Hi, my grandfather John Fitz/Patrick resided with his Great Uncle Samuel Dean in Nesfield House on Barlow Rd. (Census 1891). It gives Samuels occupation as mine under manager. I would be interested to know which mine he be have managed during this era and any other information that you may have. Also Samuel's brother John was my GGrandfather whom also worked as a mine manager??
Yours kindly Jane (Australia).
Notes:-
Jane’s Great, Great Grandfather, John Dean (Born 1827), had a brother Samuel Dean (Born 1830) and a daughter Lucy who married James Fitz (Patrick).
They had a son John Fitz (Patrick).
In 1891 John Fitz was resident with his great aunt Lucy (Skevington) and her husband, John’s Great Uncle Samuel Dean, they were living in Nesfield House, Barlow, in the Chesterfield area, Samuel was 62 and a Colliery Under Manager.
By 1901 Samuel’s wife, Lucy, had died and his brother John, 74 years old, was a retired Colliery Manager and was living with him in Nesfield House. Lottie Anne Fitz, Samuel's 25 year old niece was their house keeper and domestic.
Samuel was a Coal and General Merchant. Three years later, 21 Jan 1904, Samuel died aged 74.
Probate Derby 19 Feb 1904 - Nesfield, Colliery-yard, Barlow, Chesterfield, Derbyshire to Francis Windle, colliery undermanager and Arthur Windle, mercantile agent Effects £1469 16s 5d
Fionn
From Bob
Samuel Dean was listed as Undermanager at Nesfield Colliery at Barlow owned by the Sheepbridge Coal & Iron Co in 1887. His Service certificate number 273.
1887 was the first year that Undermanager's names were published so he would have been in that position for several years before, as Undermanager's examinations for certificates began in 1887 and anyone who was in a position then and having several years experience in the job was granted a certificate.
The shaft was 61 yards deep and the Silkstone seam was worked at about 3 feet 6 inches thick.
This seam was good for coking and town gas.
He moved to Sheepbridge Colliery at Sheepbridge nearby in 1888 where he stayed until 1891 when he was moved back again to Nesfield.
The shaft was 75 yards deep and the Deep Hard seam was worked, about 3 feet 2 inches thick.
This seam was good bright coal and had general use from industrial to household.
The method of working the coal was long wall advancing run by a butty and say 4 or 5 men in a stall undercutting the seam by a pick to about 3 feet or as far as they could reach. Each miner would do this over about 8 to 10 yards may be over 2 days then lever the coal down by ringer (crowbar) and load out only large lumps and coals not less than say 4 inches into a wooden jotty (tub with open end). The miner would push or pull the tub to the gate road.
A boy known as a ganger would fasten a pony to the tub by a drawbar and take it to a main haulage road where it would be clipped to a moving haulage rope towards the pit bottom and then onto a cage and wound out of the shaft. The cycle would be repeated.
The Undermanager was responsible for all activities underground and for making contracts with butties. He would go underground each day and depending upon the area of the workings would visit each working place during a week or fortnight. He would have daily reports from Deputies or Overmen so that daily he could report to the Manager at the end of his shift, generally day shift say 6 am to 4 pm.
He was not listed in 1893 so possibly had retired.
John Windle service certificate number 1117 was Undermanager at Sheepbridge in 1892.
Manager for both pits was Jonathan Piggford, manager's service certificate number 1084.
I cannot find any mention of John Dean but he could well have been a Manager for the Sheepbridge Coal & Iron Co also but before 1880.
I hope this will help with your search.
Regards
Bob Bradley |