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Miscellaneous documents

Reference: D/X 2031 Catalogue Title: Miscellaneous documents Area: Catalogue Category: Other Records Description: Fred Smith, miner and union official from Crook

Covering Dates: 1897-c.2010

Access: Compensation claims (D/X 2031/4/1-17) are restricted under Data Protection legislation. Apply to county archivist for access.

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Catalogue Description

Born in 1922, Fred Smith was a staunch trade unionist. He was lodge secretary at Hole-in-the-Wall pit, near Crook. He was particularly involved in compensation claims by miners following industrial accidents or disease. He was also keenly involved in Miners' Welfare, organising garden shows and annual trips for retired miners.

In July 1964, following financial hardship and recent redundancies, union leaders at Hole-in-the-Wall decided not to take their banner to the Durham Miners' Gala. Fred Smith, with a group of other miners, took the banner to Durham on the bus to join the parade and refused to accept any payment for doing so.

When Hole-in-the-Wall pit closed in November 1964, he moved to work at Usworth.

Fred Smith continued to have an interest in the banner and when it went missing in 1983, was at the forefront of the successful search. Later, he would negotiate with Wear Valley District Council regarding its storage and display.

He died in 2009.

Catalogue Contents

Fred Smith, miner and union official from Crook (Ref: D/X 2031/)National Union of Mineworkers (Ref: D/X 2031/1/1-7)Lodge Minutes (Ref: D/X 2031/1/1)

Minutes [of Hole-in-the-Wall Lodge committee meetings], 24 June 1955 - 25 September 1958 Fred Smith served on the above committee, including as a delegate to other meetings on occasion and was appointed average taker in 1956
(1 volume)

Divisional Coal Board Meetings (Ref: D/X 2031/1/2)

Minutes of Durham Divisional Coal Board pit meeting, No. 5 Area, Hole-in-the-Wall Colliery, adjourned pit meetings, some of which Fred Smith attended as a union delegate, 4 June 1957 - 17 October 1961
(17 papers)

Agreements with National Coal Board (Ref: D/X 2031/1/3/1-4)

Copies of agreements between National Coal Board and the National Union of Minerworkers regarding wages and operational conditions at Hole in the Wall Colliery, 8 May 1950 - December 1961
(41 papers)


Compilation of agreements between the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers regarding prices and conditions covering all seams and operations, 15 December 1959 - 29 January 1962 Includes list of miners at Hole-in-the-Wall Colliery and the operations they are qualified to perform, n.d. [c.1960] [See also D/X 2031/1/3/3, for copies of the above with small differences or handwritten notes]
(1 file)


Copies of agreements between the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers regarding prices and conditions covering all seams and operations, 15 December 1959 Similar to agreements in D/X 2031/1/3/2, but with small differences or handwritten notes Includes list of miners at Hole-in-the-Wall Colliery and the operations they are qualified to perform, n.d. [c.1960]
(50 papers)


Agreement A449 between the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers regarding prices and conditions at Hole-in-the-Wall Colliery, 8 January 1960
(10 papers)

Compensation claims (Ref: D/X 2031/1/4/1-17)

Access to these records is restricted under Data Protection legislation. Apply to county archivist for access.


Covering note [to Hole-in-the-Wall Lodge] that John Charles Moses has made a claim for disablement benefit and that a decision has been reached and enclosing report, 27 February 1959 [Report missing, covering note gives name and national insurance number but does not give the date of the accident or outcome of the claim]
(1 paper)


Report of examination by medical board of T. Hutton, regarding his claim for disablement benefit following an industrial accident on 5 March 1952, 2 April 1959
(1 paper)


Report of examination by medical board of F. Smith, regarding his claim for disablement benefit following an industrial accident on 23 January 1959, 16 April 1959
(1 paper)


Report of examination by medical board of Raymond William Parker, regarding his claim for disablement benefit following an industrial accident on 29 January 1960, 19 January 1961
(2 papers)


Notice of decision by medical appeal tribunal in the case of John A. Dunn, following an industrial accident on 16 November 1959, 31 May 1961
(1 paper)


Report of examination by medical board of William Heselton Lumley, regarding his claim for disablement benefit following diagnosis of an industrial disease, 14 - 17 July 1961
(2 papers)


Report of examination by medical board of G. Williams, regarding his claim for disablement benefit following an industrial accident on 14 February 1961, 31 July 1961
(1 paper)


Report of examination by medical board of W. Davison, regarding his claim for disablement benefit following an industrial accident on 31 July 1961, with covering letter and letter from the National Union of Mineworkers', Durham Area, advising him that the union will not appeal the decision, 26 January - 19 October 1962
(4 papers)


Report of examination by medical board of F. Scott, regarding his claim for disablement benefit following an industrial accident on 25 March 1960, 19 February 1962
(1 paper)


Report of examination by medical board of C.W. Jackson, regarding his claim for disablement benefit following an industrial accident on 13 October 1961, 26 March 1962
(1 paper)


Report of examination by medical board of J. T. Robson, regarding his claim for disablement benefit following diagnosis of an industrial disease and letter from the Ministry of Work and Pensions, notifying him of his special hardship allowance entitlement, 17-19 July 1962
(2 papers)


Letter from Ministry of Work and Pensions to F. Hutchinson, regarding his claim for disability benefit, 31 July 1962
(1 paper)


Report of examination by medical board of J. J. Hewitt and covering letter, regarding his claim for disablement benefit following an industrial accident on 19 March 1962, 3 - 11 September 1962
(3 papers)


Correspondence and statements relating to industrial accident of F. Barnett on 14 June 1962 and subsequent claim for compensation, 17 January - 19 September 1963 [See D/X 2031/8/2 for sketch possibly related to this case]
(1 file)


Letter from National Union of Mineworkers to R.W. Cowton regarding his claim for disablement benefit for an industrial accident of unknown date, 19 February 1963
(1 paper)


Report of examination by medical board of J.W. Smillie, regarding his claim for disablement benefit following an industrial accident on 28 June 1958, 4 June 1963
(1 paper)

Assimilated Jobs (Ref: D/X 2031/1/5/1-2)

Schedule of assimilated jobs between the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers, 22 July 1959
(1 paper)


Schedule of assimilated jobs between the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers, 9 May 1961
(1 paper)

Correspondence (Ref: D/X 2031/1/6/1-3)

Letter from Sam Watson to unnamed compensation secretary [Fred Smith?] regarding cost of obtaining medical reports, 1 April 1959
(1 paper)


Letter from Sam Watson to members of the National Union of Mineworkers, Durham Area, regarding the importance of securing as much information as possible about compensation claims before the decison is made to take court action, 6 April 1960
(1 paper)


Letter from Sam Watson to lodge officials of the National Union of Mineworkers, Durham Area, urging that compensation claims should be examined throughly at pit level before being passed to the compensation department, 19 July 1961
(1 paper)

Publications (Ref: D/X 2031/1/7-9)The Miner, Union Newspaper (Ref: D/X 2031/1/7/1-2)

The Miner, newspaper of the National Union of Mineworkers, issue regarding ballot for strike action , n.d. [November 1971]
(1 volume)


The Free Miner, newspaper of the National Union of Mineworkers, regarding successful negotiations between the National Union of Mineworkers and the National Coal Board, giving detail on what this will mean for miners, 21 February 1972
(1 paper)

Pamphlets (Ref: D/X 2031/1/8)

Souvenir pamphlet commemorating 100 years of the Durham Miners' Association, July 1969 Includes a timeline of key events in the association's history, table showing numbers of lives lost in explosions and inundations in the Durham area and list of agents of the Durham Miners' Association, with brief details including dates and length of service and age at death, 1869-1969
(1 booklet)

Lectures (Ref: D/X 2031/1/9)

Printed notes for Durham Miners' Association lecture given by Sam Watson on Aspects of Common Law, 24 November 1963
(1 booklet, printed)

Durham County Miners' Federation Board (Ref: D/X 2031/2/1-4)Correspondence (Ref: D/X 2031/2/1-4)

Letter from Sam Watson to members of the Durham County Mining Federation reminding them that workmen are liable for police prosecution if they allow coal to remain on the highway, 16 September 1957
(1 paper)


Letter from Sam Watson to all lodges and branches of the Durham County Mining Federation regarding increased allowances as part of the Mineworkers' Special Fatal Accident Scheme, 15 July 1958
(1 paper)


Letter from Sam Watson to members of Durham County Mining Federation regarding proposed increased rents for colliery housing, 5 August 1958
(1 paper)


Letter from Sam Watson to members of the Durham County Mining Federation regarding calculation of the payments under the Colliery Houses and Firecoal Agreement, 14 January 1964
(1 paper)

Crook Miners' Welfare Scheme (Ref: D/X 2031/3/1-2)Minutes (Ref: D/X 2031/3/1)

Minutes of Crook Miners' Welfare Scheme [Fred Smith was chairman], 6 April 1960 - 12 September 1964
(1 volume)

Social and Welfare Events (Ref: D/X 2031/3/2)

Notice from Crook Miners' Welfare regarding competition classes and prize money for garden show at Surtees Hotel, September 1963
(1 paper)

National Coal Board (Ref: D/X 2031/4/1-2)

Cavil sheet for Hole-in-the Wall Colliery, listing miners allocated to specific areas of the mine, February 1962
(1 paper)


Printed page issued by National Coal Board, outlining the terms and conditions of their wages offer, n.d. [September 1970]
(1 paper, printed)

Durham Miners' Gala (Ref: D/X 2031/5/1-2)Hole-in-the-Wall Miners' Banner (Ref: D/X 2031/5/1-2)

Correspondence between Fred Smith, National Union of Mineworkers and Wear Valley District Council regarding loan and display of the Hole-in-the-Wall miners' banner, 23 May 1988 - 15 October 2008
(1 file)


Cutting from the Wear Valley Mercury regarding an occasion in 1964 when Fred Smith and Richie Hindmarsh took the Hole-in-the-Wall banner to the Miners' Gala, against orders from their union leaders, n.d. [c.2010].
(1 paper)

Programmes (Ref: D/X 2031/5/3-5)

Souvenir programme for the 76th Durham Miners' Gala, 18 July 1970
(1 booklet)


Souvenir programme for the 100th Durham Miners' Gala, 16 July 1983
(1 booklet)


Special supplement to The Northern Echo, commemorating 100 years of the Miners' Gala, July 1983
(4 papers)

Later Research (Ref: D/X 2031/6/1-3)

Photocopied sections of first, second and fourth edition Ordnance Survey maps showing Low Beechburn Colliery, Crook, 1897 - 1939
(3 papers)


Photocopy plan of [Hole-in-the-Wall] mineworkings, n.d. [1950s]
(4 sheets)


Note to Fred Smith from 'Ann' enclosing print outs from Durham Mining Museum website with details of pits in Crook (Constantine, Hole-in-the-Wall, Cold Knott and Jobs Hill) and thanking him for his help with the wall hanging, 22 September 2008
(1 file)

Closure of Collieries (Ref: D/X 2031/7/1-2)

Press cutting from The Northern Echo regarding the closure of Hole-in-the-Wall pit, Crook, 20 November 1964 Includes photograph of Fred Smith, lodge secretary
(1 paper)


Press cutting from The Northern Echo regarding closure of Wearmouth Colliery, the last working colliery in the Durham Coalfield, 25 November 1993 Includes map of the nationalised Durham Coalfield in 1947
(1 paper)

Miscellaneous (Ref: D/X 2031/8/1-2)

Sketch of drift showing ropes and location of wheel frame, possibly relating to compensation claim of F. Barnett [see D/X 2031/1/4/14], n.d. [1960s]
(1 paper)


Programme for funeral of Frederick 'Fred' Smith, held at Crook, St Catherine, 23 January 2009 Includes photograph of Fred
(1 booklet, printed)