ABSTRACT
The pattern of the Derbyshire miner's life and work, which had developed in the mid-nineteenth century, had the effect of setting him apart from the rest of the community. The medical officer of health for Derbyshire, commenting on the situation at Clay Cross, in 1914, said: It is almost impossible to deal with the overcrowding, and for the sanitary authority to make the necessary closing orders if there are no houses for the people to go to. The miners leaders advocated legislation on the subject in the Coal Mines Act of 1911 and since they sought to make the provision of baths compulsory they argued that it was only reasonable to make their use compulsory. The Derbyshire Miners Association, in its early days, had firmly set its face against the provision of friendly society benefits but, as time went on, the union turned its attention increasingly to the problem of helping its members in times of difficulty.
