ABSTRACT
The most frequent epithet of opprobrium used to describe the miscreant worker, however, a term particularly prevalent during the earlier decades of the nineteenth century, was 'blacksheep'. We should note as well the deployment of the word 'black' in the pejorative term 'black-neb', as well as its role as a stem in the compound words 'blacksheep' and 'blackleg', in regard to the historic association forged between the word black and wickedness, evil and pollution. The pitmen of Durham and Northumberland were not the only group of workers in Britain's evolving industries who resented the influx of Irish labour into their workplace and communities, particularly blackleg Irish labour. Trade unionists in other parts of the United Kingdom generally recognised this and were often deeply sympathetic to the plight of the Irish migrant, even, at times, the blackleg Irish migrant. Vulnerability and danger also reside on the margins of the social body of society, an observation by Douglas which has particular relevance.
