Coal Trimmer

[steve100]

My great grandfather was a Coal Trimmer,anyone tell me what they did? I know he worked at the old town dock at Newport and carried a mighty big shovel!


                                                 Steve

[dennford]

Have a look at this site, I reckon if he worked on the docks he would have been filling the holds of ships.

http://website.lineone.net/~coalmining/DictionaryK.htm

                                    Denn

[stanmapstone]

Trimmers were men who filled the holds of coal vessels, 'colliers' and
'trimmed' or levelled the load.
When coals from the waggons are dropped or spouted into the hold of a vessel they produce a conical heap which, unless provided against, would soon block up the hatchway. To prevent this, sheets of iron are laid upon the cone as it rises which cause the coals to slide off in all directions ; these are placed by a set of men, called trimmers, who with shovels and rakes still further distribute the coal, or trim the cargo. They also levelled the coal so that it lay smooth and would not shift during the voyage causing the ship to list.
Regards Stan

[steve100]

Thanks both. Seems like a tough job to me.But then again, I didn`t really think it wouldn`t be.



                                                       Steve

[ian.h]

hi steve, my grandfather to was a coal trimmer down newport docks, it was a well paid job at the time when the  ships were in and  if you was one of the  lucky ones to get pick to work that day at 6 in the morning,
 if you was one of the unlucky men not to get pick it was home to bed and back down the docks at 12ish to see if there was any work going, you was still paid a small wage called a blob if there was no work that day if i remember right.
they used to call the big shovels banjos and they was also very  useful for whacking all sort of creepy crawlers you would find in the holds of the ships my old grandfather would say.
atb ian.h

[steve100]

Ian I saw some photos awhile back of Coal Trimmer`s in Newport docks early 1900`s.Hardy men for sure.Big shovels,lanterns,hats and even smiles!



                                                Steve

[dennford]

Interesting that some of you should mention the shovels. Yes, a coal shovel is much bigger than a standard shovel (almost double the size), this is because coal is much lighter than rock. one of the pranks played on the uninitiated was to give him a coal shovel to move stone/rock and see how long he could go before tiring out.

                                            Denn

[Arranroots]

Hi Ian

you was still paid a small wage called a blob

I wonder if you mean a "bob"?  A bob was a shilling or 5 new pence and a small salary indeed!

kind regards, Arranroots 

[ian.h]

Ian I saw some photos awhile back of Coal Trimmer`s in Newport docks early 1900`s.Hardy men for sure.Big shovels,lanterns,hats and even smiles!



                                                Steve

hi steve , can you remember were you saw the photo was it  in  local paper / book, would like to see what they look like back then.
on a sad note a lot of the old coal trimmers suffered/died  from lung disease due to the dust.

Hi Ian

you was still paid a small wage called a blob

I wonder if you mean a "bob"? A bob was a shilling or 5 new pence and a small salary indeed!

kind regards, Arranroots

hi arranroots
almost 90%sure it was called a blob(blobing) down pill,
 it may have just been a bit of old newport docker slang.
atb ian.h