Bal Maidens in Towsers Surface Captain in White
Surface
Building
MWorkW
A 19th century scene at Tincroft Mine in Carn Brea. The man and 'bal maidens' with their hammers and typical Cornish shovels broke down the large lumps or ore to prepare it for further crushing and washing when the tin and copper was later refined on the gravity-washing tables. Here the "surface captains" or "bosses" are identified by their white duck coats.
Source: Jack Trounson's Vol 1, page 126
Angove
Morrab Library
1880
Morrab Library
Print
MIN 4.029
Tincroft
Posed photo of Bal Maidens at Dolcoath
Surface
Anno MWorkW
A group of 'bal maidens' at Dolcoath who helped to "dress" or prepare the ores for crushing by the mills or stamps. Large numbers of women were employed in this way on all Cornish mines in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. In fact, during the opening decades of the 20th century there were still older women around the Camborne, Redruth and St Just areas who had "worked at the bal" during their early years.
This is a posed photograph, for which the women have put on clean white aprons and "Sunday best" hats in which they often travelled to and from the mine. Whilst at work on their ore-preparation, however, they would have worn rough hessian "towsers" (half-length aprons) for that rough and dirty work.
Source: Jack Trounson's Vol 1, page 42
Angove
Morrab Library
1880
Morrab Library
Print
MIN 4.028
Dolcoath