Mexborough & Swinton Times, Friday 8th July, 1932
Mr. George Ledger
Enquiry made by the “South Yorkshire Times” into the question of seniority in the Yorkshire Miners Association has brought two further interesting claims. One is by Mr. George Ledger (80), 21, School Street, Wombwell, and the other from Mr. John Gawthrope (71), 108, Main Street, Wombwell. Mr. Ledger joined the union in 1866, and Mr. Gawthrope, who is still “young” in appearance, was enrolled in 1872.
Mr. Ledger is a native of Mapplewell, and entry in an old family Bible shows that his grandfather, George Ledger, was born in the same village in 1788. When he had attained the age of nine years and a half, he began tramming at North Gawber Colliery, helping to push the tubs up a steep “bord.” At that age he could only reach half-way up the curve. and he had to push at the tube with his head. After leaving North Gawber he worked at Willow Bank Colliery, Honeywell Colliery, Day’s Pit, and several other old mines in the Smithies district which are now worked out. Day’s Pit was near Barnsley Park, and the site has been obliterated by residential property. Coming to Wombwell 52 years ago he worked at Darfield Main, Mitchell Main, and Cortonwood. and when he retired in 1922. after 62 years in the mines, he had been working at Wombwell Main 19 years.
Mr. Ledger was born to a hard life, for he was left fatherless in infancy, and his mother, who was left behind without resources. worked as a weaver at Redbrook. on the Cawthorne side at Barnsley. He joined the Yorkshire Miners’ Association while working at Willow Bank Colliery, and has remained a member for 66 years. He is now in receipt of a small union pension. Among the earlier officials of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association he remembers are John Normansell, John Frith, and Ben Pickard. He has been a member of the Free Gardeners’ Friendly Society since he was twelve. For 31 years Mr. Ledger was the proprietor of n small grocery business at the top of School Street, Wombwell, and for the past four years has lived entirely alone in a house a few doors away.