P6 - 1983 - Bob Bradley

1983 - Page 6

Pleasley Closed After 108 Years And Merged With Shirebrook
- Continued -

The North shaft was abandoned and filled in 1985 and many of the defunct surface buildings knocked down. A Grade II Listed Building Order was imposed and further work on demolition ceased. The back to back engine house for steam winding was saved from destruction as was one of the two chimneys necessary to exhaust the smoke from the batches of Lancashire boilers needed to create the necessary power for steam winding at both shafts.

A team of dedicated volunteers decided to restore the winding engines and succeed after some years. The site is visited by hundreds of interested parties mainly on Sundays. Membership of the ‘Friends of Pleasley pit’ is encouraged. In fact I was a member for some time. An open weekend for the public is held yearly in September.

There were 3 battery locos and 1 diesel loco in the pit bottom.

Water from the closed Teversal colliery (1980) appeared in the Waterloo pit bottom in 1985 whilst preparation for filling No1 shaft and reached the Deep Hard pit bottom in 1986/87 at about 35 gallons per minute max.

Water from Silverhill estimated at about 10 gallons per minute passes into Pleasley through the connection made in Deep Hard in 1960 and drains into the dip workings. Approximately 5 gallons per minute rained down No2 shaft into the sump and was pumped to Shirebrook through the connection road when the pits merged. The Shirebrook Surveyor Mick Barber (5407) North Derbyshire Area and self, Bob Bradley (4381) Senior Surveyor Nottinghamshire Area kept in touch frequently, to monitor and record the situation. Direct connections and goaf connections exist between Pleasley Top Hard and workings from Shirebrook, Sherwood and Teversal and a connection to Silverhill at Deep Hard.

In the 1980s a Piper seam panel from Sutton worked under Pleasley old Deep Hard workings at an interval of 11m app and it is more than likely there could be goaf connections due to breaks in the strata caused by undermining. A large fissure in the Magnesian limestone appeared near New Terrace Upper Pleasley in 1980.

The pit as it was in 2007.

Managing Directors:

George Crompton 1873-1889
John Alfred Longden (16 service cert) 1889-1892
James Piggford (1084) 1892-1917
EJ Fox 1917-1942
Norman D Todd (3058) 1942-1946, when he was appointed General Manager No2 Area of the East Midlands Division NCB at Mansfield Woodhouse HQ from 1st January 1947- June 1949.

Output and Manpower Stanton Co:

1894: 774 men in Top Hard, 134 s/f
1895: 783 Top Hard, 138 s/f
1896: 805 Top Hard, 136 s/f
1897: 790 Top Hard, 142 s/f
1898: 810 Top Hard, 139 s/f
1899: 860 Top Hard, 160 s/f
1900: 940 Top Hard, 172 s/f
1901: 1,010 Top Hard, 152 s/f
1902: 1,035 Top Hard, 151s/f
1903: 1,090 Top Hard, 189 s/f
1904: 1,105 Top Hard, 189 s/f
1905: 1,125 Top Hard, 191 s/f
1906: 1,115 Top Hard, 195 s/f
1907: 1,236 Top Hard, 215 s/f
1908: 1,268 Top Hard, 221 s/f
1909: 1,340 Top Hard, 230 s/f
1910: 1390 Top Hard, 235 s/f
1911: 1,445 Top Hard, 240 s/f
1912: 1,445 Top Hard, 235 s/f
1913: 1,550 Top Hard, 243 s/f
1914: 1,578 Top Hard, 247 s/f 731,062 tons 5’6” (1.68m)
1915: 1,537 Top Hard, 252 s/f
1916: 1,500 Top Hard, 252 s/f
1917: 1,506 Top Hard, 242 s/f
1918: 1,399 Top Hard, 242 s/f
1919: 1,622 Top Hard, 291 s/f
1920: 1,651 Top Hard, 337 s/f
1921: 1,640 Top Hard, 290 s/f
1922: 1,700 Top Hard, 267 s/f
1923: 1,896 Top Hard and Deep Hard, 281s/f
1924: 2,009 Top Hard and Deep Hard, 306 s/f
1925: 2,048 max Top Hard and Deep Hard, 323 s/f
1926: 1,907 Top Hard and Deep Hard, 378 s/f
1927: 1,749 Top Hard and Deep Hard, 320 s/f
1928: 1,674 Top Hard only, 920 men at coal face, Deep Hard stopped 1927, 303 s/f
1929: 1,689 Top Hard, 385 s/f
1930: 1,675 Top Hard, 285 s/f
1931: 1,692 Top Hard, and Deep Soft, 290 s/f
1932: 1,121 Top Hard, and Dunsil, 224 s/f
1933:1,252 Top Hard, and Dunsil, 228 s/f
1934: 1,439 Top Hard, and Dunsil, 238 s/f
1935: 1,571 Top Hard, and Dunsil 1,571, 253 s/f
1936: 1,343 Top Hard, and Dunsil, 274 s/f
1937: 1,306 Top Hard, and Dunsil, 284 s/f
1938: 1,261 Top Hard, and Dunsil, 283 s/f
1940: 1,167 Top Hard, Dunsil and Waterloo, 291 s/f
1941: 1,036 Top Hard, Dunsil and Waterloo, 292 s/f
1942: 451,761 tons, 958 Top Hard, Dunsil and Waterloo, 289 s/f
1943: 422,294 tons, 916 Top Hard, Dunsil and Waterloo, 292 s/f
1944: 939 Top Hard, Dunsil and Waterloo, 293 s/f
1945: 895 Top Hard, Dunsil and Waterloo, 291 s/f

Output and Manpower NCB:

1947: No2 Area EM Div: 439,713 tons, Top Hard, Dunsil, Waterloo and Deep Hard 1,184 men
1948: 510,054 tons, 944 TH, D, W and DH, 266 s/f, 1,210 men, (April Record 10,902 tons for 6 days and on 9th April 2,136 tons in 7½ hours – best for 20 years and May Record 10,779 tons for a 5 day week)
1949: No4 Area (from July): 545,826 tons, 1,039 u/g, 283 s/f, 1,322 men
1950: 514,702 tons, 1,064 Top Hard, D, W and DH, 286 s/f, 1,350 men
1951: 511,425 tons, 1,027 Top Hard, D, W and DH, 289 s/f, 1,316 men
1952: 561,988 tons, 1,071 Top Hard,D,W and DH, 294 s/f, 1,365 men
1953: 542,750 tons, 1,131 Top Hard,D,W and DH, 301 s/f, 1,432 men
1954: 542,046 tons, 1,123 Top Hard finished, Dunsil, Waterloo and Deep Hard, 304 s/f, 1,427 men
1955: 509,890 tons, 1,038 D, W and DH, 322 s/f, 1,360 men
1956: 549,894 tons, 1,016 D,W and DH, 289 s/f, 1,305 men (Record output for 5 and 6 days in Dec)
1957: 612,397 tons highest (Feb Record output 14,520 tons for 5 days and 15,600 tons for 6 days), 1,060 D, W and DH, 271 s/f, 1,331 men
1958: 528,843 tons, 1,043 D and DH, Waterloo fin, 278 s/f, 1,321 men
1959: 527,856 tons, 1,061 D and DH, 262 s/f, 1,323 men
1960: 581,486 tons, 1,023 D and DH, 263 s/f, 1,286 men
1961: 574,380 tons, 1,023 D and DH, 263 s/f, 1,286 men
1962: 574,043 tons, 994 Dunsil, Waterloo and Deep Hard, 252 s/f, 1,246 men
1963: 1963/64: 569,359 tons, 994 D,W and DH, 252 s/f, 1,246 men
1964/65: 592,414 tons, 1,318 men
1965/66: 581,065 tons, 1,297 men
1966/67: 524,288 tons, 984 Waterloo and Piper, 226 s/f, 1,210 men
Apr 1967/68: North Derbyshire Area: 562,920 tons, 1,157 men
1968/69: 586,351 tons, 1,108 men
1969/70: 472,988 tons, 851 W and P, 251 s/f, 1,102 men
1970/71: 394,741 tons (Record 10,923m cut in April)
1971/72: 253,076 tons, 556 W and P, 211 s/f, 767 men
1972/73: 330,876 tons, 811 W and P, 246 s/f, 799 men
1973/74: 295,122 tons, 722 men
1974/75: 384,407 tons, 740 men
1975/76: 363,834 tons, 731 men
1976/77: 384,224 tons, 741 men
1977/78: 399,445 tonnes (393,135 tons), 734 men
1978/79: 371,057 tonnes, 738 men
1979/80: 416,443 tonnes, 726 men
1980/81: 482,434 tonnes, 733 men
1981/82: 462,335 tonnes, 625 men
1982/83: 445,861 tonnes, 607 men (15/5/82 record 5.96 tonnes OMS, and coalface record 18.04 tonnes /manshift) w.e. 25th May 1982
1983/84: 203,662 tonnes, 514 men. Ceased production as a unit December 1983, merged with Shirebrook 1/1/1984.

Agents:

William Clark (585s) 1883-1887
John A Longden (16 service) 1887-1899
James Piggford (1084) 1899-1917.

Sub-Area Managers / Group Managers / Production Managers:

John Brass
Alf Maddox (2385)
Jack Frith (3831)
Ray Gregory (4354) -1967, No4 Area transferred to North Nottinghamshire Area from 1st April 1967 - 1985.

Managers for Pleasley:

William Clark (585 service cert) 1873-1887, (appointed General Manager of Stanton Ironworks, said to have ‘died suddenly’ ! Dec 1888, he committed suicide by jumping down Teversal shaft)
William Hey, Manager (also for Silverhill and Teversal 1878-1886, died suddenly)
James Morton, Manager (also for Silver Hill and Teversal 1886-1889)
John A Longden (service cert 16) Manager 1873-1888
JCB Hendy (1123c) Manager (also for Silver Hill and Teversal 1888-1894)
James Piggford (1084) Manager from Glapwell, Sheepbridge Co (also for Silver Hill and Teversal 1893-1899, promoted to Agent)
the pit now had its own separate Manager, the first being George A Longden (1603) 1899-1911
PJ Fenwick (304) 1911-1918
Leonard T Lindley (2227) 1918-1925, (transferred to Bilsthorpe new sinking)
A Mein (3730) 1925-1939
A Scott (2630) 1939-1942, (transferred from Manager Teversal)
Joe J Brealey (1097) 1945-1950 (promoted from Undermanager)
Freddie DA Boam (4101) 1950-1957 (transferred from Manager Shirland, joined HMI)
Edward (Teddy) R Maiden (5341) 1957-1967 (transferred from Manager Sutton, transferred to Holmewood)
A (Tony) F Deakin (7903) 1967-1968, (transferred from Manager Ireland, transferred to Manager Glapwell and promoted to General Manager Markham, later Production Manager, Senior Mining Engineer North Derbyshire, NCB Director of Production and Productivity July 1979, then Director South Midlands)
John T Nicholson (8665) 1968-1971 (promoted from Williamthorpe, transferred to Deputy Manager Shirebrook, later Manager)
Ronnie CH Hamilton (4441) 1971-1972 (ex Manager Ormonde)
C Arnold Heeley (7692) 1973-1979 (transferred from Westthorpe, transferred to Arkwright)
Terry McAllister (9142) 1979-1981 (transferred from Langwith)
David C Gardner (9093) 1981-Mar 1982 (promoted from Deputy Manager, transferred to Whitwell)
Brian Bell (9848) 1982 (transferred from High Moor) and Fred Tildesley (6778) 1983-1984.

Deputy Managers:

Sid Vardy (4647) 1955-1956 (promoted to Manager Alfreton)
Bernard Gascoyne (6286) 1956-1957
Ray Scothern (5252) 1963-1965, (promoted from Kirkby, transferred to Bentinck)
John MR Wann (4708) 1965-1966, (transferred from Bentinck, transferred to Safety Engineer No4 Area Huthwaite HQ, later Area Tunnelling Engineer Doncaster Area)
Ben H Beevers (5551) 1966-1968 (promoted from Calverton, bad accident, demoted to Assistant Manager)
E Cliff Glover (9094) 1968-1973 (a second Deputy Manager, promoted from Blackwell A Winning)
H Brian Bennett (8306) 1973 (promoted from Assistant Manager, transferred to Assistant Manager Planning Westthorpe)
John C Kirkwood (9216) 1973-1975
John T Nicholson (8665) 1975-1977 (transferred from Deputy Manager Williamthorpe/Grassmoor, transferred to Deputy Manager Shirebrook)
Alan Vincent (9400) 1977-1978, (promoted from Assistant Manager Clipstone, transferred to Bolsover, promoted to Manager Ireland, then joined Mines Inspectorate)
Brian Bell (9848) 1978-1980 (promoted from Assistant Manager Whitwell 1973, previously Undermanager Wath-upon-Dearne 1970, transferred to Deputy Manager Markham)
David C Gardner (9093) 1978-1979 (transferred from Deputy Manager Arkwright) and Lenny HT Hallam (9909) 1982-1984 (transferred from Westthorpe, transferred to Bolsover, transferred to Area Salvage Manager).

Assistant Managers:

Ben H Beevers (5551) 1969-1971, (following a serious accident)
H Brian Bennett (8306) 1971-1973 (promoted from Undermanager Warsop, following a year at Sheffield University, promoted to Deputy Manager) and Jim Dawson (9779) 1975-1977.

Undermanagers for Pleasley:

? Tucker 1873-1874 sinking
Thomas Brindley 1873-1906
Edward Holmes (606s) 1874-1906
William Richardson (1114s 2nd) 1893-1915
John Parker (7945 / 2) 1915-1936
TWS Beckett (2659) 1935-1936
George Baxter (2834) 1936-1937
George H Harrison (2044) 1937-1942: Joe J Brealey (1097) 1942-1945 (promoted to Manager)
Fred Towndrow (3329 / 2) 1945-1956 (transferred to Shirland)
Les R Watkin (4376) 1950-1952 (promoted to Manager Cotes Park, later

Production Manager (South Nottinghamshire)

G Hugh Thomas 1952-1954, (later Senior District Inspector of Mines)
Richard S Webb (5449) 1954-1956 (promoted to Assistant Manager Astley Green, later Manager Markham No1, then North Derbyshire Area Safety Engineer)
Fred B Turton (5713) 1955-1957 (promoted to Manager Shirland and then Silverhill, later Senior District Inspector of Mines)
Colin Wells (6005) 1956-1960, (promoted to Deputy Manager Silverhill, later Manager Shirland then Manager Silverhill)
Charlie Hall (4055 / 2) 1957-1972, (transferred to Special duties 1972-74)
Ron N Leverett (6738) 1957-1964
Don K Eaton (6197) 1963-1968 (transferred to Markham as Safety Engineer)
Roy Sims (6002) 1969-1973 (promoted from Teversal, later Dust Suppression Engineer North Derbyshire Area HQ and then North Nottinghamshire Area HQ)
Jim B Wallace (8061) 1972-1975 (transferred from High Moor)
Peter J Beavan (10189) 1976-1978 (transferred to Arkwright)
Peter Slater (9185) 1978-1984, (transferred from Arkwright, transferred to Shirebrook on closure).

Surveyors included: …

Richard G Coke 1870s
Richard Wardle (917 service cert) (Chief Surveyor) – 1920
James (Jimmy) Alexander Burlinson (300 service cert) (Chief Surveyor Stanton Ironworks Co, transferred from Blackwell Colliery Co 1920, previously Chief Surveyor Cramlington, North East) transferred to No2 Area HQ 1947, then No3 Area in 1949 …
Norman Smedley (2...) promoted to Group Surveyor Feb 1954, and Area Surveyor South Wales, later Area Chief Surveyor, North Derbyshire from 1967)
Denis Hill (2186) (transferred from Teversal Mar 1954-Nov 1956, promoted to Group Surveyor No3 North Staffordshire, West Midlands, transferred to Subsidence Surveyor)
Jack Brown (2414) (transferred from Sutton, promoted to No1 Group Surveyor No4 Area, Dec 1956-May 1962, promoted later to Senior Surveyor for North East Leicestershire prospect) d 2013
J Stan Hays (2988) 1957 (transferred from Sutton Mar 1962, transferred to Shirebrook Nov 1971) d 2009
Tony Pascoe (4...) Dec 1971-June 1979 promoted to HQ, later Area Chief Surveyor)
Mick K Barber (5407) appt’d 11th July 1979, (transferred to Shirebrook on merger 31st Dec 1983).

Assistants:

A Jim Hanson (2365) (ex Linesman Mansfield and Royal Engineers in the War) promoted to Surveyor New Hucknall
Gordon Ison (2633) promoted to Surveyor Shirland)
Ted Bucklow (Surveyors cert) and (8...) from Blackwell) (transferred to Mining dept, coal face, Deputy, Ventilation dept, later Deputy Ventilation Engineer South Nottinghamshire and Nottinghamshire).

Linesmen: included

R A (Tony) Caunt (Surveyors cert) and (8028) (transferred to Mining dept, coal face, Deputy, Assistant Undermanager Silverhill, Undermanager Newstead, Deputy Manager and Manager Bentinck, Production Manager, Chief Mining Engineer South Nottinghamshire and Nottinghamshire)
Denis Roebuck (8935) changed to Mining dept, coalface, Shirebrook Deputy, Safety Engineer Welbeck, Area Dust Suppression Engineer, Deputy Area Safety Engineer, Area Chief Safety Engineer Nottinghamshire).