History | A Miners Life | Four Pence a Day

"Four Pence a Day"

Credited to Thomas Raine

"The ore is waiting in the tub, the snows upon the fell,
Canny folk are sleeping yet, but lead is reet to sell
Come me little washer lad come lets away,
We're bound down for slavery for fourpence a day.

It's early in the morning we rise at five o'clock,
And the little slaves come to the door to knock, knock, knock,
Come me little washer lad come lets away,
It's very hard to work for fourpence a day.

My father was a miner he worked down in the town
Twas hard work and poverty that always kept him down,
He aimed for me to go to school but brass he couldn't pay,
So I had to go to the washing rake for fourpence a day.

My mother rises out of bed with tears on her cheeks
Puts my wallet on her shoulder which has come to serve a week,
It often fills her great big heart when she unto me say
I never thought thou would have worked for fourpence a day.

Four pence a day, me lad, and very hard to work
And never a pleasant look from a gruffy looking 'Turk',
His conscience it may fall and his heart may give away
Then he'll raise our wages to nine pence a day."

c.1860s