I was delighted to be invited to attend the unveiling of a Blue Plaque placed at Mowbray Street in Durham.
This is an important nod to the cultural history of Durham. My Grandfather, Tom Ellis, was a miner in Dean & Chapter and like me, so many of my Sedgefield constituents are from mining stock. The impact that people like John Forman made in improving the lot of miners can not be overstated. The communities of the time are something to be missed but the working terms and conditions were atrocious and people like John started the road to improvement and thoroughly deserve this recognition.
The plaque was placed by Durham County Council, to commemorate John Forman, one of the first agents and president of the Durham Miners' Association.
John Forman and three colleagues formed the Durham Miners Mutual Association in 1869 against a great deal of hostility from mine owners. John is amongst the key founders who statues have been erected to at the Durham Miners Hall in Redhills.
The DMA played a key role in the community though out the whole of County Durham and the positive effect it made can be seen in the history where we had pits in the Sedgefield constituency, in the welfare halls, retired miners cottages.
Also present were the great, great granddaughter of John Forman, Lorraine Baggs, along with DCCs’ Cllr Elizabeth Scott, current DMA President/Secretary Alan Mardghum.