Peter Lee (trade unionist)

Peter Lee (1864–1935) was a miner's leader, county councillor and Methodist local preacher, born in Trimdon Grange, County Durham. He became the chairman of England's first Labour county council at Durham in 1919. He also served as general secretary and then president of the MFGB. The new town of Peterlee was named after him.

Peter Lee was born at Duff Heap Row, Fivehouses, Trimdon Grange, in July 1864, into a poor, but close-knit, family. Just ten years later, he was working ten-hour days at Littletown Colliery, Pittington, for a few pence a week, and by 21 he was a veteran of 15 pits.

His life, however, was not all work. He also had an enquiring mind and a love of books, inspired by his mother’s regular reading sessions to the family. As he could not read himself, he took the brave step at the age of 20 to return to the classroom, to learn the basics from the beginning. He then headed for America in 1886 to improve himself still further, working in the mines of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky for two years.

After returning to England in 1888, Lee began work at Wingate pit, where he was elected as delegate to the Miners Conference. He was then elected as checkweighman at Wingate four years later, but gave up the role to travel to South Africa in 1896. He returned a changed man. Lee became a committed Christian...
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