NEW SINGLE: LEWIS ‘BURNER’ PUGH – Featherstone Massacre (2023)

Lewis Burner is influenced by everything from Bluegrass and Country through to Punk and Rock’n’Roll and here tells the story of a real incident and dark day in working class history whose anniversary is tomorrow and whose memory lives on in his words.

While this site is dedicated to Celtic music and the music of the Celtic diaspora we cannot escape that having been born here that it is also here that helped shape us. It is for this reason that when asked what you are many of us will reply London Irish, Glasgow Irish, Manchester Irish or in my case Yorkshire Irish. The history of this land is deeply entwined with the land of our parents of course and one thing we both have in common is that the rich and wonderful working class history of this land was denied to us as much as the history of Ireland was denied to them. Away from the government institutions though families talked and ideas were spread and the memories of events were passed down. Having fought and, pretty much, always lost those memories are mostly sad. Of events where the boot came down on a people struggling to exist while giving their all working in the most awful of conditions and oppression. So it was that Lewis came across this incident that happened 130 years ago today. The miners’ strike of 1893 was the largest industrial dispute ever seen began with over 300,000 miners ceasing work. The pit owners demanded the miners take a 25% cut in their wages and this was resisted by the Miners Federation who demanded a ‘living wage’. The strike was ongoing and peaceful until scab labour was brought into the mines evoking a fury within the mining communities that exists to this very day. A detachment of soldiers were brought to the pit front and fired shots over the heads of the miners gathered and withdrew before returning and firing two more volleys killing two young coal miners James Gibbs and James Duggan who were peaceably demonstrating for their livelihoods.

The murders would help break the resolve of the miners and by the next month a return to work had begun but the memory of that day lives long in the town with a monument raised in the town in 1993. The video below begins with a short poem read by local author and ITV presenter Ian Clayton before Lewis sings ‘Featherstone Massacre’. Filmed and directed by Jim Malkin at The Bradley Arms, Featherstone in late May 2023. It was Paul Windmill, landlord at The Bradley Arms in Featherstone, and Peter Stone ,who suggested to Lewis he write a song about the massacre and I don’t think anyone could have done a better job at it. Outstanding.

In Featherstone, West Yorkshire, where the coal came out the ground
A massacre was committed, by foot soldiers of the Crown
But the hardship and the hunger, was plain for all to see
Long before that evening, in 1893.

The lockout across the county meant no union man could earn
As they bosses slashed their wages, the pit wheels did not turn
But scabs loaded up coal wagons, bound for Bradford town
And word of this betrayal quickly made the rounds.

And on it seems they’d crush us down, as men of little worth,
As if we were not fit to live, and had no right on earth.

That summer afternoon, of September ‘93
The miners did assemble at Ackton colliery
They asked the man in charge, known as Holiday
How he could hire scab workers whilst in dispute of pay.

He called upon the army to clear these men away
28 foot soldiers arrived late in the day
Led by Captain Barker, the order was made plain
Fire upon these miners, we care not if we maim.

The bullets hit the crowd and two young men’s lives were lost
Because the bosses protect profits at any bloody cost
By the barrels of their rifles they took our brothers down
These murders were committed by foot soldiers of the crown.

The town banded together, to grieve the murdered men
And swore they would remember and always honour them
So to Duggan and to Gibbs, your death was not in vain
This spirit of this township forever changed that day.

And on it seems that they’d crush us down, as men of little worth,
But it’s them who are not fit to rule, and had no right on earth.

A brilliant song with lyrics that leap off the page to you. You can feel the anger of generations through his words. Lewis has been releasing music since 2018 and his debut album Dog Songs of mostly originals where he played pretty much all the music himself. The songs deal with themes of recovery from depression and coming through bad times that includes the beautiful ‘Fifty Six’ dedicated to the victims of the fire at the Bradford City Stadium in the 1980’s.

This month also sees the release of his new album Dark Wheels Turn Above Our Heads which is available to pre-order and where again Lewis plays pretty much all of the music. In his bio he states “armed with a guitar, banjo and harmonica, Lewis plays original and traditional music” and armed is right.

Download Featherstone Massacre  Bandcamp

Contact Lewis Burner https://linktr.ee/theburnerband