1925 - Page 2

In 1925 an appeal for old plans of mines resulted in many being deposited. They were probably lying in Solicitors’ safes, offices, lofts etc. Even so, it was then realised that many more were missing or unknown about or destroyed, as many people would probably be unaware of their importance. A portion of an old plan is shown. It would be 1931 before a Catalogue of Plans of Abandoned Mines was published.

A new Welfare Institute was opened at Pleasley (Derbyshire) in 1925. The colliery was the second in the country to have a medical surgery at the pithead (Stanton Ironworks Co). Stanton Ironworks built houses for the workforce and a school. Practically every large village had a miners’ Welfare where the men could relax and enjoy a drink of beer and enter into the various activities. In the pit yard was a weigh and pay office with a miners’ club on the first floor – referred to as the ‘Ark’.

Many Colliery companies encouraged the formation of football teams, cricket teams, tennis and bowls clubs and occasionally tug o’ war teams and boxing clubs etc as well as the usual darts and dominoes, and inter colliery competitions were arranged.

At Forest Town there was a cycle track. Some colliery companies had silver or brass bands (known as early as 1860) and many encouraged involvement in the St John’s Ambulance Brigade.

Other activities included growing and showing vegetables and flowers. Allotment gardens were allocated to the villagers, for example at Forest Town, for the miners at Mansfield colliery (Nottinghamshire) (Bolsover Colliery Co). In effect the colliery company tried to make it a self contained village.

The formation of brass bands was encouraged by the companies and generally members of such an activity more or less guaranteed them work when times were bad during layoffs or short time.

At Bentinck (Nottinghamshire) (New Hucknall Colliery Co) the manpower reached 2,427. At Selston (Nottinghamshire) (Barber Walker and Co) the manpower reached a maximum of 1,077 (Deep Hard, Deep Soft and Low Main) and similarly the maximum manpower at South Normanton (Derbyshire) reached 659 (South Normanton Colliery Co).

At Grassmoor (Derbyshire) (Grassmoor Colliery Co) there were 5 shafts at work:

• No1 at 440 yards (402m) deep, winding Tupton from 382 yards (349m)
• No2 at 267 yards (244m) deep, winding Deep Soft
• No4 at 440 yards (402m) deep, winding Blackshale
• No8 at 320 yards (293m) deep, winding Deep Hard
• No12 shaft at 267 yards (244m) deep, winding Second Waterloo from 126 yards (115m).
  Sullivan Ironclad coal-cutter machines were used.
  Major Lamonby was the Manager.

Collieries Closed in 1925

• Allpits New (SE Redfern Ltd) Chesterfield, Blackshale abandoned
• Ambergate (E Glossop) Belper Lawn 2’ 8” (0.81m) coal 15 yards (13.75m) below Alton seam, worked partly by E Glossop and then Midland Refractories Co Ltd, formally abandoned on expiration of lease 4th June 1925, Surveyor JG Lander (308)
• Arden No2 (Burn’d Edge) (JW Swindells), New Mills, Yard, 29/8, met old works, barren ground and thin coal, worked from Apr 1919 to 10 Jun 1925, Surveyor John Mort (187), Gritstone, clod 1’ 0” (0.35m), coal 5’ 0” (1.52m), fireclay
• (New) Aukland outcrop coal and adit met old waste, Surveyor Walter ET Hartley 1 Aug 1925
• Ballarat (G Dunlop) New Whittington, Tupton Threequarters
• Brimington Silkstone (South Yorkshire Collieries Ltd), New Whittington, Blackshale 16/6, Manager: John W Boddy (1012), 21 Sep 1925, worked under LNER loop line, Surveyor William H Marriott (Nunnery Offices, Corn Exchange Buildings, Sheffield. Position of drift mouth 1º 23’ 48” W Longitude and 53º 16’ 06” Latitude
• Cutthorpe (Joseph Springthorpe)
• Cutthorpe (Messrs Henry Booker and Sons) Ashgate coal 1’ 3” (0.38m), bat 3” (0.08m), coal 10” (0.25m), met old works, Surveyor Hubert Blackshaw (780)
• Frith Wood (Thos A May) Dronfield; Silkstone
• Golden Valley (R Haynes and Sons), Horsley Woodhouse, Kilburn 2/2, old Furnace pit 22 yards (20m) and footrill, Surveyor RB Ireland, completely surrounded by old hollows, Apr, abandoned 7th May
• Grassmoor No11 (Grassmoor Colliery Ltd) 1st Piper abandoned
• Greenville (Leon Short), Newbold, Piper, abandoned Jan
• Highfields (CW Waller), Chesterfield, Dunstone, closed Dec
• Holbrook No4 (J and G Wells Ltd) Eckington, Parkgate standing since May 1925
• Lark Hill (GS Aitken) Mar 1925, adits shown North East and North West
• Littlemoor (H Blair and Sons) Newbold, Deep Soft
• Low Main (Low Main Colliery Co, J King), Smalley, Low Main, 6/2, coal 3’ 3” (0.99m), one adit and 5 shafts, abandoned 3rd June
• Nab Wood (Messrs Gregory Reddish and Co Ltd) (Gannister mine, no work since Feb 1921) previously owned by Mrs Gwyther Jones, Belper Lawn coal 3’ 5” (1.04m), adits, abandoned 14 Jun 1925, John L Rotherham, Surveyor, Duke of Devonshire’s Mineral Office
• Newbold High Main (Henry Blair and Sons), Newbold, High Main or Piper, section coal 6” (0.15m), dirt 2” (0.05m), coal 1” (0.02m), dirt 2½” (0.06m), coal 2” (0.05m), dirt 7” (0.18m), coal 3” (0.08m), dirt 2” (0.05m) – probably First Piper plus coal 1’ 4” (0.40m), dirt ½” (0.01m), coal 6” (0.15m) – probably Second Piper, 9 u/g / 3 s/f, start 1922 ? adit and 2 air shafts, 28 feet (8m) and 17 feet (5m) met old works, Undermanager: H Blair (2nd) 29 May 1925, Surveyor Leonard Kelsall (773)
• Shallcross inc Wheel pits (Buxton Lime Firms Co Ltd) sunk 1907, White Ash coal, benk work, abandoned 28 Feb 1925, started 1907, 2 day eyes near River Goyt, Surveyor EG Attlee (Chartered)
• Shallcross Hall sunk 1909 (Buxton Lime Firms Co Ltd), Whaley Bridge, Yard mine, pillar and stall, robbing pillars, met old level, old shaft and old works, fin 28 Feb 1925 as above
• Sloads Farm (Rhodes Bros), Dronfield Woodhouse, drifts and shaft 6 yards (5.5m) deep, 11/4 Ashgate signed John Rhodes ME 21 Nov 1925, abandoned 23 Dec 1926, and again 17 Jan 1927
• Starveham Valley (E Glossop) Hartshay, Mickley, abandoned
• Stubben Edge Coal (Pickford, Holland and Co) Ashover, not worked since July 1922
• Trowell Moor (Cossall Colliery Co Ltd) Kilburn abandoned
• Unstone (Unstone Colliery Co Ltd), 58/12
• Wallsend (G Orwin) Tupton Threequarter since 1883, 2 shafts 60 yards (54.75m), Surveyor Hubert Blackshaw 20 Oct 1925
• Walton (Walton Colliery Co), Chesterfield, Piper abandoned, Manager: JH Harrison (2353)
• West Hallam No2 (West Hallam Colliery Co Ltd), West Hallam, abandoned, closed since 1921
• Whitecotes (Boythorpe Co Ltd) Chesterfield, Piper
• Whitemoor Belper, (Greenwood and Jackson) Holten seam, 2’ 10”, air shaft 15 feet (4.5m), intake adit, dip 1in3, finished July 1924, abandoned 6 Jan 1925, Surveyor AB Collear (1756).
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Marehay (Derbyshire) (Butterley Co Ltd), Pumping shaft, Manager: George H Riley (4014), Agent: Jack Bircumshaw (2144).

Plymouth No2 (Derbyshire) (Pinxton Collieries Ltd) Yard seam trial head at 684’ 5” (208.5m) deep abandoned 21 Aug 25, coal 1’ 8½” (0.52m), sloom 4” (0.10m), Surveyor Geoffrey Blood (3177 1st Class endorsed)

At Sutton (Nottinghamshire) (Blackwell Colliery Co Ltd) the Top Hard was abandoned at the end of July and at Trowell Moor (Nottinghamshire) (Cossall Colliery Co) the Kilburn seam was abandoned also.

Woodside (Derbyshire) (Shipley Collieries Ltd) Piper seam, 29 Sep 1925, Surveyor E Wheldon (838), Woodside shafts 218 yards (199.3m) to Main Soft at DC shaft and at Kilburn UC shaft 248 yards (226.75m) to Piper and 488 yards (446.25m) to Kilburn.

The Butterley Co had sunk a shaft to the lower measures at Bondland Lane (Derbyshire) in order to work the Alton seam however water became a problem and the scheme was abandoned after a short time.

Sutton-in-Ashfield Public Baths was opened. The money for the building had been given by the Blackwell Colliery Co by paying a levy of 1d (app ½p) a ton from coal raised at Sutton colliery. Sadly the old building was demolished in April 2013 after lying empty for some time. The swimming pool was closed during the winter months and a false floor built over the empty pool area and used for dances etc particularly the Saturday night dance where it seemed that half the workforce from pits in the area used to attend, it was so popular.

A new modern sports complex including swimming bath was built at Sutton Lammas to replace it in the early 2000's.

A meeting was held in Mr Baker’s office on 23rd December 1925 regarding the Bilsthorpe lease of lands in Nottinghamshire. In attendance were Mr C Hewitt (Snr), Mr Hewitt (Jnr), Mr Norman D Todd and Mr George A Longden and Mr John Baker. Business was to enter onto land shown on a plan and to construct surface buildings etc for a colliery. To make railway connections etc with the London and North Western Railway and with the Mid Nottinghamshire Joint line of the London and North Eastern Railway and the London Midland and Scottish Railway on the site over lands of the Landlord. To quarry and get clay for bricks, limestone and sand from some convenient part of the land and bricks to be made for colliery houses, e.g. engine houses etc and to bring any coal won from seams under lands belonging to owners other than the Landlord or adjoining mines. In respect of the Top Hard seam £6,000 per annum minimum rent by equal half yearly payments the first being on 1st August 1925, together with all rents already paid by the tenants under an agreement for lease dated 4th February 1917. During the first 6 years the minimum rents to be £100 per annum. 7th year £500, 8th year £1,000, 9th year £1,500, 10th year £2,000, 11th year £3,000, 12th year £4,000 and 13th year and onwards £5,000 per year. Agreed that the Deep Soft seam over 4 ft thick per foot per acre £22. A wayleave rent or royalty of £10 for every statute acre of each seam irrespective of seam thickness brought to the surface. A wayleave rent or royalty of £15 per statute acre of Top Hard seam and £10 per acre through the mines hereby demised. As previously stated for Top Hard and Deep Soft £20 per foot at £2 per statute acre, Deep Hard £25 and £2 10s and Low Main £20 and £2 per statute acre. Above 4 feet thick to be £22 at £2 4s, £25 and £2 10s and £22 and £2 per acre respectively. The power line poles to be under a separate clause and to protect Lord Savile from the railway company. Within one year from 1st February 1925 to commence to sink on a site approved by the Landlord and to line the shafts with cast iron tubbing or reinforced concrete so as to effectively keep back the water and to equip the said pair of shafts to allow 4,000 tons of Top Hard to be raised and within 20 years of the lease to deepen one of the shafts to the lower seams. To leave any coal ungotten which the Landlord or his Agent may require to be left and to leave a barrier with Ollerton workings and Rufford shall leave half the barrier with Stanton. The amount of coal to be delivered to the Landlord not to exceed 200 tons per annum for estate purposes only. The company should not be bound to prove lower seams if Top Hard is not satisfactory. Redemption of land tax on the land taken from Messrs JB Hutchinson, RB Hutchinson, JJ Fox and Miss Emma Rouse was to be done jointly by the Stanton Ironworks Company Limited and Mr John Baker for the Rufford Estate. The application according to Mr Mountenay the collector of taxes of Southwell was to be made to JK Land Esq, Solicitor who is the Clerk to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue. The amount was £3 11s 5d Land tax charged upon all lands situate in the Parish of Eakring, Nottinghamshire containing 119 acres 3 roods 25 perches or thereabouts.

Fatal Accidents

• Coppice, Fred W Clarence (21) fall of roof 22 Sep 1925
• Hartshay, Ernest Williams (25) fall of roof 6 Feb 1925
• Ireland, John Wallace (44) fall of roof ? Mar 1925
• Langwith, Wilfred Hardwick (17) caught in haulage rope 13 Feb 1925
• Langwith, John James Hardy (34) fall of roof 23 Jul 1925s
• Langwith, Robert Arthur Cutts (42) fall in a roadway 27 Aug 1925
• Langwith, John George Winter (40) fall in a roadway 14 Oct 1925
• Manners, Caleb Henry Wooley (37) fall of roof 26 Jan 1925
• Markham No2, Walter Reddish (31) fall of roof 30 Dec 1924, died 3 Jan 1925
• Shipley, Cyril T Waterhouse (16) crushed by tubs 14 Aug 1925
• West Hallam, John Walter Beardsley (34) fall of roof 30 Apr 1925
• West Hallam, Ben Taylor (54) caught in machinery 9 Oct 1925.