I've just come from your Mine Terminology Index - without success. I'm just writing to see if you can help.

I'm tracing my family tree. My great-grandfathers occupation (c.1900) is listed on two separate documents as a 'Pitter'. It definitely does not say - Putter. He was from Birmingham. Yet: I can find no such occupation online...

Is this a term colloquial term used in mining at the time?

Many thanks in advanced for any help offered, Jonathan Taylor

I wonder if you have any information on Whiteley Pit at Ripley, Derbys?  I now live in a property that, I believe, was the Coal Board Offices and next to the weighbridge for the pit.  I have been trying to find photos for the site but have not found any.

I think, looking at the photo, my property, called Whiteley Lodge on Derby Rd, is situated on the left. It shows only half of the building, to which the horse is facing. I have learnt that it has previously been used as the HQ for the ARP and was consequently sandbagged up in the war. Another use was as Coalboard Offices.

I would be very interested in any info you could tell me please.

Thank you

Maeve Jepson

Thank you very much for your email and to Peter Smith for responding to my request for information.

Further to Meave Jepson's enquiry about Whiteley pit, attached  is a photo of the pit taken around 1900.  The house with two chimneys is extant (still in existance) on Warmwells Lane and I believe it is number 190 and called Whiteley Lodge or something similar.

Peter Smith

Youtubing and googling about mining around Chesterfield, I landed the website healeyhero with your historical lot that I may go through in coming days when freewheeling my retired times. Thanks to Web Master Fionn Taylor for such labours that do keep us miners the nostalgia of those good old working days at the pits.

I am a 70 year young mining engineer from India who keeps visiting my son working as a doctor with NHS to enjoy company of two grandsons while I do spend other half of my time with my elder son in India working as an electrical engineer corporate executive there.

Unfortunately I came across you today when I am packing to go back to India for six months tomorrow but emailing and my further browsing of your history books in the coming days would keep good company on the space-time fabric locations as long as they last.

Incidentally I had my first job in 1969 as a Graduate Trainee with a British company "Indian Copper Corporation Limited" incorporated in the UK for their mining activities in Eastern India. I have had a metalliferous Mine Managers First Class Certificate from the Govt of India but even worked for a leading coal mining equipment product development company in late 1980s and visited Indian and Russian coalfields extensively on Marketing assignments. I have worked on minerals like Iron, Manganese, Chromite, Limestone, Dolomite, Dunite, Asbestos, Lead and Zinc etc. as well as a Vice President Corporate Strategy for a leading Cement manufacturer to build 35 million ton capacity in India before taking retirement in 2014.

I would love to get in touch with UK mining fraternity, learn more about the rich mining history and share my own experiences as feasible.

With sincere regards,
D S Deepak @ UK
Oxygenated by the apprenticeship in Science of Spirituality

Thanks again.
Andrew Ludlam.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

See 28DL Urban Exploration

Ganister (or Gannister) was mined for its use in the manufacture of silica bricks (often called 'refractories'; materials that maintain strength at high temperatures), used to line industrial furnaces. For a short period of time in the late 1800s - mid 1900s, Ganister mining was a significant industry in parts of Sheffield. (Lots of photos)

Good evening. Could you please tell me how many people were employed at Rawdon Colliery in Leicestershire during the 20th century?
Thank you.

Further to our previous message regarding number of men and boys employed at Rawdon (sunk 1821) during the 20th Century.
From my copies of Mines Inspector's reports and other source of NCB information after 1947 the results are below.....
Total number....83,620 within a few dozen...due to information inaccuracies

Break down for every decade...

1901....284 underground and 117 surface...total 401.
1910....445....315 u/g, 130 s/f
1920....1,560....1120 u/g, 440 s/f
1930....1,013....758 u/g, 255 s/f
1940....900....625 u/g, 275 s/f
1945....1,021
1950....1,327
1960....1,199
1969/70....1,190
1979/80....1,220
1985/86....1,052...closed and merged with Donisthorpe

Trusting this info is what you wanted
Regards
Bob Bradley

Also have any of the structures at Snibston Colliery been demolished after the closure of the Discovery Museum?

And last of all what is the current situation at Eckington Drift Mine is it still working and where does the coal go?

Regards

K. Collinson.