John Hindley, 1st Viscount Hyndley

John Scott Hindley, 1st Viscount Hyndley, GBE (24 October 1883 – 5 January 1963) was the first chairman of the National Coal Board at its creation on 1 January 1947.

Hyndley had previously been chairman of a large private company that operated collieries, so despite the Atlee government's pronouncement in 1947 that "Today the mines belong to the people", in reality the same people held influence over the operation of the mines.

Hyndley was chairman at the time of the explosion at Easington Colliery on 29 May 1951. Facing relatives of miners waiting at the colliery gates, he announced:

"Though everything has been done and is still being done, there is now no hope of any of the men being alive. This is the worst pit disaster we have had in the History of the N.C.B."

The "Viscount Hyndley Trophy" was a trophy awarded to the British National Coal Board boxing champion.

Hyndley was also master of the Clothworkers' Company in 1953.

Hindley was created a baronet (of Meads, Sussex) in 1927. He was created Baron Hyndley in 1931 and Viscount Hyndley in 1948. The titles all became extinct on his death.

References

* [http://moving.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/peersh5.htm Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]
* [http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/sr183/morgan.htm Going public – The "Socialist Review"]
* [http://www.eastdurham.co.uk/easington1951/disaster.htm The Story of the Easington Disaster]
* [http://www.clothworkers.co.uk/index.php?page=134 List of Masters of The Clothworkers' Company]
* [http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/item1/13844 Dowlais Amateur Boxing Club, 1960 – "Gathering the Jewels"]