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MinersThere were no workers experienced in mining in Kent when coal was discovered in 1890. All the workers had to be imported from traditional mining areas such as Wales, Scotland, Durham, Yorkshire, Lancashire and the Midlands. With the coal industry then booming, few had any incentive to come to Kent so collieries here had to pay higher wages. Uniquely, Kent became a mix of the traditions (often wildly different) of all the coalfields in Britain.
With the opening of Betteshanger Colliery and the redevelopment of Tilmanstone Colliery in the 1920's the demand for miners grew. After the General Strike of 1926, blacklisted militants, unable to work in their home areas, came to Kent, often signing on under false names. Poverty and desperation during the Depression of the 1930's meant that many unemployed miners walked hundreds of miles to Kent pits, unable to afford train tickets.
The arrival of all these 'rough and ready foreigners' initially horrified the locals, especially as all the collieries were located in rural areas near sleepy villages and hamlets. Towns like Deal, where many Betteshanger miners lived, were shocked to find huge gangs of blackened labourers in hobnailed boots marching to and from work through the streets. Signs saying 'No Miners' soon appeared in shops and pubs. To try and reduce the hostility, Kent pits were amongst the first to have pit head baths so miners could go home clean.
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