
In the middle of the 19th century there was no electricity in homes so candles were the only source of light. Wax candles, like the ones we use now, were too expensive for working people to buy.
What?
Tallow is made from sheep fat, so it was easy to obtain. However, in comparison with ordinary wages, tallow candles were quite expensive to buy so people had to be careful not to waste them. They have a very distinctive smell.
Where? At home, in the lodging shop and down the mine.
When? When the miners were working underground in the dark. In the long winter evenings at home and in the lodging shop.
How?
Tallow candles give a good, bright light. In the mine the miners used their candles in lanterns which reflected some of the light. A group of miners working together would share candles to save money. If you got trapped in the mine, you could eat your candle, if you got really hungry!
At home people went to bed soon after dark in the long winter evenings so that they didn’t burn too many candles. Trying to read or sew by candlelight was a strain on the eyes.
Clay Pipe
Who?
Clay pipes were smoked by working men on low incomes. Occasionally women and boys smoked them too. Clay pipes are often dug up from the ground in areas that have been work places in the past.
Why?
Miners smoked in the mine to take away the ‘bad air’ taste and smell. They suffered from bad chests due to all the dust they breathed in, and smoking must have made this worse. They wouldn’t have been able to smoke in a coal mine because of the explosive gases that can accumulate there. Lead mines rarely suffer from this problem.
What?
Tobacco was imported, and though it was relatively expensive it was available everywhere. It was sold loose, rather than as cigarettes. Clay pipes had a long stem which cooled the smoke before it went into the lungs. People who smoked heavily sometimes developed lip cancer. Clay pipes broke easily but were cheap to buy.
Where?
Broken pipes have been found in the mine, so we know that the miners must have smoked underground. They would also have enjoyed a pipe when they sat round the fire in the evenings in the lodging shop or in their own homes.
When?
If they could afford tobacco, which was much cheaper in the 19th century than it is now, the miners would have smoked their pipes when they had a free moment to relax.
How?
Miners would fill up the bowl of the pipe with tobacco and light it with a glowing coal or stick from the fire. Matches were quite expensive. In the mine they probably used their candles to light up their pipes.
Small Bag of Oatmeal
Who?
Miners and their families and most ordinary working people.
Why?
Oatmeal was cheap. Porridge (also known locally as crowdie) was simple to prepare and was a nourishing and filling breakfast especially if there was a little milk.
What?
Oatmeal was made into porridge (thick) or gruel, often called crowdie, (thin and watery). Gruel was often given to sick people. It could also be used to thicken soups and stews and, mixed with lard, made into oatcakes.
Where?
Porridge (or crowdie) would be cooked over the fire or in the oven at the side of the fire in the lodging shop or at home.
When?
At breakfast time
How?
Porridge was made by adding a handful of oatmeal per person to water and cooking it very slowly till it boiled and thickened. It would need to be stirred to stop it going lumpy. Sometimes the porridge pot would be left by the fire overnight to cook very slowly so that it was ready first thing in the morning.