Rope Making in Peak Cavern

langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Another question for all you clever Peak historians...

Could this be a photograph of Bert Morrison, the last Peak Cavern rope maker? I suspect that the photograph was taken about 1949 when Morrison would have been in his mid-60s. He is wearing the same sort of gear as seen in this:

YouTube video.

https://archives.bcra.org.uk/archives/clarke/peak/Clarke%207%20Peak%20Cavern.jpg

On an easier note, this photograph is described as being "Beyond Speedwell Water". Would that be Upper Gallery?

Many thanks in advance for any answers, and also for your help on previous occasions.
 
Possibly - just had a look at a photo Harry Parker took of Bert about 20 years later and although I couldn't say for certain, it's likely. One minor point, the surname of the ropemaker family was Marrison, not Morrison.
 
I believe the Peak Cavern photo is the big bend after Mucky Duck and just before Razor Blade Aven, looking upstream, so yes, Upper Gallery. If I'm right! ;)
 
Just had a look myself at the photo of Bert by H M Parker in Brian Woodall's Peak Cavern guidebook (1979) - the nose and ears are very similar.
 
I agree with pwhole that the Peak photo is probably in Upper Gallery.

I asked Irene who worked at Peak until recently about the video and she confirmed the subject is Bert Marrison. She also mentioned there is another video on You Tube made about Bert when he retired.
 
Irene adds:

"Bert's always easy to recognise by his hands rope making does some very strange things to joints"
 
https://www.britishpathe.com/video/cave-ropemaker
1963 & also on YouTube. This is in BCA library list. Otherwise you get PeteK's rope work films...
 
I think I see what you mean, Pitlamp...
 

Attachments

  • Bert Marrison2.gif
    Bert Marrison2.gif
    325.1 KB · Views: 270
A bit political but...

This sort of complaint was common amongst millions of manual workers during the industrial revolution.  Caused by highly repetitive work over long hours.  Often the workers had no choice but to continue working in excruciating pain to earn the money they needed to live.  It's what made Britain 'Great' and built the enormous wealth of the Victorian era.
 
Pitlamp said:
I agree with pwhole that the Peak photo is probably in Upper Gallery.

I asked Irene who worked at Peak until recently about the video and she confirmed the subject is Bert Marrison. She also mentioned there is another video on You Tube made about Bert when he retired.
Click to expand...

My post was misleading 'cos the link to youtube dominated it. It was actually the subject of the photograph I was interested in:

https://archives.bcra.org.uk/archives/clarke/peak/Clarke%207%20Peak%20Cavern.jpg
 
Over two years on...

Here is a wonderful photograph of Bert Marrison found in the Simpson Archive - date mid-1930s?

BCRA Online Archive

British Cave Research Association - Online Historical Archive
archives.bcra.org.uk archives.bcra.org.uk
 
Badlad said:
A bit political but...

This sort of complaint was common amongst millions of manual workers during the industrial revolution. Caused by highly repetitive work over long hours. Often the workers had no choice but to continue working in excruciating pain to earn the money they needed to live. It's what made Britain 'Great' and built the enormous wealth of the Victorian era.
Click to expand...
Indeed. British workers in the early industrial era were little better than slaves. Something that is forgotten by the promoters of the currently fashionable slavery woke/guilt campaign.I know some very old people from the potteries area. They reckoned the life expectancy of pottery workers was incredibly low, around 30 years.
 
Flotsam said:
Indeed. British workers in the early industrial era were little better than slaves. Something that is forgotten by the promoters of the currently fashionable slavery woke/guilt campaign.I know some very old people from the potteries area. They reckoned the life expectancy of pottery workers was incredibly low, around 30 years.
Click to expand...
The dreaded "potters rot" - silicosis IIRC.
 
mikem said:
Read all about it:
www.stokesentinel.co.uk

Life was grim for children working in the pottery industry

Working life in industrial North Staffordshire was tough and, if you were a child it could be brutal.
www.stokesentinel.co.uk www.stokesentinel.co.uk
Click to expand...
Way off topic now but....If you spot a copy, "When I Was a Child" by Charles Shaw is well worth a read. He was a child pottery worker in the 1840s in Boslem and Tunstall. It was published by the Sentinel in the 1890's and as a book in 1903. I was first told about it by my Grandad who read it as a boy & often quoted it. I was pleased to find a reprint of it in1998 & it's fascinating.
How times have changed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

AlexR
For they know not what they do: Speedwell to Peak via Moosetrap
Replies
0
Views
1K
AlexR
AlexR
Back
Top