Checkweighman

also Weigher, Justiceman

The checkweighman was employed by the miners to ensure their filled hutches of shale were fairly weighed at the surface by the pitheadman and therefore ensure the correct amount was paid for the shale each miner produced.

The role is described in the Dictionary of Occupational Terms as:

"oversees the interests of the shale miners in accordance with provisions of Section 13 of Coal Mines Act, 1887, by overseeing the weighing of shale by weigher, in hutches; estimates amount of foreign matter or dirt in hutch and sees that only authorised deductions are made; checks tare or weight of hutch itself; makes records in his own weigh book against number and name of miner and agrees weights with weigher."

Wages & Working Hours

In 1958, an Agreement Between the Scottish Shale Oil Companies and the National Union of Shale Miners & Oil Workers records that weighers earned 27s 8d per shift. Above ground workers handling shale worked an 11 day fortnight averaging 40.5 hours per week.

Snippets

Mr B worked as a checkweighman and was voted into this position by fellow workers. His job was to observe the Pitheadman as he recorded the weights of the full hutches coming up from the pits. GB, Checkweighman, No. 35 Pit Philpstoun

"Joe Kinsman was the checkweighman at Burngrange, we used to pay a shilling a week from each faceman and drawer in the pit and that went into a fund and you paid the checkweighman his wage". JM , Burngrange No. 1 & 2 Pit

Additional Resources

• Oral history transcript: Mr George Bertram
• Oral history transcript: Mr Robert Hay