Thomas Hepburn was born in 1796 at Pelton. Following his father’s death in one of the local pits Thomas began working at Fatfield Colliery when he was only 8. He was a bright child who could read the Bible at an early age and he remained interested in education all his life.
From Fatfield Colliery, Hepburn moved to Jarrow Colliery and then to Hetton Colliery. While there he founded the Northern Union of Pitmen in 1831- ‘the Pitmen’s Union of the Tyne and Wear’. He was always a man of peace and wanted any strike action to be taken legally and peacefully and at first he succeeded.
In March, 1831, 20,000 miners gathered for a strike meeting at Black Fell (between Birtley and Gateshead) and a further large meeting was held on the Town Moor, Newcastle. The following month, many mineworkers refused to sign the annual bond which expired on 5 April. Thomas Hepburn led his members in a strike. He wanted a reduction in boys working hours from 16 hours to 12 hours a day and an abolition of the ‘Tommy shop’ system. The strike lasted until June and resulted in a small victory for the union as some concessions were made. Hepburn won praise from all sides who recognised that his personal influence had prevented rioting and violence. As a result, Hepburn became a full-time official of the Union.. However, success was short lived.
The mine owners now had one aim – to smash unionism in the north east. In 1832, they refused to sign on union members and a new strike began.
Hepburn, always a man of peace, tried hard to maintain law and order in the major meetings at Black Fell and Boldon Colliery which followed. However, he found he was unable to prevent the violence that occurred.
In May 1832 a major disturbance took place at Friar’s Goose. As mine workers refused to work underground, 42 lead miners from Cumberland were brought in. Local miners pelted the incomers with stones and rubbish and two men were seriously injured. The miners refused both to work and to leave their cottages. Special constables were sworn in to deal with the emergency . Several families were evicted from their homes. This enraged the miners and brought in support from pitmen in Heworth and Windy Nook. Eventually the constables fled.
The Rector of Gateshead, John Collinson was unable to deal with the affray and appealed to the Mayor of Newcastle for support. Reinforcements arrived and confronted the striking mineworkers. In the conflict which followed guns were fired and five mineworkers and two policeman were injured. The town marshal from Newcastle sent for more reinforcements and also called out the military.
On 11 June 1832,Nicholas Fairless, a South Shields magistrate, was dragged from his horse and so savagely beaten that he died from his injuries. William Jobling, a pitman, was convicted and hanged and his body hung on the gibbet at Jarrow for several weeks. In July, Cuthbert Skipsey, a miner from North Shields, whilst trying to restore order, was shot by a constable.
Eventually the strike petered out. he attempted to sell tea at the mines to make a living, but in this venture he was largely unsuccessful. Destitute, he was eventually reemployed at a colliery, at Felling, on the grounds that he did not get involved in trade union activity. He did not re-engage in any union activity but remained active in radical political circles. During 1838-39 he worked on behalf of the Chartists. He continued to work at Felling until retiring due to ill health in 1859. Whilst most of the miners eventually regained employment, the leaders of the strike became scapegoats and were outlawed. The Union crumbled and Thomas Hepburn was banned from the coalfield. He continued to live in the area until the last few months of his life, when he moved to live with his son-in-law in Newcastle. He died on December 9, 1864 aged 69.

Buried at Heworth Churchyard, there stands a headstone with a testimony to his trade union activity. Thomas Hepburn Community Comprehensive School in Felling is named in his honour.
Whilst most of the miners eventually regained employment, the leaders of the strike became scapegoats and were outlawed. The Union crumbled and Thomas Hepburn was banned from the coalfield

Every year there is a memorial service held  at the graveside of Thomas Hepburn. Above is a slideshow of  the 2006 service held at St' Mary's Church. Heworth on October 7. The guest speaker was Tony Lloyd MP (Manchester Central) Several other MP's attended. Also present were Sharon Hodgson, Bill Henderson Chris Mullen and former MP Joyce Quinn.
I am grateful to Llyn Green for this information and the photographs.