Grinders Hardships

[RichardB]

The Grinders Hardships - Author Unknown

It happened in the year eighteen hundred and five

From May-day to Christmas the season was quite dry,

That all our oldest grinders such a time never knew,

For there’s few who brave the hardships that we poor grinders do

For there’s few, &c

In summer time we can't work till water does appear,

And if this does not happen, the season is severe;

Then our fingers are numb’d by keen winter frosts or snow,

And few can brave the hardships that we poor grinders do.

And few ...

When war is proclaimed our masters quickly cry,

“Orders countermanded”, our goods we all lay by;

Your prices we must sattle, and you'll be stinted too

There’s few suffer such hardships as we poor grinders do.

There’s few ...

There seldom comes a day but our dairy maid goes wrong,

And if that does not happen, perhaps we break a stone,

Which may wound us for life, or give us our final blow.

For there's few that have such hardships as we poor grinders do.

For there’s few ...

There’s many a poor grinder who’s thus been snatched away

Without a moment’s warning to meet the Judgement day

Before his Judge he must appear, his final doom to know

There are few who brave such hardships as we poor grinders do.

There’s few ...

Thus many a poor grinder, whose family is large,

That with his best endeavours cannot his debts discharge,

When children cry for bread, how pitiful the view,

Though few can brave such hardships as we poor grinders do

Though few ...

So now I must conclude these few humble rhymes

With “Success to all grinders” who suffer in hard times;

I wish them better fortune – their families the same

Any may we never experience such hardships again.

By being further stinted and paying discount too,

There are few who brave such hardships as we grinders do

There are few ...

[Guest tsavo]

If we could just have the music and the bouncing ball please....!

[Guest Smiling-Knife]

An engraving from an 1880s Harpers Magazine article on Sheffield. Just happens to be my avatar. I like the looks of this bloke. Knife grinders rarely made the age of 40 in the 19th cent and often died before 30. The inhalation of small metalic particles resulted in a lung disorder called silicosis (Grinders' Disease). Many grinders suffered the danger in exchange for higher rates of pay compared to many others in the cutlery industry.

[RichardB]

Excellent engraving, Thank You ! More detail on grinders and their illness anyone ?