Financial relief

The Lancashire and Cheshire Miners Permanent Relief Society (LCMPRS) initially paid financial relief to miners injured in industrial accidents and unable to work, as well as for widows, children and dependent relatives of those who were killed.

In 1920, they started to make payments to miners unable to work because of industrial diseases, such as nystagmus, an eye condition, and musculoskeletal disorders like synovitis and beat knee. In 1939 the society also began making payments to miners suffering from lung diseases including silicosis and pneumoconiosis.

• See images of some of the early registers of financial relief.

Records of relief paid

As part of the Counting the Cost project, these records detailing relief paid have been transcribed into databases and are now available online to researchers.

• See list of abbreviations commonly used when recording details of claims.

For data protection reasons the names of claimants born after 1918 have been left out of the databases but other details relating to their claim have been kept to enable data analysis.

Researchers that need access to raw datasets can contact the Archives team.

• Permanent injury relief
• Widows relief
• Children's relief
• Industrial disease relief
• Silicosis pneumoconiosis relief.

Permanent injury relief

Members who claimed relief for more than 6 months following an industrial injury were classed as “permanent” claimants. The term “disabled” was also sometimes used.

Although the Mines and Collieries Act 1842 stopped women from being employed underground they were still permitted to work on the surface. Membership of the Society was therefore open to women – they had the option to join as “full members” or “half members”.

Initially, registers were used to record details of claims and index cards were later introduced.

• Permanent Injury Register 1882-1896
• Permanent Injury Register 1909-1916
• Permanent Injury Register 1917-1926
• Permanent Injury Register 1927-1936
• Permanent Injury Index Cards Nos. 1-1,200
• Permanent Injury Index Cards Nos. 1,201-2,300
• Permanent Injury Index Cards Nos. 2,301-3,399
• Permanent Injury Index Cards Nos. 3,400-4,600
• Permanent Injury Index Cards Nos. 4,601-5,699
• Permanent Injury Index Cards Nos. 5,700-6,599
• Permanent Injury Index Cards Nos. 6,600-7,499
• Permanent Injury Index Cards Nos. 7,500-8,700
• Permanent Injury Index Cards Nos. 8,701-10,000
• Permanent Injury Index Cards Nos. 10,001-10,777.

Widows relief

Widows were able to claim relief until they remarried. Occasionally, widows were found guilty of misconduct, in which case their relief was stopped.

Under certain circumstances, dependant relatives other than widows and children were able to claim relief.

• Widows Relief Register 1882-1896
• Widows Relief Register 1917-1931.

Children's relief

Children were able to claim relief until a prescribed age or until they left school and started work. If children remained in full time education or were unable to work due to ongoing ill health they could continue to claim relief.

• Children’s Relief Register 1882-1896
• Children’s Relief Register 1917-1931.

Industrial disease relief

Members were able to claim relief if they were unable to work due to an industrial disease. Most early claimants were from sufferers of the eye condition nystagmus. Initially, registers were used to record details of claims: index cards were later introduced.

• Industrial Disease Relief Register 1920-1926
• Industrial Disease Relief Register 1927-1936
• Industrial Disease Relief Index Cards Nos. 1-1,199
• Industrial Disease Relief Index Cards Nos. 1,200-2,499
• Industrial Disease Relief Index Cards Nos. 2,500-3,799
• Industrial Disease Relief Index Cards Nos. 3,800-4,516.

Silicosis and pneumoconiosis relief

Relief for miners suffering specifically from silicosis and pneumoconiosis was introduced in 1939.

The data contained on these index cards is comprehensive and would be particularly useful to researchers of pneumoconiosis in the mining industry.

• Silicosis Relief Index Cards Nos. 1-999
• Silicosis Relief Index Cards Nos. 1,000-1,999
• Silicosis Relief Index Cards Nos. 2,000-2899
• Silicosis Relief Index Cards Nos. 2,900-3539.