Wakefield Museums and Castles

Pit check, South Kirkby colliery, 1930s to 1960s

Collected in the 1980s

This small brass disc is a pit check. They were known locally as 'motties'.

Pit checks were an essential safety check used in coal mines to keep track of who was underground. They were also useful for recording working hours and paying wages. 

Checks were probably first used in the 1860s or 1870s. As a miner came in to work, they would hand in their individually-numbered check. They received a numbered lamp in return. When they finished their shift, they would return their lamp and collect their check.

The checks were hung on tally boards in the checkroom. This meant it was easy to tell how many miners were underground if there was an accident or emergency.

Because each check had a unique number, you could also see exactly who was underground. This check is number 1799. 

The system was effective. It became compulsory in 1913. It was also expanded in a lot of mines to record hours worked.

Each miner had two checks, usually a circular one and one square or rectangular. He would hand in the circular one at the start of the shift and his start time would be recorded. At the end of the shift the miner would hand in the square one with his finish time. When both checks were on the board, it showed he was safely back on the surface. The start and finish times were sent to the payroll department. 

This check is from South Kirkby Colliery, which opened in 1881. It dates from before 1947 when coal mines were nationalised. After 1947 checks were marked with NCB for the National Coal Board.

By the 1980s electronic swipe cards replaced checks, but mines were starting to close. South Kirkby closed in 1988. 

More pit checks in our collection, featuring a range of colliery names and miner numbers