Coal Carving
Coal miners in the United Kingdom often had hidden talents which were contradictory to the hard and often brutal work underground. One such talent was coal carving. A niche art which some miners engaged in using the medium they knew best. The tools they used were everyday utensils such as penknives, simple files and abrasive paper or emery cloth.
Coal is a fossil fuel composed of carbon-rich, black sedimentary rock formed from ancient plants over 300 million years ago. Examples of coal carving dating back to the 17th century have been found in the U.K. These early examples were ornamental pieces and small jewellery items such as rings and snuff boxes. Subsequent discoveries have been sculptures, often reflecting local folklore and cultural stories.
There are many types of coal that have different qualities. In England coal carvers usually use a type of coal called Cannel Coal. This is fine grained and is actually a type of oil shale and was used primarily for the production of coal gas until the discovery of natural gas in the North Sea. It is less brittle than other types of coal and can be polished to a high sheen. It is also sometimes called Candle Coal especially in the U.S.A. as it burns with a bright flame. In Scotland another type of coal was used called Parrot Coal which was known for its strength and ability to be highly polished. In the U.S.A, especially in Pennsylvania, coal carvers use the abundant anthracite coal. This type of coal is brittle but has a metallic like lustre.
In 1975 Dave Merrington, a retired miner from County Durham, sculpted an ornate crown embellished with an English rose, Irish shamrock, Scottish thistle and Welsh Prince of Wales feathers out of a piece of coal that had been taken from the Haig Colliery in Whitehaven, Cumbria. This was designed to be a rugby union trophy and was called The Triple Crown. The Triple Crown rugby union competition was first made reference to by the Irish Times in 1894 after Ireland had defeated England, Wales and Scotland in a single season for the first time but there was no physical trophy. Dave Merrington tried to remedy this with his coal sculpture. Unfortunately, the coal sculpture was never accepted as an official Triple Crown trophy. The ‘Real’ Triple Crown however lived on. In 2000 it was formally presented to the World Rugby Museum by former England centre Jeff Butterfield.
Written by Volunteer Roger
Images: Dave Merrington The real Triple Crown
