1881 - Page 2

Silver Hill Furnace

Stoking the furnace at the pit bottom to create an air flow. The later furnaces had a 'Dumb' drift road above them so that air didn't go across the flames risking an explosion.

At Silver Hill (Nottinghamshire) another Stanton Iron Co pit, the underground ventilation furnace with a grate 10ft x 5ft (3.05m x 1.52m) consumed about 30 tons of coal a week and the average quantity of air was 122,000 cu ft (3,455m³) per minute with a water gauge of 1.4 inches (0.035m).

Safety lamps were used in the Silkstone (or Blackshale) seam and all the air passed by the furnace. However it was found that the smoke and heat from the furnace was gradually eating away the shaft tubbing so it was proposed to install a fan. However it was not installed till some 10 years later.

On the surface the 62 beehive ovens 12 ft (3.65m) in dia x 7 ft (2.13m) high to make coke produced from Silkstone and Low Main coal in the ratio of 1:2. The ovens were drawn twice a week and burnt alternately for 3 and 4 days each using loads of 98 cwts and 112 cwts respectively.

Temple Normanton

A new lease was started for Top Hard seam working at Temple Normanton. A gang line led from Lings pit to Holme Road,
JE Archer ME 1881.

Colliery Closures in 1881

• Alderwasley (Ambergate Coal Co), Wirksworth, Mountain
  
• Ambergate (Barton and Shaw), Ambergate, Naughton
  
• Ambergate, Bull Bridge Ganister coal (Belper Lawn), adit near Cromford Canal and 1 vent shaft (date unsure)
  
• Awsworth (Awsworth Iron Co), Nuthall, Silkstone, Furnace, Piper, section -
  kind bind and water, 5½” (0.14m) shale, 2’ 10” (0.86m) coal, 10” (0.25m) hard listy coal, 10” (0.25m) dark kind clunch and water.
  No3 shaft 31 yards (28m) Piper pit, closed Michaelmas 1881 Threequarter and ironstone
  
• Bailey Brook (Butterley Co)
  
• Blackwell Silkstone, 28 Nov 1881
  
• Bole Hill (Marshall and Tingle)
  
• Bugsworth (Thos Bennett)
  
• Butterley New Main, No7 (Butterley Iron and Coal Co), Butterley, Kilburn and Furnace 1 Oct 1881 and Silkstone, 2 Dec 81
  
• Calley (Butterley Iron and Coal Co)
  
• Carnfield (Coke and Co) abandoned, closed 1878, Fatal accidents at Carnfield – Richard Ball (11) 2 Jan 1860, Sam Gaskin (74) 6 May 1862
  
• Clay Cross No1 (Clay Cross Iron and Coal Co), Clay Cross, Cannel
  
• Codnor Park (Butterley Co) Clod coal, section black bind roof 1’ 1” (0.33m), Top coal 1’ 10” (0.56m), batty 2” (0.05m), slatey bind 8” (0.20m), battey coal 8” (0.20m), stoney clunch 4” (0.10m), Bottom coal 10” (0.25m), black clunch floor 6” (0.15m), Manager Richard I Strick 22 Nov 1881
  
• Cordon Meadow (John Beardsley), Aldercar, Top Hard, met old heads, 2 shafts at side of Erewash Valley Branch line of the Midland Railway, original plan made by Surveyor AP Hunter
  
• Cotmanhay (Barber, Walker and Co)
  
• Dale Abbey No1 (Stanton Iron Works Co Ltd), Stanton, Kilburn 5’ 6” (1.67m), 40 yards (36m), deep, finished 1 Mar 1881, Manager and Agent for Co Walter Carrington Fowler (404)
  
• Deep Main (Jas Oakes and Co)
  
• Dolley Tunnel (Thos Bennett)
  
• Dunston (George Orwin), Newbold, Dunston seam
  
• Eastwood (Barber, Walker and Co), (Dr Manson and others 1834 to 1839), Eastwood, Deep Soft 108 yards (99m) and Deep Hard, 1846-1855, abandoned May 1881, after 47 years, Manager J William Weston, High Headstocks, pit adjacent worked by Thos North and Cotmanhay workings to south finished 24 Oct 1866
  
• Exhibition and Main No9 (Butterley Iron and Coal Co), Codnor Park, Kilburne, after 30 years
  
• Gosforth (Dronfield Silkstone Co), Dronfield, Silkstone
  
• Gomersall (John Sheard) Blackshale, met old hollows, Johnson Pearson, Mineral Surveyors, Magnetic Meridian 1881
  
• Grasscroft Wood (Israel Knowles)
  
• Gresley Common (James Woodward)
  
• Heath End (John Lancaster and Co) Staunton Harold, (Leicestershire), shaft 68 yards (62m) Cannel or Kilburn, stoney coal 4’ 0” (1.22m), stoney coal 2’ 0” (0.61m), cannel 1’ 0” (0.30m) 4th July 1881.  Sunk in 1835.
• Highfield (George Senior), Newbold, Potter’s bed (Deep Hard), owners of soil Lucas’s Executors, Proprietor of mine George Senior - depth of shaft 27 yards (24.65m), dip 1in12, point of inclination 2 o’clock sun, met old hollows all round, first in 1867 and several old shafts approx 19 yards (17.4m) deep, pit was off Dark Lane to Newbold off Turnpike road to Chesterfield, 8 Jul 1881, original plan by Richard G Coke Surveyor 29 Aug 1863, the coal being leased by Mrs Maynard Lucas to Messrs Knowles and Lancaster, second plan by JW Fearn Surveyor 1865
  
• Heage and Ripley Road (R Hunt), Heage, Silkstone or Clod coal. A benk face worked to the Basset of Clod coal.
  To the south there was an old gangway from Morley Park
  
• High Lee and Lower House (Thos Bennett), New Mills, Yard seam
  
• Lodge (William Hall) – (Billy Hall’s), Newthorpe, Greasley Parish, Kilburne, section 2’ 4” to 1’ 8” (0.71m to 0.51m), 263 yards 1 ft 6 ins (241m) start 1879 finished in 1880, abandoned 6th Jan 1881
  
• Mill Field (M Hobson), Ilkeston, Dogtooth (Tupton seam?), 2 shafts out of 4 filled up by 1876
  
• Molyneux (leased to Nathan Mellers) Top Hard and Dunsil, 27 Jan 1881, Surveyor John Thomas Boot
  
• Moorhole and High Lane (Trustees of late Joseph and George Wells), Eckington, Silkstone – tops 2’ 10” (0.86m), holing dirt 7” (0.18m), bottoms 2’ 0” (0.61m), coal rises at 9” to 1 yard (0.23m to 1.0m), High Lane pit 126 ft (38.5m),
• Prince Albert pit 474 feet (144.5m) deep, (Richard Barrow) pit 480 feet (146.3m), Victoria pit 480’ 0” (146.3m),
• Water pit 492 feet (150m) deep, heads driven in fault, no coal found, Surveyor WE Wells Aug 1881, note Park Gate pit between Prince Albert and Water pit not connected
  
• New Main (Butterley Co) Codnor Park, Clod seam – section- black bind roof 1’ 1” (0.33m), top coal 1’ 10” (0.56m), batty 2” (0.05m), shaley bind 8” (0.20m), batty coal 8” (0.20m), strong clunch 4” (0.10m), bottom coal 10” (0.25m), black clunch floor 6” (0.15m), shafts 2 yards (1.75m) and 4 yards (3.75m) deep, Manager Richard J Strick, 24th Nov 1881
  
• Ormond (John Beardsley)
  
• Pasture Lane (Edward Chambers) temporary, but worked later
  
• Railway (Butterley Co)
  
• Renishaw (C Black and Co), Eckington
  
• Ripley Road (Robert Hunt) Heage, Blackshale or Clod, benk faces
  
• Rutland No4 (Rutland Coal Co), Ilkeston, Deep Soft and Roof Soft 4’ 6” (1.37m) at 61 yards (55.75m), met ancient workings after only 50 yards (45m) or so, finished Lady Day 1881, Surveyor JW Fearn, 16th Aug 1881, (Deep Soft abandoned previously in 1875 and Deep Hard abandoned in 1846 and 1875)
  
• Silkstone No1 A Winning (Blackwell Colliery Co Ltd), Manager John A Longden (cert No 16), 16th Aug
  
• Snibston No1 (Snibston Colliery Co) Main, 7th May 1881
  
• Stanton Darcy mine (J and N Nadin and Sons), Stapenhill, near Swadlincote, Bretby Kilburn - dark bind with ironstone beds, coal 1’ 3” (0.38m), slume 1’ 6” (0.46m), 1in12 dip, shaft 321 yards 1 ft 6 in deep (294m), small working, finished 17th June 1881, Surveyor George Lewis, Derby, 5th Sep 1881
  
• Stonyford (Jas Oakes and Co)
  
• Unstone Drift (Henry Rangeley and Son), Unstone, Silkstone
  
• Waterloo (Buxton Lime Co)
  
• Western (Butterley Co)
  
• Wigwell (Barton and Shaw), Wirksworth
  
• Woodhouse (William Booker) Dronfield sunk 1856.
  
• Barlow Lees (CH Plevins), colliery was flooded and abandoned
  
• Speedwell (Nottinghamshire) was stood (Digby Colliery Co)
  
• Springwell was stood (Knighton and Smith).
  
• New Main (Butterley Co) Clod coal blue bind roof, top coal 1’ 10”, batty 2”, slatey bind and batty coal 8” (0.20m), strong clunch 4” (0.10m), bottom coal 10” (0.25m), black clunch floor 6” (0.15m), Richard J Strick Manager 22 Nov 1881,
• Exhibition pit 75 yards (68.5m) to Clod, Top Clody 127 yards (116.1m), Bottom Clody 162 yards (148m)

West Hallam

There were 4 separate explosions at West Hallam (West Hallam Coal and Iron Co) in 1881, one was in a heading due to the improper hanging of a brattice cloth. The Mines Inspector summonsed the Owner and the Manager for not providing adequate ventilation and also for not informing him of the incident within 24 hours.

Serious Accidents At Silver Hill

There had been two non-fatal serious accidents at Silver Hill (Nottinghamshire), following three others in 1879. There was an explosion on 15th September 1881 when 2 men were burned, when a candle ignited powder whilst charging a shot hole.

Fatal Accidents in 1881

• Albert, John Holmes (41), fall of coal 16 Aug 1881
  
• Bailey Brook, Henry Groves (42), shotfiring accident, 22 Feb 1881
  
• Boythorpe, Thomas Doughty (26), fall of coal 11 Jan 1881
  
• Boythorpe, John Ward (32), fall of roof 27 Sep 1881
  
• Brockwell, Benjamin Wharton (55), Undermanager, fall in a roadway 9 Jun 1881
  
• Clay Cross No2, John Wood (26), crushed by a wagon on the surface 2 Nov 1881
  
• Clay Cross No3, William Davis (60), fall of roof 3 May 1881
  
• Clay Cross No3, James Searston (66), fall in a roadway 17 Jun 1881
  
• Clay Cross No4, Thomas Adcroft (26), fall of roof whilst holing 27 Jul 1881
  
• Clay Cross No4, Patrick Gannion (44), crushed by wagon on surface 2 Nov 1881
  
• Coleorton, William Horne (20), fall of roof 5 Feb 1881
  
• Fallswood, Charles Unwin (34), fall of coal 2 Nov 1881
  
• Foxley Oaks, William Robinson (33), fall in a roadway 26 Jan 1881
  
• Foxley Oaks, George Mottishaw (50), crushed by cage at the surface 27 Mar 1881
  
• Foxley Oaks, Sam Smith (54), fell down shaft 3 Oct 1881
  
• Hartington, Thomas Townsend (38), explosion of firedamp 2 Sep 1881
  
• Holbeck, George Thomas Orwin (26), fall of roof 27 Oct 1881
• Hollingwood, Thomas Bunney (28), fall of coal 28 Dec 1881
  
• Holmewood, Elijah Rothwell (33), fall of roof 29 Oct 1881
  
• Ireland, Sam Ward (13), crushed by wagon on surface 1 Dec 1881
  
• Lings, Joshua Sheldon (58), crushed by cage 27 Jan 1881
  
• New Main (Butterley No7) Joseph Grainger (50) and Samuel Grainger (41), both were suffocated by blackdamp 30 Jun 1881
  
• Oakwell, Joseph Fletcher (35) 24 Mar 1881
  
• Pilsley No3, Thomas Newey (40), run over by tubs 13 Apr 1881
  
• Pinxton, Robert Grainger (40), fall in a roadway 10 Jan 1881
  
• Pilsley, Alfred Eyre (15), run over by tubs 21 Mar 1881
  
• Pleasley, John Wilson (26), Top Hard stallman killed when a lighted candle caused an explosion of firedamp, 4 others injured, 26 May 1881
  
• Pleasley, William Bull (22), fall of roof 8 Jun 1881
  
• Renishaw Park, George Elliott (18), fall of roof 30 Mar 1881
  
• Seymour, William Mason (66), run over by wagon on surface 14 Dec 1881
  
• Shirland, George Newbett (14), crushed by wagon on the surface 5 Oct 1881
  
• Southgate, John Cook (14), run over by tubs 5 Oct 1881
  
• South Leicestershire, John Alfred Pick (14), trod on by pony 28 Sep 1881
  
• Springwell, William Walters (45), fall of roof 3 Mar 1851
  
• Whitwick, John Sharp (33), explosion of firedamp 27 Sep 1881
  
• Wingerworth No6, William Bunting (36), fall of coal 22 Aug 1881.

Fatal Accidents at Eastwood High Headstocks:

• Joseph Bradley (31) explosion of gunpowder 3 Apr 1850
  
• John Pearce Stapleton (20) fall of roof 5 Apr 1855, died 7 Apr 1855
  
• Zachariah Farnsworth (?) fall of roof 26 Oct 1855, died 1 Nov 1865
  
• Walter Brown (14) fall of coal 7 Oct 1861
  
• John Small (53) run over by tubs 20 Oct 1873
  
• Sam Maun (12) kicked by a pony 28 Dec 1874
  
• Sam Martin (50) fall of coal 7 Jul 1875
  
• Thomas Leverton (48) fall of coal 9 Jan 1878.

Output

The output for 1881 was 8,508,923 tons from 223 Derbyshire pits and 4,758,060 tons from 39 Nottinghamshire pits
and 1,145,265 tons from the 25 pits in the Leicestershire Coalfield.