	Charlaw Colliery	Index	Charlaw Colliery

Charlaw Colliery

Location:

Sacriston
4 miles [6 km] NW of Durham

Map Ref:

(Sheet 88) NZ233476, 54° 49' 21" N, 1° 38' 14" W

Maps:

1860s map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey

1898 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

Opened:

Closed:

Pits:

Witton Pit, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ233474, sinking: 1859 (See also Witton Colliery)

Owners:

1860s - Elliot, Hunter & Co.

1900s - Charlaw & Sacriston Collieries Co. Ltd.

Output:

1855 - Coal.

1860 - Coal.

1865 - Coal.

1873 - Coal.

1888 - Coal.

1900 - Coal: Gas, Manufacturing.

1902 - Coal: Gas, Manufacturing.

1905 - Coal: Gas, Manufacturing.

1910 - Coal: Gas, Manufacturing.

1915 - Coal: Gas, Manufacturing.

1921 - Coal: Gas, Manufacturing.

1923 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Manufacturing, Steam.

1924 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Manufacturing, Steam.

1925 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Manufacturing, Steam.

1927 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Manufacturing, Steam. Fireclay.

1929 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Manufacturing, Steam.

1929 - Shield Row Drift - Coal: Coking, Gas, Manufacturing, Steam.

1930 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Manufacturing, Steam. Fireclay.

1930 - Shield Row Drift - Coal: Coking, Gas, Manufacturing, Steam. Fireclay.

1935 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Household, Manufacturing, Steam. Fireclay.

1935 - Shield Row Drift - Coal: Coking, Gas, Household, Manufacturing, Steam. Fireclay.

Employment:

Year	Pit	Total	Below	Above
1882		Standing
1883		62	62
1900		410	328	82
1902		375	310	65
1910		414	326	88
1915		366	285	81
1921		558	429	129
1923		574	442	132
1924		546	427	119
1925		542	421	121
1927		1,120	855	265
1929		966	684	282
1929		inc. Sacriston Busty
1929	Shield Row Drift	71	71
	Total	1,037	755	282
1930		939	670	269
1930		inc. Sacriston Busty
1930	Shield Row Drift	65	65
	Total	1,004	735	269
1935		916	676	240
1935		inc. Sacriston Busty
1935	Shield Row Drift	64	64
	Total	980	740	240

Colliery Management (prior to 1970)

Seams Worked:

1905 - Brass Thill, Busty, Hutton, Low Main

1910 - Brass Thill, Hutton, Low Main

1915 - Brass Thill, Hutton, Low Main

1921 - Brass Thill, Busty, Hutton, Low Main

1923 - Brass Thill, Busty, Hutton, Low Main

1924 - Brass Thill, Busty, Hutton, Low Main, Shield Row

1925 - Brass Thill, Busty, Hutton, Low Main, Shield Row

1927 - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Busty, Hutton, Low Main, Shield Row, Victoria

1929 - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Busty, Hutton, Low Main, Shield Row, Victoria

1929 - Shield Row Drift - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Busty, Hutton, Low Main, Shield Row, Victoria

1930 - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Busty, Hutton, Low Main, Shield Row, Victoria

1930 - Shield Row Drift - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Busty, Hutton, Low Main, Shield Row, Victoria

1935 - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Busty, Hutton, Low Main, Shield Row

1935 - Shield Row Drift - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Busty, Hutton, Low Main, Shield Row

Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Charlaw Colliery

Notes:

1859 - Witton Pit, Charlaw Colliery, was sunk from the surface to the Hutton Seam.

1872 - Witton Pit, Charlaw Colliery, was sunk from the Hutton to the Busty Seam.

1881, May - Main Coal seam abandoned

1884 - Five Quarter seam abandoned

Description

The Sacriston and Charlaw collieries are carried on by Messrs. Hunter and Elliott. The seams now worked (1891) are "Low Main," 2 to 3 ft. at 50 fathoms ; "Hutton," 2 ft. 6 in., 60 fathoms ; and "Busty," from 4 to 5 ft. at about 100 fathoms. The output of the Charlaw pit is about 500 tons per day, and the number of hands employed is 300. The Sacriston is expected shortly to be in full operation, when the output is estimated at 1000 tons per day, and the number employed at 600. There are also coke ovens to be erected here shortly.

Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham

Disasters (5 or more killed)

None Found

Names of those killed at this colliery

Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!

						Ainsley, Thomas, 07 Aug 1862, aged 21, Hewer, killed by fall of stone
						Attey, Christopher, 07 Aug 1861, aged 36, Deputy, fall of stone while drawing a jud
						Bamford, Harold Ernest, 08 Jul 1924, 4.0 a.m., 7th hour of shift, aged 29, Timber Drawer, Deceased and another man were engaged in drawing the timber out of an old bord when the roof collapsed and deceased was completely buried. Two bars remained standing and they protected his mate, who managed to get out unassisted, although he was injured. It is not known what occurred, but it is probable that the roof of the bord had been resting on the timber in one huge piece and fell when sufficient of it had been drawn. Both men were experienced timber drawers
						Bell, Cuthbert, 05 Jun 1873, aged 39, Shifter, killed by a fall of stone
						Bell, William, 30 Nov 1895, (accident: 19 Nov 1895, 7:30 p.m., 3rd hour of shift), aged 38, Stoneman, back broken by a fall of stone after having fired a shot in a canch
						Burns, Peter, 30 Jul 1908, (accident: 20 Jul 1908), aged 37, Hewer, crushed by cage [More information ...]
						Claughan, George, 18 Aug 1854, aged 54, Pitman, killed by a fall of stone
						Cuthbert, William R., 19 Aug 1889, (accident: 05 Aug 1889), aged 20, Hewer, he received a puncture wound in the palm of his hand with a copper pricker while pushing it into a powder shot, died from the injury
						Danskin, Robert, 06 Aug 1895, 10:30 a.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 14, Driver, riding out on a full tub, against orders, and there not being room, his neck was broken between tub and roof
						Forster, George, 02 Sep 1885, aged 38, Hewer, fall of stone at a slip next to the bord
						Gascoigne, W. D., 24 Aug 1906, aged 20, Putter, Death due to natural causes.
						Gibson, Morton, 18 Jan 1894, (accident: 10 Dec 1892, 4:30 a.m., 3rd hour of shift), aged 59, Hewer, Died to-day from the effects of a blow, from a pick, on his chest on the 16th December 1892 [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]
						Glynn, Malachi, 17 Jun 1870, (accident: 24 May 1870), aged 33, Hewer, fall of stone while working in a place contrary to orders
						Golden, Martin, 19 Mar 1901, aged 13, Landing Lad, he went in-bye from landing to driver's siding and met the driver there; he then got, illegally, into the driver's set, the tub on which he was riding up-ended, and he was thrown off and jammed between tub and side, sustaining fatal injuries, Buried: St. Bede's (R.C.) Churchyard, Sacriston [More information ...]
						Greener, John, 20 Jul 1894, 12:15 p.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 39, Screenman, Fall of stone in his working place [More information ...]
						Littleton, Richard, 25 Aug 1891, 11:30 a.m., 2nd hour of shift, aged 19, Hewer, fall of a large stone from a slip in a jud, which broke his back, address: Staffordshire Street, Buried: 28 Aug 1891
						McCue, James, 10 Jan 1873, aged 17, Putter, head crushed between tub and prop
						Millet, Charles, 20 Nov 1872, aged 41, Sinker, ascending sinking shaft, the kibble in which he was riding caught the pumps, causing him to fall out
						Moor, Thomas, 10 Jul 1863, aged 11, Coupler, crushed by tubs
						Murphy, William, 27 Dec 1867, aged 35, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						Nixon, John, 10 Oct 1912, aged 54, Deputy, a set of 40 full tubs was being hauled to the shaft, when for some reason or other some of the tubs left the rails after the set had descended a gradient of 1 in 9; several props were knocked out and also two balks, causing a fall of roof across the whole width of the roadway for a distance of 10 feet; deputies were soon at work ridding the fall, when about an hour afterwards a stone 2 feet thick suddenly fell without warning and killed Nixon and injured other two deputies; the deceased had sounded the stone only a few minutes before and considered it safe to work under
						Nixon, Thomas Anthony, 03 May 1904, aged 48, Coal Cutter Driver, in starting the coal cutter he got caught by the disc of the coal cutter; the coal cutter switch had been inadvertently turned on by himself, and in consequence, when the current was turned on at the gateway switch the machine started, and he was close to the wheel and was caught [More information ...]
						Nixon, William, 09 Aug 1879, aged 19, Driver, severely crushed by side stone, crushing him against tub on main way while taking a set of men in-bye
						Turnbull, John, 11 Mar 1875, aged 53, Blacksmith, injured while laying on a new rope, Chester Ward Coroner's Inquest, place: Sacriston Colliery, cause: compound fracture, leg (DRO Ref: COR/C/2/237)
						Wright, John, 26 May 1884, aged 36, Hewer, fall of a very large stone while working close to the face of a bord

						25 names found

If you know of any fatalities missing from the above list then please contact us with the details and we will add them to our database.

Those names marked with , have a web page providing individual details of the accident, the page may also include a photograph of the deceased. Click on the symbol next to the name to see the web page.

more information on some of the fatalities shown above

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Charlaw Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Charlaw Colliery

Credits

Sources:

1861 Mines Inspectors Report, Southern District by John J. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines
1862 Mines Inspectors Report, Southern District by John J. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines
1863 Mines Inspectors Report, Southern District by John J. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines
1867 Mines Inspectors Report
1870 Mines Inspectors Report (C 456) Where to find this report
1872 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 840), South Durham, Westmoreland, and Cleveland District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1873-4 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1873 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1056), South Durham, Westmoreland, and Cleveland District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1875 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1499), Durham by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1879 Mines Inspectors Report (C 2604) Where to find this report
1880 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1881 Mines Inspectors Report (C 3241)
1884 Mines Inspectors Report (C 4429), Durham District by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1885 Mines Inspectors Report (C 4760) Where to find this report
1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1889 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6015), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1890 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1891 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6625), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1895 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8074), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1900 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1901 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 1062), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1902 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1904 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2506), Durham District (No. 4) by R. Donald Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1905 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1906 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 3449), Durham District (No. 4) by R. Donald Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1908 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 4672), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1909 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
1910 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1912 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 6983), Durham District (No. 3) by A. D. Nicholson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1915 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1919 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
1921 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1923 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1924 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1924 Mines Inspectors Report, Northern Division (No. 2) by T. Greenland Davies, H.M. Inspector of Mines [DMM Ref: L-01624 - Tom Bainbridge Collection]
1925 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1927 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1929 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1930 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1935 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Volume C-E, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1881
Contributions by members of the Public
Headstone(s) in St. Bede's (R.C.) Churchyard, Sacriston
History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.
Mineral Statistics for 1855 (Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, and of the Museum of Practical Geology), compiled by Robert Hunt, F.R.S.
Mineral Statistics for 1860 (Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, and of the Museum of Practical Geology), compiled by Robert Hunt, F.R.S.
Mineral Statistics for 1865 (Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, and of the Museum of Practical Geology), compiled by Robert Hunt, F.R.S.
Mineral Statistics for 1869 (Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, and of the Museum of Practical Geology), compiled by Robert Hunt, F.R.S.
Mineral Statistics for 1883 - Government report from the Mines Department (C 4058), published in 1884 — includes List of Mines and Mineral Works
Mineral Statistics for 1884 - Government report from the Mines Department (C 4430), published in 1885 — includes List of Mines and Openworks
Victoria History of the Counties of England – Durham. Published in three volumes in 1907.

Further Research:

Research Notes for Charlaw Colliery

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