An old engraving of the riots at Featherstone, near Pontefract (the ‘Featherstone Massacre’), West Yorkshire, England, UK on 7 September 1893. It is from a Victorian history book of The catalyst included the decision by colliery owners to bring in non-union labour to move their coal. Coal from Ackton Hall pit was being loaded onto wagons and miners gathered at the colliery. Members of the South Staffordshire detachment first fired on the miners which were besieging the colliery and were charging the soldiers with stones – seven of the miners were hit, with two dying.
An old engraving of the riots at Featherstone, near Pontefract (the ‘Featherstone Massacre’), West Yorkshire, England, UK on 7 September 1893. It is from a Victorian history book of It was the watershed moment in the miner’s dispute and two miners were shot dead by the army. The catalyst for this was included the decision by colliery owners to bring in external, non-union labour to move their coal. Rumours begun to circulate that coal from Ackton Hall pit, owned by Lord Samuel Cunliffe Lister, was being loaded onto wagons and then taken to his Bradford Mill. Miners began to gather at the colliery. Bernard Hartley, a local magistrate read the Riot Act during which he was pelted with stones. But it was probably the arrival of the troops that turned the atmosphere sour. Members of the South Staffordshire detachment first fired on the mobs which were besieging the colliery of Lord Masham and were charging the soldiers with stones. Shortly before ten o’clock one section of the Staffordshire Regiment fired two volleys. Seven of the miners were hit, with two dying.
Size: 4252px × 3268px
Location: Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England, UK
Photo credit: © M&N / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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