Page 5 - Points, Pints & Longevity

Pots, Pints & Longevity Redditch Heritage

POINTS, POTS AND LONGEVITY.

There draws the grinder his laborious breath,

There, coughing at his deadly trade, he bends,

Born to die young, he fears no man, nor death,

Scorning the future, what he earns he spends.

The needle pointers of the Arrow Valley were, with some reason, prone to discontent.
However one dispute at least, the long strike of 1846, had a strong 'Luddite' themes the
operatives being anxious that there should be no easing of conditions in case this affected
their income. In fact, over the months when the machinery was idle, the proprietors were
able, in some cases to install extractor fans, and these were eventually accepted by the
pointers. There was an immediate increase in life expectancy for the workers involved,
and this is illustrated by the fact that many were able to take up another occupation in
later life.

An analysts of the 1851 census shows that, the Redditch and Alvechurch area, there were
57 people specifically described as pointers. It is likely that this is a fairly true total as
most were proud of their status and would declare their trade as pointers rather than
needle maker'. of the total only 10 were less than 20 years of age, and by inference most
of the remainder would have experienced conditions prior is also significant that in a
calling where the expectation of life was short, 27 of the total were over 30 years of age.
However one census entry, in particular, was of particular interest:

Samuel Brown, aged 29, pointer and beer seller, Chapel Green.

By nature of their dangerous occupation pointers developed a huge thirst. A comparison
between the names of the pointers and the invaluable index of Redditch Pubs and
Landlords by Alan Foxall (Privately published 1995) produced more examples of the 'Points
to pots' theme, for instance William Cox of Headless Cross pointer, who was landlord of
the White Hart from 1850 to 1864, when he died or retired at the age of 46

It is, however, an the unraveling of the convoluted story of the Evesham Street pubs,
where changes of owner, landlords and even name took place frequently in the mid
nineteenth century, that a look at some pointers, i their families and their involvement
in the licensed trade, helps to solve at least part of the puzzle.

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