Hi

I have just started researching my great grandfather Moses Smallwood b1861. I came across a record which shows he was a Chargeman at Cadley Hill Colliery where he was killed underground on 11th February 1914. He worked all his life as a miner.

I then came across your site but could not find any reference to him.

Could you help with any other sources of information or records that may be available both on the internet and as paper records as to how he died.

I am very impressed with your site and looking forward to finding out more about mining conditions where my relative worked.

Many thanks

At present I have no knowledge of the accident but now can insert it with your permission. The place to go for research is 'The Magic Attic' at Swadlincote. It is located in one of the old brick making kilns near the town centre. Their records are in depth and no doubt they may be able to point you to the relevant newspaper item recording his death. They are only open certain hours in the week. I suggest you contact them on their site. I have only been once but was very impressed. I really need to go again to find further death notices in the South Derbyshire / Leicestershire area. Should you find more information please forward it to us, thank you.

Regards
Bob Bradley

Hi hope you can help me,

Stumbled across your web site and I have recently being looking for my class I Mechanical Certificate awarded to me from the manager after coming into the industry as Reg 11, can remember what it looks like, didn't know if you have a electronic scanned copy I could look at?

I have enquired with HSE they have been unable to help

Kind Regards

Robert Bradley - Stuart Tomlins

Hi,

I have come across your website while researching a feature that I am working on about
The end of mining in Nottinghamshire following the closure of the Thoresby Colliery next week.

I have seen some work by Robert Bradley on the history of mining in the county and wondered if you would be able to put me in touch with him.

Do you have a phone number for him?

Or are you able to pass on my number below and ask him to call me,

Do you also have a contact for Stuart Tomlins. He has some photos from Thoresby Colliery on your site so it would be good to get hold of some of those too.

Many thanks

Sandish Shoker
Journalist
BBC News Online

Hi I am enquiring where I could find my dads mining number he was a miner all his live but he sadly passed away last September and we would like his miners number to put on his head stone I would be really grateful for your help.

He worked at Griff Clara pit, Newdigate pit and retired at Baddesley pit in the early 1980's and his name was Alfred Desmond Harris and he lived 114 Bermuda Villiage and his nickname was 'Pop', if you need anymore information then please let me know.

Thanks for all your help.
Regards
Rosemary
Sent from my iPad

Many Records got destroyed at the closed collieries.

It is with regret, but unfortunately the only person to have known his number would have been him. Dependent upon the time when he left work there may be a person still about who worked in the time office at that pit and many of them could remember men and their numbers, dealing with them day by day. At our Heritage Society we have one, now into his 80s who can still put names to numbers and vice versa at Bilsthorpe Colliery. A neighbour up our Avenue can do the same for Sutton Colliery and he is about 70. So there is just a chance.........it is a long shot. But you need to ask round so someone can direct you to such a person.

Sorry I can't be of more help.
Bob Bradley

Dear Fionn Taylor
I am researching the geology and hydrogeology for local residents objecting to a possible drilling and fracking site at Misson. Your press release from 2006 says that Rossington Colliery closed due to "major geological problems". Do you have any idea what these were? I can't find any details on the internet. Even putting me in touch with a former miner could help me a lot.

Thank-you in advance.

• Rossington plagued with bad geological conditions
• Rossington Abandoned And Demolished
• Rossington And Harworth Merged Under One Management Team
• Geological Problems

Thanks in advance but do you have any more details of the location of Norman Colliery, Samuel Shaw was my GGGrandfather.

As you rightly say Terry, the colliery was owned (or leased) by Samuel Shaw. It was named after Doctor Norman who held the mineral rights.

There is a Norman Street in the Ilkeston area obviously named after him. The pit was a small drift mine with an air shaft and is among a vast number of other shallow mines as seen on the plan, to the left of the Erewash Canal (blue), name to right coloured over in yellow. (and is located on plan 927), S Shaw written behind it. Only a few men would have worked there. The lease area would have been small and it would have been pick and shovel work in headings and possible pillar and stall and more than likely hand wallowing to get containers of coal to the surface up the adit. Candles for illumination and the ventilation would have been poor, relying on the air shaft to create a flow. However I have found no reports of deaths or major incidents. The streets are coloured brown. It is a location plan on 6" to 1 mile scale referring to most abandonment plans, if deposited, and cluttered with symbols etc but a black filled circle is a shaft and a triangle is a drift or adit down to the seam. Generally In that area the Soft coal (Deep Soft) and the Hard coal (Deep Hard) and Piper seam were worked, all about 1m thick max generally. It would be a wet pit due to being close to the surface.

Note, today a modern coal face using the latest equipment can produce more in one day than any of the small mines in that area did in the several years they were open.

The paragraph below is from the Healey Hero, Bob Bradley site as you have found

(Click Here)

Carr Close, Ilkeston, Deep Soft and Roof coal was abandoned about July 1879. No1 Engine pit 60 yards (54.8m) and No2 Wind shaft and DC 56 yards (51.2m). Mould and Co worked one part to 25th March 1879, one working reaching a fault in 1875 and old shaft in Dr Norman's freehold. Another part was worked by Bostock and a further part by Smith to Lady Day (25th March). To the south were workings from Norman Colliery (Samuel Shaw) an adit and old shaft 26 yards (23.8m). The whole area was leased to Bostock and Watson, Surveyor FC Gillett.

Out of interest see also Norman Street Pit, 1926 Strike.