Somerset Miners' Association

The union was founded in 1872 as a section of the Amalgamated Association of Miners.

However, the AAM collapsed in 1875, and the union survived only on a much reduced basis, led by B.

[1] In 1888, Samuel Henry Whitehouse, secretary of the Midland Miners' Federation, accepted an invitation to become the full-time secretary and agent for the union.

A local coal mine owner almost immediately took Whitehouse to court for supporting a strike, nearly bankrupting him personally, but he remained in post until 1917, greatly expanding the reach and membership of the association.

[5] In 1945, the MFGB became the National Union of Mineworkers, and the Somerset Miners' Association became its West Country Area, with less autonomy than before.