Empty rectangular wooden box, cream, with 'Time books day shift' painted in green on the front, 'Bickershaw' written on the back. Lid missing as indicated by screw holes on back where hinges were.

This box was kept in the deputies' report room on the surface at Bickershaw Colliery, Leigh. At the end of the shift, the deputies in charge of various districts below ground would put their time books in here. This box contained time books for the day shift which ran from 6am-2pm.

Time books documented what each man had done during the shift. This was normally a standard role but occasionally additional work or overtime was documented, affecting the man's wage.

A colliery deputy documented the work carried out by the men in his district. This was the same on the day (6am-2pm), afternoon (2pm-10pm) and night shifts (10pm-6am).

Mine officials have documented the workforce’s activity for centuries. In the 14th century, they might just record a man's coal production. By the late 19th century, men had to be below ground a set number of hours depending who they worked for, hence recording attendance. Minimum wages came in after 1912, still dependent on attendance and work roles.

This box was still in use when the colliery closed in 1992.