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George Robson was born in approximately 1871 in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. On 13 August 1892 George marries Mary Taylor Parkin. His father is listed on his marriage certificate as Thomas Robson. Both Thomas and his son have the same occupation, which is unreadable. George is twenty-two, Mary is seventeen. George signs the book while Mary only records 'x', her mark suggesting she could not read or write. The marriage is witnessed by Anne Robson (possibly George's sister or mother) and, intriguingly, a Thomas Masters!
Mary's birthplace is recorded as Spennymoor, County Durham, which is very close to Bishop Auckland. It is therefore possible that the couple, or the family of the couple, knew each other prior to them moving to Silksworth, Sunderland.
Four months after the wedding, on 19 December 1892, Mary gives birth to her first child, whom they called Mary. Therefore the wedding took place while Mary was pregnant. Mary (b.1892) later married Frank Masters in 1916 in Sunderland who was the nephew of the only other Thomas Masters I know of who could have been the witness to this wedding (b.1872 in Barnsley). I don't know why Thomas Masters, who as far as I am aware lived all of his life in Barnsley would have reason to attend this marriage. Perhaps it was another Thomas Masters?
George's occupation was recorded as Coal Miner (Hewer) on Mary's marriage certificate in 1916.
A Coal Hewer was described in 1825 as
"persons that hew or cut the coal from its natural situation."
In 1849 a Coal Hewer was described as
"A man who works coals. His age ranges from 21 to 70. His usual wages (1849) are from 3s. 9d. to 4s. 3d. per day of 8 hours working, and his average employment 4 or 5 days in the week. He also has, as part of his wages, a house containing two or three rooms, according to the number in his family, and a garden, of which the average size may be 6 or 8 perches ; also a fother of small coals each fortnight, for the leading of which he pays sixpence.
In 1892 a Coal Hewer was described as
"....the actual coal-digger. Whether the seam be so thin that he can hardly creep into it on hands and knees, or whether it be thick enough for him to stand upright, he is the responsible workman who loosens the coal from the bed. The hewers are divided into "fore-shift" and "back-shift" men. The former usually work from four in the morning till ten, and the latter from ten till four. Each man works one week in the fore-shift and one week in the back-shift, alternately. Every man in the fore-shift marks "3" on his door. This is the sign for the "caller" to wake him at that hour. When roused by that important functionary he gets up and dresses in his pit clothes, which consist of a loose jacket, vest, and knee breeches, all made of thick white flannel; long stockings, strong shoes, and a close fitting, thick leather cap. He then takes a piece of bread and water, or a cup of coffee, but never a full meal. Many prefer to go to work fasting. With a tin bottle full of cold water or tea, a piece of bread, which is called his bait, his Davy lamp, and "baccy-box," he says good-bye to his wife and speeds off to work. Placing himself in the cage, he is lowered to the bottom of the shaft, where he lights his lamp and proceeds "in by," to a place appointed to meet the deputy. This official examines each man's lamp, and, if found safe, returns it locked to the owner. Each man then finding from the deputy that his place is right, proceeds onwards to his cavel†, his picks in one hand, and his lamp in the other. He travels thus a distance varying from 100 to 600 yards. Sometimes the roof under which he has to pass is not more than three feet high. To progress in this space the feet are kept wide apart, the body is bent at right angles with the hips, the head is held well down, and the face is turned forward. Arrived at his place he undresses and begins by hewing out about fifteen inches of the lower part of the coal. He thus undermines it, and the process is called kirving. The same is done up the sides. This is called nicking. The coal thus hewn is called small coal, and that remaining between the kirve and the nicks is the jud or top, which is either displaced by driving in wedges, or is blasted down with gunpowder. It then becomes the roundy. The hewer fills his tubs, and continues thus alternately hewing and filling."
I don't know when George died.
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