Filler

The worker who shovelled coal into trams, tubs or onto a conveyor at the working face, often also pushing or drawing the loaded trams away to the haulage road.

Historical usage

The occupation of two of the youngest, 14-year-old victims of the already-published Kemberton Colliery pit cage disaster of 1910, recorded under this role's own Nottinghamshire/Shropshire border-district dialect name -- while a third victim of the same disaster is recorded under the plain, standard term itself.

How it worked

Working immediately behind the collier or hewer who cut or blasted the coal down, the filler shovelled it into the trams, tubs or corves waiting at the face, and in smaller operations without a separate drawer or putter also pushed the loaded tram away to the nearest haulage road himself.

Risks & limitations

Filling was often a boy's or young man's job, and a physically continuous one: two of the boys killed in the already-published 1913 Rufford Colliery disaster, Randolph Cecil Miles and Albert Jones, were both just 14 and both recorded by their occupation as this role's own East Midlands dialect name.

Regional variation

The role went by a wide range of local names across different coalfields -- dram filler, heaver, loader, loaderer, tram filler, truck filler, truck loader, tub filler and wagon filler among them -- with 'danner' recorded as the term actually used in the Nottinghamshire coalfield.

Mines associated with this term

Included only where MineArchive's own research gives a reasonable evidential basis — not every mine where this might plausibly apply.

• Hafod Colliery — Wrexham (well documented example)
  Named in this record’s history: “…26, and William Wynne, 25, both colliers; and Anthony Boyer, 18, a filler. The colliery worked with locked safety lamps specifically because…”

Disasters associated with this term

Included only where MineArchive's own research gives a reasonable evidential basis, with the nature of the relationship stated — not every disaster where this term might plausibly apply.

• Bilsthorpe Colliery Explosions (1934) (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “A shotfiring operation in the loader gate ignited accumulated firedamp, causing the first explosion; a…”
• Hafod Colliery Explosion (1873) (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…26, and William Wynne, 25, both colliers; and Anthony Boyer, 18, a filler. The colliery, the property of the Ruabon Coal Company, worked with…”
• Kemberton Colliery Pit Cage Disaster (1910) (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the narrative: “…and boys died: George Gough (fireman, 53, Madeley), Richard Rogers (filler, 41, Madeley), Arthur Wilton (day-wageman, 48, Madeley), Thomas…”
• Markham Colliery explosion, 1937 (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…by intense flame and smoke, travelling from the left bank toward the loader gate.”
• Wynnstay Colliery Explosion (1873) (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Thomas, 22, and Edward Williams, 27, all colliers; John Jones, 16, a filler; and Peter Darlington, 18, a roadman. The inquest verdict found the…”

Sources

1. (primary) 042.—Hewers and Getters (A Dictionary of Occupational Terms, 1921 Census) — A Dictionary of Occupational Terms (1921 Census classification)
2. (secondary) Kemberton Colliery Shaft Accident - Shifnal - 1901 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026