COLLIERY DEPUTIES IN THE BRITISH COAL INDUSTRY BEFORE NATIONALIZATION

This article challenges the militant and industrial unionist version o f British coal mining trade union history, surrounding the Miners' Fed eration of Great Britain and the National Union of Mineworkers, by con sidering, for the first time, the case of the colliery deputies' trade union. Their national Federation was formed in 1910, and aimed to rep resent the three branches of coal mining supervisory management: the d eputy (or fireman, or examiner), overman and shotfirer. First, the art icle discusses the treatment of moderate and craft traditions in Briti sh coal mining historiography. Second, it shows how the position of de puty was defined by changes in the underground labour process and the legal regulation of the industry. Third, it traces the history of depu ties' union organization up until nationalization in 1947, and the for mation of the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and S hotfirers (NACODS). The article concludes that the deputies represent a mainstream tradition of craft/professional identity and industrial m oderation, in both the coal industry and the wider labour movement.