1856 - Page 1

Illiterate Workers At Butterley

In 1856 the Butterley Co made a survey of their employees and found that out of 1,600 employees of the 676 adults, 216 were illiterate. Butterley Co sank Mexboro’ (Bog and Wink) at Selston.  The hewers at Butterley pits were earning 15s (75p) to £1 a week and Enginemen received between 15s (75p) and 18s (90p). 

At Butterley Co’s New Main pit, John Moore who had a wife and 5 young children earned 2s (10p) a day.  At the Forty Horse pit nearby, Sam Grainger earned 1s (5p) a day, and he was thought to be an aged person doing odd jobs, remembering of course that there was no retirement pension before 1909, so one worked until one dropped, unless supported in old age by one’s family.

High Park Sinking Suspended Again

At High Park sinking was suspended once more during September 1856.  No1 shaft had 3 sets of pumps in use, but at 61 yards (55m) deep, water burst up from the bottom and both shafts were drowned out.  The nearby reservoir was emptied on the advice of John Thomas Woodhouse, a consultant brought in by Mr Phipson, General Manager of the Barber Walker and Co for 25 years. A line of boreholes between the shafts and the reservoir had confirmed that fissures had allowed water to drain into the sinkings. Phipson also sought advice and a further opinion from Messrs Geo H Bond and Richard G Coke local Mining Engineers and Surveyors. The sinking would be stood until 1858.

The company had a private railway under construction from the collieries to Langley Mill and the first loco was at work.

Water Broke In

At Oakthorpe (F Gibbons) (sunk 1853) (Leicestershire) water broke in from old works.  Following dewatering, the seam (Main seam?) would be worked successfully to exhaustion by 1886.

Pinxton

At Pinxton pit there was an underground steam engine.  The smoke from the boilers came up No10 shaft and then up the cupola behind No1 winding engine house.  John Coke owner of the Pinxton pits died in March 1856.

Sinkings 1856

• Hucknall New. J Clegg opened a small pit at Hucknall under Huthwaite (Nottinghamshire) during the year
• Woodhouse (Booker), Dronfield, (North Derbyshire). 

Changed Hands

Lings colliery was not shown as working in the 1856 list.  Possibly the colliery was stood awaiting a ventilation pit sinking (Lings No4)?
(J Butler) and the company had changed hands.
Duckmanton changed hands from M Arkwright to Richard Arkwright.
Hill Top (Fulwood and Richardson) survived only a short time and was bought out by Barber, Walker and Co. at auction in 1857 and closed down to protect their interests, and would be re-opened in 1866 but closed in 1872.
Thornsett Brow colliery name changed to Thornsett Bridge (J Bradbury).
Whaley changed to Whaley Bridge (Exors of Thos Gilbourne).

Previously Closed Pits

Previously closed Hard coal pits in the Blackwell area between Newton and Huthwaite included: On a plan of 1856, the following pits were shown:-

• Greengate pit, Gothard’s to the south side of Boultsby Lane from Newton.
• three shafts a Eight Acres and Cupola (or Capela) off Boultsby Lane (….?). 
• To the south lay 3 shafts at Saxton’s pits or Pitfield Lane, and Adit level.
• New Lane pit on junction of New Lane and Wragg Lane between Huthwaite and Blackwell.
• To the north lay Dosay Lane pit (or Dosaylaneld or Dosaylands).
• Five Acre pits (William Downing).
• Ransom (Ramson?) Barn pit near Red Barn, Dunsil coal (John Chambers) 1852?
• Red Barn, Pingle pit (Hannah Sampson).
• Stone pit, Diminsdale pit (worked by Bodon and Mellers), 62 yards (57m) deep to Dunsil.
• To the east lay Sharp’s Shop pit 30 yards (27.5m) to Top Hard.
• Diminsdale (Chambers).
• Woodwell (or Woodrull pits) purchased by E Barrett in 1854. At Scoftyard Lane leading from Newton Green to Tibshelf the seam lay at 20 yards (18m) deep.
  It is assumed as previously stated that all were closed at this date, as they are not mentioned in either of the following lists.

Derbyshire Pits Working in 1856

• Apperknowle (G Wright)
• Ashgate (Jon Bennett)
• Barlborough (M Barber)
• Barlborough Lane (JH Gosling)
• Barlborough Park (Wells Bros)
• Barns (Spurr and Co)
• Beauchieffe (Henry Hunt)
• Benerley (J Brooke and Co)
• Berrister Lane (Chas Seely)
• Birch Hill (O Pierce
• Bird Holme (Wingerworth Iron Co)
• Birley Vale (Sheffield Coal Co)
• Bonsall (J Srigley)
• Boythorpe (Wright and Oldfield)
• Boythorpe Lane (Hoskin and Co)
• Bramley Moor (Wells and Co)
• Bretby (Lord Chesterfield) sinking
• Brimington (J Knowles)
• Britannia (Johnson and Lucas)
• Brickwell Lane (C Mitchell)
• Brundidge (Brundedge) (Levi and Elijah Hall)
• Brands Hard, Brands Soft, Butterley Park, (Butterley Co)
• Buckland Hollow (Wheatcroft)
• Bull Close (Ann Wright)
• Carnfield Hard, Carnfield Soft, (Coke and Co)
• Church Gresley (Marquis of Hastings)
• Clay Cross (Clay Cross Co)
• Clay Cross (G Elliott)
• Clay Cross (Holdsworth)
• Clay Cross (Hawley)
• Clay Cross (George Parker)
• Coal Aston (James Rhodes)
• Coates Park (Chas Seely)
• Coates Park (Jas Oakes)
• Codnor Park (Butterley Co)
• Colliery (J Oliver)
• Colliery (C Rotheram)
• Combermere (Jonathan Batty)
• Corbriggs (Barnes and Co)
• Cottam Old (Appleby and Co)
• Cottam New (Appleby and Co)
• Cotmanhay (Barber, Walker and Co)
• Denby Old (William Drury Lowe)
• Denby New (William Drury Lowe)
• Dore (J Smith)
• Dronfield (Messrs Lucas and Sons)
• Dronfield Woodhouse (Cartledge and Brayshaw)
• Dunstone (W Orwin)
• Dunstone (S Lankester)
• Duckmanton (Richard Arkwright)
• Eckington (Wells and Co)
• Falls Wood (Messrs Badger)
• Frith Wood (W Booker and Co)
• Forty Horse (Butterley Co)
• Furness and Bagsworth (J Stott and Co)
• Gas House (Goodwin and Barker)
• Granville (Trustees of Court Grenville)
• Grassmoor (Barnes and Co)
• Grassmoor (Robert Knowles)
• Greenhill Lane (Jas Oakes)
• Gresley Wood (Robinson and Forman)
• Hady Hill (Henson and Co)
• Hallam (Francis Newdegate)
• Hasland (Knowles &Co)
• Hallows (M Badger)
• Heanor (J Argill)
• Heanor (C Creswell)
• Heanor (J Eley)
• Heanor (Toplis and Co)
• Highfield (William Worswick)
• Highfield (R Wright)
• Hollingwood (Richard Barrow)
• Holmwoode Heath (Joshua Townley)
• Hopewell (Richard Barrow)
• Hartshay, Ilkeston, Langley (Butterley Co)
• Ilkeston (Butterley Co)
• Inkerman (Goodwin and Swallow)
• Killamarsh (Thos Ward)
• Killamarsh (Webster and Battey)
• Kilburn (John Ray)
• Laneside (Messrs Halfield)
• Lockerford (Robert Stephenson)
• Loscoe (Butterley Co)
• Lower Birchwood (Milnes and Eggleshaw)
• Ludworth (J Jowitt)
• Marehay (Messrs Coursham and Co)
• Marquis of Anglesey (Bond and Co)
• Masbro’ Moor (R and J Swallow)
• Masbro’ Moor (Wells and Co)
• Masbro’ Moor (Lunk   Worrall)
• Mickley (Messrs Pearson)
• Moore Hole (Wells and Co)
• Miln Hay (McAlun and Allen)
• Morley Park Kilburn and Morley Park Hard and Soft (Messrs Mold)
• Newbold (Clayton and Knowles)
• Newbold (Messrs Nadin and Pearson)
• New Hall Field (Robinson and Forman)
• Newbold (Messrs Beal and Co)
• Newbold (M Knowles)
• Newbold (W Orwin)
• Newbold (E Taylor)
• Newlands,  New Main (Butterley Co)
• North Wingfield (Clay Cross Co)
• Oakerthorpe (William Worswick)
• Old Cotes (G and C Goodwin)
• Ollersett (Messrs Brocklehurst)
• Ormonde (Butterley  Co)
• Oxclose (Knight and Co)
• Oxcroft (Leadbetter and Co)
• Pentrich (Messrs Haslam)
• Pinxton or Palmerston (Coke and Co)
• Plumley Lane (Joseph Bishop)
• Pyebridge, Riddings (Jas Oakes) (Derbyshire)
• Renishaw (Appleby and Co)
• Ripley (Butterley Co)
• Rutland (I and R Potter)
• Shipley Soft and Shipley Hard  (EM Mundy)
• Silkstone Main (R and J Swallow)
• Sleights (Coke and Co)
• Snape Hill (Messrs S Lucas and Sons)
• Speedwell (Richard Barrow)
• Spike Hill (Yates and Co)
• Springfield (Richard Barrow)
• Springwell (Richard Barrow)
• Stanfree (R Wright)
• Staveley (J Marples)
• Stanton (Messrs Nadin)
• Staveley (J Steele)
• Stoneyford Old (M Royston)
• Stoneyford New (Swan and Wharton)
• Stratfield (Lunk Worrall)
• Sutton Scarsdale, (Robert Arkwright)
• Stubley (Johnson and Lucas)
• Stubley (Messrs S Lucas and Sons)
• Stubley (W Booker and Co)
• Swadlincote (Hall and Boardman)
• Swanwick (WP Morewood)
• Tapton (John Clayton)
• Thornsett (J Jowitt)
• Thornsett Brow (J Bradbury)
• Tibshelf Old, Tibshelf New (John Chambers)
• Tibshelf (R Millward) 20 to 30 yards (18 to 27m) deep
• Troway (John Clayton)
• Tupton (Wingerworth Iron Co)
• Unstone (Henry Rangeley)
• Upper Birchwood (Butterley Co)
• Victoria (Richard Barrow)
• Wallsend (Abbot and Baker)
• Walton (George Hoskins)
• Walton (Dawson and Co)
• Walton (Oldfield and Co)
• Walton (Appleby and Co)
• West Hallam (HB Whitehouse and Son)
• West Staveley (Harrison and Co)
• Whaley Bridge (Exors of Thos Gisbourne)
• White Bank (Wingerworth Iron Co)
• Whittington (Wilkinson)
• Whittington (Syddal and Cartledge)
• Whittington (C Wharton)
• Whittington (F Pierce)
• Whiteley (Messrs Coursham and Co)
• William Thorpe (Wingerworth Coal Co)
• Wingfield (Hopkinson and Co)
• Woodfield (Messrs Nadin)
• Woodhouse Lane (JH Gosling).  
  (176 mines)
  

Nottinghamshire Pits Working in 1856

• Babbington Hard, Babbington Soft (New) (Thomas North)
• Beau Vale (Barber, Walker and Co)
• Beggar Lee (Barber, Walker and Co)
• Bobber’s Mill (Thomas North)
• Brinsley (Barber, Walker and Co)
• Cinder Hill (Thomas North)
• East Wood (Barber, Walker and Co)
• Gilt Brook (F Shipley Jnr)
• Hill Top (Barber, Walker and Co), Eastwood, closed down until 1866 when trade improved
• Hucknall, Huthwaite (Messrs Mellers)
• Hucknall (New) Huthwaite (J Clegg)
• Kimberley (New) (Thomas North)
• Langton (Coke and Co)
• Mexbro’ (Butterley Co)
• Molyneux (T Buxton and Co)
• Newcastle (Thomas North)
• Plumtree (Plumptre) (Butterley Co)
• Portland (Butterley Co)
• Radford (Lord Middleton)
• Skegby (John Dodsley)
• Trowell (Lord Middleton)
• Underwood (New) (Barber, Walker and Co)
• Watnall (Barber, Walker and Co)
• Watnall and Greasley (Jas Morley).
  (25 mines)