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A Nipper is a young boy around 11-13 years old. They spend all day in the mines deep underground opening and closing heavy doors to allow fast moving and heavy minecars to pass through tunnels.

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Many children in the 1800's-1920's gave up their freedom just for food or small pay. Many people back then sacrificed their freedom so they could get bye. Children today have a lot more privileges and freedom than the children during the industrial revolution.

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Nippers faced many challenges on a day to day basis. In "Growing Up in Coal County" it states, "...sat at his post five hundred feet underground. The mines were echoless; walls absorbed all sound like a blotter. The only sounds he could hear were the drip of trickling water and the splintering and cracklings of the settling mountain." (Page 29) Day to day, nippers struggled to stay awake and aware at their posts due to the quiet and mundane environment in which they resided. The book also states, "The darkness and solitude bred courage and responsibility in the boys. Ominous creaks, groans, and trickling sounds forewarned that a roof was "working," which meant the rock was loose overhead and in danger of collapse." (Page 32)This job was extremely dangerous and could kill anyone at anytime.

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Nipper boys worked underground in mines where they opened and closed heavy doors for mine cars. In the book "Growing Up In Coal County" it states, "His job was to open and close the heavy wooden doors that were constructed across the gangways or headings of the mine." (Page 29) This quote further describes their jobs. The book also states, "It was a long day for the nipper, who became bored sitting all alone in the dark, with only a little glow from his carbide lamp. Usually, the lamp didn't throw enough light to read by, so the nipper looked for other ways to amuse himself and stay awake at his post." (Page 31) This sounds like an awful thing to have to endure. I couldn't even imagine sitting in a dimly lit environment all day without even being able to read a book to entertain me.

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On 4 August 1842, a law was passed that stopped women and children under ten years from working underground in mines in Britain.

Before this law was passed, it was common for whole families to work together underground to earn enough money for the family to live on.

The Victorians saw child labour as a normal part of working life. Most children started work underground when they were around eight years old, but some were as young as five. They would work the same hours as adults, sometimes longer, at jobs that paid far less.

The Trapper

The trapper was often the youngest member of the family working underground. Their job was simple: to open and close the wooden doors (trap doors) that allowed fresh air to flow through the mine. They would usually sit in total darkness for up to twelve hours at a time, waiting to let the coal tub through the door. It was not hard work but it was boring and could be very dangerous. If they fell asleep, the safety of the whole workings could be affected.

The Hurrier and the Thruster

The older children and women were employed as hurriers, pulling and pushing tubs full of coal along roadways from the coal face to the pit-bottom. The younger children worked in pairs, one as a hurrier, the other as a thruster, but the older children and women worked alone.

Hurriers would be harnessed to the tub, and thrusters would help hurriers by pushing the tubs of coal from behind with their hands and the tops of their heads. The tubs and the coal could weigh over 600kg, and would have to be moved through roadways which were often only 60-120cm high.

The Getter

Getters were the oldest and strongest members of the family, almost always grown men or strong youths. Their job was to work at the coal face cutting the coal from the seam with a pickaxe. Getters were the only members of the family who would work continually with a candle or safety lamp, as they needed the light to see the coal face.

Activity Ideas

Use the images and information on this page to discuss the different jobs done by children. (You can download a Mining Vocabulary sheet to help with these activities).

Role play the different jobs that children did in the mines - imagine doing them in the dark for 12 hours.

Create illustrations of the mining jobs done by children, inspired by the images from the 1842 report.

Discuss how the children's health may have been affected by working underground.

Children were also employed in other industries, such as textile mills and farms. Research other jobs done by children in Victorian Britain and compare them with those done by children in coal mines.

Discuss the types of work children under 16 do today and modern regulations.

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On 4 August 1842, a law was passed that stopped women and children under ten years from working underground in mines in Britain. Before this law was passed, it was common for whole families to work together underground to earn enough money for the family to live on.

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There have been many tragedies related to working in the mines as a nipper. In "Growing Up in Coal County" it states, "Workers could expect several serious injuries and to experience all sorts of accidents during their years of employment." (Page 102) It is crazy to think that children this young are risking their lives for less than 50 cents. The book also states, "In 1903, a young nipper who fell asleep beside the gangway jumped up when he heard the approaching mine cars. He ran to throw open the doors, but it was too late. The mine cars struck and killed him." (Page 31) Although this is an upsetting fact, it was quite common in the mines. Many children would die from the dangers that came with their jobs.

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There are still children all over the world today who are forced to deal with child labor just to get by. The majority of child laborers today are from poor and developing countries. Just because it's not in America anymore doesn't meant that other countries have stopped.