pub 17 Longe Report – employment of children in the potteries 1862.

This is a fascinating true story of the one-time village cobbler, Jack Burton who had a small cobblers shop in Manor Court Street, Penkhull. Born in 1907 his first recollections were attending services of the Primitive Methodists, which throughout his life he remained a regular worshipper and trustee of the Penkhull Methodist Church.

The story commences with his early school life then followed by WW1. His father was a collier and in 1921 Jack left schools at the age of fourteen. But with it came poverty and depression the same year with the miners’ strike which lasted six for months. Jack describes the impossible task of finding work with three million unemployed. It was impossible. With no dole money at that time and the family were desperate. For many they worked at the workhouses where for their labour would receive bread, the number of which depended upon the size of the family. He writes about his uncle who was a cobbler knowing of Jacks predicament offered to take him on to learn the trade. That was his start and stayed there until 1935 when he got married.

He later describes reading in the Sentinel of a cobbling business for sale in Penkhull, then run by an ex-WWI invalid with one leg. Jack attempted to get a bank loan and trudged around for help until he finally obtained a loan to purchase the shop. The story full of early difficulties continues to provide an almost compelling read of hard work, finally leading to success. It’s a story to enthuse perhaps those younger audience of life in the 20s and the over whelming hardships endured and yet it was hard work and determination against the odds which in the end made it all worthwhile. Jack’s essay is over five thousand words long over five pages with illustrations of him at his little shop. Certainly, one of my favourite reads and an inspiration to others today.

Five x A4 pages

Potteries Mercury 1843

Mercury 1831

If I stated that this collection of the Potteries Mercury from 1830-1846 was a unique collection being the only one in the world in its present format, I would not be exaggeration and is exclusive only on this site and it is now offered in a totally different format than the original the copyright is mine only.
It could be nearly thirty years ago when I used to purchase just a few at a time from the British Library in 35mm reel format which could not be accessed without a viewer and even then, impossible to search or copy therefore unable to do anything with them for possibly nearly twenty/thirty years until technology improved allowing me to have them converted and each reel placed become available on a cd. So could have then downloaded onto my computer for ease of use and copy paste etc.
Because of the high cost at the time, this process like the same as acquiring, the original collected taking several years to first purchase them one at a time, then the cost of having each converted from 35mm file to cd again at considerable cost. The total cost could easily be several thousands of pounds invested over all these years.
Now as it happens the British Library no longer hold this collection but have sold it on with all other newspapers a number of years ago both national and local. As a result, they are my copywrite as they are no longer in the original format and am the only person to have this unique collection of the first newspaper published in North Staffordshire and this is the very first time are now available to purchase.
The Staffordshire Mercury was a weekly regional newspaper published Hanley in Staffordshire. The publication was founded in 1824 by Thomas Allbut, with the Rev. Leonard Abington as its first editor. It was later renamed The Potteries Mercury at some point. Sadly, for the years copies from 1824-1830 have not survived or deposited in the British Library. The paper became the North Staffordshire Mercury in March 1834 but returned to being named the Staffordshire Mercury in April 1845. The paper probably folded in May 1848.