John Forman
John Forman (1823-1900) Born in Allerton Burn, Northumberland in 1823. Forman began coal mining as a boy and worked at South Pontop Colliery from around 1850, then as a checkweighman at Grhamsley (North Roddymoor,). He was personally involved in most of the rescue operations in the coalfield in the last quarter of the 19th Century and so was very involved in mine safety, pioneering a theory about the explosive potential of coal dust. He served with rescue teams at Seaham (1871 and 1880), Trimdon Grange, Tudhoe, West Stanley (1882), Usworth (1885) and Elemore (1886) disasters.
He was president of the DMA in 1870, and opened the North Road HQ in 1876. He died in 1900.
In 2023, a blue plaque was unveiled at 16 Mowbray Street, John’s home in Durham City.
William Hammond Patterson
William Hammond Patterson (1847 – 1896) was born in Fawdon Square, Newcastle, the son of a quarryman. He started work at Jesmond Quarry aged 11, and within a year, he was working at Heworth Colliery. Heworth Lodge was formed in 1865 with Patterson as secretary. He became a Committee member of the DMA in February 1870. He was appointed Agent for South-West Durham District June 1870. He replaced William Crawford as General Secretary when he died in 1890, with Patterson himself dying in 1896.
Alexander MacDonald
Alexander MacDonald (1821 – 1881) was President of the Miner’s National Union, born in Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was a teacher between 1851 and 1855. He left to begin the process of devoting himself wholly to the improvement of miners’ working conditions.
William Crawford
William Crawford (1833 – 1890) was born in Northumberland and became an Agent of the Durham Miners Association in May 1870, then General Secretary in 1871, the Secretary of the Durham Miner’s National Union in 1877 He also held the titles of Secretary of Durham Miners Federation Board (which comprised miners, enginemen, mechanics, cokemen) and an MP before his death in 1890.
