Grey, Blakey, and others, Hepburn, the pitman's leader, associated with these men. On April 20th, 1839, a great meeting was held on the Town Moor, Newcastle, to consider what course should be adopted in case Government rejected 'the people's charter.' Thomas Hepburn was in the chair. His eloquence and ability inspired the people on that day, and established him as a great favourite amongst the Chartist agitators. The principal speakers there were, Mr. Ayre, Mr. Blakey, Mr. Harney, Mr. Devyr, Mr. Lowery, Dr. Taylor, and others, but Mr. Hepburn, the great man who had led the miners, was the only one who volunteered to oppose John Fife with the special constables, when the Riot Act was read over four times, and prevented them from holding their meetings. He stood on the wall, where the Catholic Church now stands, and shouted out with his strong, clear, distinct voice, "John Fife, Mayor of Newcastle, I tell you your proclamation is no law. You have no right to prevent us from holding our meetings." Sir John Fife was knighted soon after this. After the great strike of 1832, Mr. Hepburn had some difficulty in obtaining a livelihood, for by his zeal in the cause of the miners he had got himself into the "black books" of the masters. However, as elsewhere stated, Mr. Forster, the viewer at the Felling colliery, gave him work at that place, where he worked for some years. His health failed him, which prevented him from following his employment, and had it not been for his affectionate daughter and son-in-law, he would have had to finish his days in the workhouse. He died a few

years ago in a public-house in the Side, Newcastle, the sign of the "Old Brandy Butt," kept by his son-in-law. His remains were interred at the Felling, and there were few, if any, but his own relatives who followed him to the grave. Several of the good people now living in the Side well remember the doting old man who used to lounge about the "Old Brandy Butt," but none of them recognized in the wreck the great man whose name had been on every tongue a few short years before, and who could infiuence, as no other man then living could do, the thousands of rough ignorant miners of the two large coal producing counties of Northumberland and Durham. Peace to his ashes!

CHAPTER XLII.

THE YEARLY BOND IN DURHAM CONTINUED. SECESSION NORTHUMBERLAND FROM THE DURHAM UNION.

OF

THE CRAMLINGTON STRIKE. THE NORTHUMBERLAND
UNION. APPOINTMENT OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE.

ATTACK ON MR. BURT.

THE

Whilst the men were fighting amongst themselves, the well-known fable was practically illustrated, for the owners stepped in with their yearly bond, and had little difficulty in inducing the men to be bound. Love's collieries were at full work with fresh hands, together with those who had broke away from their own ranks; and though there had been a resolution passed at the delegate meeting that 2s. per man should be levied to assist those men to emigrate, this was not carried out, many of the men refusing to pay it. Great numbers of men now left the union, and it was evident that those who stuck to the resolutions not to bind at collieries would not get the chance of working upon any terms if they did not look sharp, as many of the owners had their collieries filled up, and refused large numbers of their old hands. The manner in which the bindings were effected on this occasion will be seen from the following letter:—

SIR,-Allow me a space to let other collieries know how they have got on with the binding at Haswell. The first point was, the masters got all the deputies, stonemen, and a few coal hewers bound two or three days before the binding day, which is a fortnight sooner than it has ever been. The next was, they had a few men set as soon as the bond was read over to make a rush in; but it was all a puff, for the men had settled it at the meeting. As soon as the bond was read they retreated to the union room to consider whether to bind or not, and came to the conclusion that, as the masters had the strongest party bound, they were not in a good position for a strike, and considered they might as well bind. Haswell union has had traitors at its head; I will give you a specimen. The first was the president; the master bribed him with a bottle of whisky, and stone work, and told him to break the union up if he could; he tried very hard till they put him out. The next was the secretary, and he sold the masters the books for drink, who kept him with drink a whole week for them. The next was a delegate; all the men put their trust in him, and thought if there was a trusty man in the union he was one, for he had always proved true till lately; the masters promised him some work, and he gave up the delegate's place without any notice to the meeting. He has never been at the meeting since. I leave you to judge how the union has been kept at Haswell. Now for the advance. The five-quarter seam 1s. per score, another 9d. per score if the miner makes £2 58, and 1s. 3d. per score if he makes £2 10s,, which no man can make. In the Hutton seams they advance 4d. per score in the Crimea district, and nothing in the other districts, except the Driftway, where they give 6d. per score.

The disunion which was now beginning to appear amongst the men is evidenced in the above letter, and receives full corroboration in the following from Brandon :

SIR, Please insert a few lines respecting rumours raised against the late secretary of Brandon colliery. I shall be happy to meet any one to prove it, either at John Longstaffe's, Silver street, Durham, or at Cuthbert Earington's, Framwellgate Moor. Then the public shall judge whether I have, or ever had, any money. It is reported that I kept £30. All the money I ever got was 6s., which I received in the end of the same week that the men went away to work; and I would like to know where there is a man who would have delivered it up when the men broke away as they did? When the union commenced every man passed his word to stand firm till they all got their work. Now I was kept out-I was not to start any more. Was I then right or wrong to keep the 6s.? Those who say most ought to say least. I should like to know what came of the money gathered at Ryhope, and where the tent money is? Can they call themselves union men when they sold the tent even while two or three families were occupying it? I think there is little union in them, or they might have stood for twelve months the way they were supported. Many a poor man gave his shilling for them when he wanted it at home. And then to go in as they have! If I were like them I would never mention union more.

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The men of Northumberland, who had remained firmly attached to their union throughout, were dissatisfied at the way the Durham men were proceeding, for they felt certain that, sooner or later, they would break up the union. The Northumberland men held a district meeting at Plessey on the subject. After the meeting a delegate meeting was held to devise the best means of keeping the union in existence. Mr. Thomas Burt, who is now so widely known as the intelligent agent of the Northumberland Miners' Mutual Confident Association, was then working at Choppington, and represented this colliery at the meeting as their delegate. He proposed the following resolution ::- That the miners of Northumberland secede from the Durham miners, and establish a union of their own; and that the union have for its name 'The Northumberland Miners' Mutual Confident Association." This was at once unanimously agreed to, and the proposition met with favour amongst the whole of the men of the county. There were two agents connected with the association at the time-Mr. Crawford, the general secretary; and Mr. Sheldon, the agent. The men unanimously agreed to engage Mr. Crawford as their secretary and agent, and Mr. Sheldon was turned over to the County of Durham men. However, the engagement of the latter did not last long, as the men had all given up the union.