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A Comprehensive History Of Mining In The Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire And Leicestershire Coalfields - Page 9

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Brian Smith - Looking For Information About Robert (Bob) Kelly born Ashton in Makerfield 16th Nov 1893
Jonathan Allcock - Looking For Information About My Grandpa John Henry Allcock - Swanwick Colliery
Nick Shelley
- Andrew Crawford at Bestwood, Obituary, 1942
Andrew James - Family History Research - My Grandfather was a miner at either Worksop or Warsop Colliery
Mike Smith - Job Beresford :1883 - 1962 Glapwell / Pleasley Collieries
Frank Moore - Frank Moore Denby Drury Lowe
Charlotte Davies - James Edward Davies - Whitwick Colliery Disaster 1898
William Hewitt
- William Hewitt (Danny)  and Williamthorpe Colliery, Derbyshire


From:
Sent:
Subject:
Brian Smith
17 Sep 2014
British Football Managers in Portugal
Looking For Information About Robert (Bob) Kelly born Ashton in Makerfield 16th Nov 1893

Hi, I'm a football fan living in Portugal. I'm writing a book on British managers in Portugal. One of the first was Bob Kelly, prior to signing for Burnley fc in 1913 he was a coal miner. I'm trying to find out which colliery, and for how long. I wondered if you didn't know could you point me in the direction of someone who might? I would appreciate any help you can give me in this matter.

Also Bob went down the mine straight from school so I believe. I'm not sure what the school leaving age was back then, was there a minimum age to work at a pit? Did they have to work on the surface first for a while before going underground?

Kindest Regards,

Brian.


There were lots of pits around Ashton in Makerfield and many more surrounding a few miles distant.  It was not unusual for a man to walk several miles each way to work at a certain mine albeit that he may have passed 2 or 3 on the way. I suppose it was preference. Maybe a friend or relative worked there etc. It is impossible to say without some written evidence.
I have listed a few collieries surrounding his home at the time where he may possibly have worked but there are are no known records of the workforce so I cannot say which one......

  • Ashton sunk 1872 closed 1959
  • Golborne sunk 1882 closed and merged 1986
  • Bickershaw sunk 1877 closed 1992
  • Park sunk 1887 closed 1960
  • Landgate sunk 1874 closed 1960
  • Maypole sunk 1898 closed 1959
  • Wigan Junction sunk 1887 closed 1962
  • Lyme sunk 1876 closed 1964
  • Old Boston sunk 1868 closed 1952
  • Wood sunk 1866 closed 1971

Coal mining and Heavy Industry
Ashton-in-Makerfield was part of the St. Helens Area of the South Lancashire Coalfield. The St Helens Area lay to the South West of the Wigan area and occupied around 60 square miles (160 km2), skirting Wigan, Warrington, Widnes and to within eight miles (13 km) of Liverpool.

In 1867 there were 13 collieries in the district of Ashton-in-Makerfield. Others followed including Brynn Hall Colliery, owned by Edward Frederick Crippin, the Mains and Park Lane Collieries. Park Colliery and some of those open in 1867 (e.g. Garswood Hall) remained productive until the 1950s.

A number of Ashton's coal miners made a significant impact on modern British history, including: 

 

England Players' Club Affiliations
Burnley

Burnley FC Profile

Club name

Burnley Football Club

Previous names

Burley Rovers RFC 1881-82

Ground(s)

Turf Moor, since 1882

Founded

May 1882 out of Burley Rovers RFC, turned professional 1883

Colours

Claret shirts with light blue band, white shorts, white stockings

Domestic honours

Football League Champions 1920-21, 1959-60; Division Two winners 1897-98, 1972-73; Division Three winners 1981-82; Division Four winners 1991-92;  
FA Cup winners 1913-14, runners-up 1946-47, 1961-62; 
Associate-Members (Sherpa-Van) Trophy runners-up 1987-88;
Anglo-Scottish Cup winners 1978-79;
FA Charity Shield winners 1973, joint winne

 

Player
No.

England Players

Years

Starts

Subs

Apps

Capt

Goals

165

Yates, John

1889

1

0

1

0

3

212

Crabtree, James William

1894-95

3

0

3

0

0

242

Hillman, John

1899

1

0

1

0

0

264

Bannister, William

1901

1

0

1

0

0

339

Freeman, Bertram Clewley

1912

3

0

3

0

2

375

Watson, William

1913-19

3

0

3

0

0

381

Mosscrop, Edwin

1914

2

0

2

0

0

396

Kelly, Robert

1920-25

11

0

11

0

6

421

Dawson, Jeremiah

1921-22

2

0

2

0

0

486

Hill, John Henry

1925-29

11

0

11

5

0

513

Waterfield, George Smith

1927

1

0

1

0

0

516

Page, Louis Antonio

1927

7

0

7

0

1

531

Bruton, John

1928-29

3

0

3

0

0

 

Trusting this information is useful

Bob Bradley


Brian

The Education Act of 1936 raised the school leaving age to 14. Boys of 14 were allowed underground and trained on the job by the relevant private colliery company.

In 1944 the school leaving age was raised to 15. The first Training Centre was at Creswell. This centre was used also by Bevin Boys 1944 to 1946.

After 1st January 1947 under NCB any boy over 15 and up to 18 had to have 16 weeks underground training at new local Training Centres......Bentinck, Silverhill, Williamthorpe, Mansfield, Hucknall, Bestwood etc. Following this 20 days CPS (close personal supervision) on the allocated job was required.

For lads over 18 years old only 3 weeks training was required.

From 1st July 1957 no boy was allowed underground unless 16 years of age and 16 weeks training plus 1 week working on the surface

The school leaving age was raised to 16 in 1973

Trusting this information answers your query

Bob Bradley


From:
Sent:
Subject:
Jonathan Allcock
16 Sep 2014
Looking For Information About My Grandpa John Henry Allcock - Swanwick Colliery
Swanwick
Swanwick Colliery - Photo From Auditnow

Hello Fionn,

I’ve had a very enjoyable fly around your website (thank you) – my Grandpa worked at Swanwick Pit all his working life and even after his retirement he used to walk to the site and follow its decommissioning progress – I can recall walking over to the site on many Sunday afternoons, getting very black!
 
I’d love to know if you have any employment history for him? and or any more photographs of the pit and workers?
 
His details;
 
John Henry Allcock (Harry) (died 1977)
9 Independent Hill
Alfreton
 
Sincere best wishes, and thank you for the website.
 
Jonathan


From:
Sent:
Subject:
Nick Shelley
10 Sep 2014
Andrew Crawford at Bestwood, Obituary, 1942

Hi Fionn,

I have just found your site. I'm afraid I don't know if you are still managing it actively but a lot of fine work has obviously been put into it.

Looking through the incredibly detailed page for Bestwood I was surprised not to see the name of Andrew Crawford so I have probably made an error.  He came down from Scotland to work for the company in 1882 and his obituary in 1942 suggests that he had been a chairman and managing director of the company.  This is the obituary from the Nottingham Guardian on the 20th Apr 1942:-

"Mr A. Crawford, J.P. Former chairman of Bestwood Company.

The death occurred yesterday of Mr Andrew Crawford, J.P., of Manor Park, Ruddington, in his 94th year.  He was formerly chairman and managing director of the Bestwood Coal and Iron Company.

Mr Crawford was born in the West of Scotland and came to Bestwood in 1882, joining the company of which he became the head.  He was connected with coal, iron and steel all his life, and in 1908, with members of the Lloyd family, built the first blast furnaces at Corby, Northants.

Mr Crawford was also a director of a number of other companies connected with the industry.  He retired 13 years ago, and continued to enjoy good health up to six months ago.  A keen sportsman, he was one of the earliest lawn tennis players in this area and was also interested in cricket.  He had also played golf, and was a member of the Notts Golf Club.  Gardening was his principal hobby and he made a speciality of roses.

Mr Crawford resided at Bestwood until nine years ago and then moved to Ruddington.  He leaves two sons and six daughters.  Mrs Crawford predeceased him six years ago, after 67 years of married life"

Are you able to throw any light on this at all?  Is the obituary inaccurate do you think? I am reasonably certain that he worked there in a senior position during the 1900s.

With best wishes

Nick Shelley

Bestwood Colliery, Company Details - 1923

You are correct in assuming that Andrew Crawford was indeed a Director of the Bestwood Coal Co Ltd (Bestwood Coal & Iron Co Ltd).

I have not gone into much detail regarding directors in my work and some are only mentioned when regarding certain things of what I thought was important at the time. I write a condensed resumé of the life of a colliery when it closes as you see, showing management personnel, tonnages etc, but many remarks not necessarily in that are to be found in the years from the sinking of Bestwood in 1872 onwards to 1967.

There are many directors throughout the coalfields prior to nationalisation 1 Jan 1947 and it will be seen in the books that some men were directors on several coal company boards, even those in competition! BA Collieries Ltd was created on 1 April 1936 by the amalgamation of Bestwood Coal & Iron Co Ltd and the Nottinghamshire pits of Babbington Coal Co, plus the addition of the Digby Coal Co on 1 April 1937.

The site is being continually added to and amended, and my contribution is up to 1987 (66 per cent). A fair way to go yet to complete. Also many more photographs to illustrate will be inserted as time allows.

Trusting this information is useful.

Bob Bradley

There is some additional information on google.

Registered Office: Bestwood Colliery, near Nottingham

Class of Coal: Manufacturing, Steam
Other Minerals Worked: Fireclay

Source: 1923 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian

Durham Mining Museum

Company Directors

Chairman: Part, Charles Thomas
Managing Director: Part, Charles Thomas

Directors: Crawford, Andrew
Lancaster, Claude G., Capt.
Lancaster, John Reginald
Part, Dealtry C., Col., O.B.E.
Seely, Charles H., Sir, Bart.
General Manager: Hepplewhite, R. H. F.
Secretary: Thornley, Jesse
Agent: Wright, Francis T.

Source: 1923 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian


From:
Sent:
Subject:
Andrew James
6 Sep 2014
Family History Research - My Grandfather was a miner at either Worksop or Warsop Colliery

Hello
 
I’m hoping you can help me. My Grandfather was a miner at either the Worksop Colliery or the Warsop Colliery, but I don’t know which. Do lists of employees.

Still exist for the Worksop Colliery?
 

Kind regards

From:
Sent:
Subject:
Mike Smith
25 Aug 2014
Job Beresford :1883 - 1962 Glapwell / Pleasley Collieries

Hello,

There is a family story relating to the above that he struck a drunken miner who was assaulting another miner. The blow resulted in the man dying.

This was an incident above ground – allegedly because the victim was refused permission to work because of his inebriated state.

He was not charged, since the man’s mother spoke in defence of Job.

Many thanks,

Mike Smith

Glapwell Closed - 1974


From:
Sent:
Subject:
Frank Moore
9 Aug 2014
Frank Moore Denby Drury Lowe

Hi there Frank Moore here. My son showed me the site excellent. Just coming up to my 90th birthday here and there is a correction needed.

You have me as Under Manager at Denby dated 1957 but this should be 1967/68. In 1957 I was at Woodside as Under Manager!

Sam Greaves was at Denby Drury Lowe until 1967 not 1968 as I took over from him in '67 and he went to Denby Hall. They were merged but operated as two separate pits and management structures. I then went on to Ormonde from '68 then onto Warsop.

All the best Frank Moore

Sent from my iPad

See Also 1967 - 1968


From:
Sent:
Subject:
Charlotte Davies
30 Jul 2014
James Edward Davies - Whitwick Colliery Disaster 1898

Hello,

James DaviesMy name is Charlotte Davies, for the past couple of years I have being trying to trace my family tree and since finding out that I had relatives that died in the Whitwick Colliery Disaster in 1898 I have being trying to find as much information as possible about them.

I found your website and was fascinated to find that you have a section about my great-grandfather James Edward Davies.

My father believes that the picture shown here is in fact Jim Davies (his grandfather) and therefore I was wondering whether you have any more information on my great-grandfather - James Edward Davies (or my great-great-grandfather, John James Davies) and if you would be willing to share that information, or perhaps sharing the source you used so I could extend my own research and maybe confirm that this is in fact him. Furthermore could you possibly tell me what the '1489' is referring to

Thank you for taking the time to read this email, it would mean a great deal to me and my family if you could get back to me

Regards


Information from Ian Winstanley Website:-

Name: William Davies, age 30, Died 19/04/1898, Occupation Dataller
Notes: A fire broke cut on the main airway of the mine and developed rapidly that only six men including the deputy out of a total of 41 who were at work beyond the fire were able to escape. The bodies of the first nine mentioned in the list were shortly afterwards got out but 25 bodies had not been recovered by the end of the year. 35 killed.


The photo by the way is not Jim Davies, although he used to dress like that.  I remember him well. The person in the photo was an Overman Walter Flint at Ollerton.

The number 1489 is Jim's First Class Certificate number (Manager's certificate) passed around 1937/1938

Bob