	Dipton Colliery	Index	Dipton Colliery

Dipton Colliery

Location:

Dipton
9 miles [14 km] SW of Newcastle

Map Ref:

(Sheet 88) NZ154534, 54° 52' 30" N, 1° 45' 36" W

Maps:

1898 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

Opened:

Apr 1855

Closed:

Nov 1940

Pits:

Delight Pit, locn: (Sheet 88) SV000000

Surtees (No. 2) Pit, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ154545, sinking: Feb 1883

Shaft details for Surtees (No. 2) Pit

Owners:

1850s - John Bowes & Co. (Messrs. Bowes, Hutt, Wood, & Charles M. Palmer)

1880s - John Bowes & Partners Ltd.

Output:

1882 - Coal.

1883 - Coal.

1888 - Coal.

1890 - Coal.

1894 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1896 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1900 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1902 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1905 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1910 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1915 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1921 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

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

1930 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Household, Steam.

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

Employment:

Year	Pit	Total	Below	Above
1854		Working
1854		Working
	Total	0
1894		245	191	54
1896		12	5	7
1900		247	202	45
1902		293	242	51
1905		217	182	35
1910		230	184	46
1915		487	422	65
1921		328	260	68
1925		566	481	85
1930		768	634	134
1935		860	726	134
1940		850	715	135

Colliery Management (prior to 1970)

Seams Worked:

1905 - Brass Thill, Busty, Hutton, Main Coal

1910 - Busty, Little Hutton, Main Coal

1915 - Busty

1921 - Busty

1925 - Busty

1930 - Busty, Main

1935 - Brockwell, Busty, Main, Three Quarter

Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Dipton Colliery

Notes:

1731 - Boring operations were commenced at Dipton.

1853 - A new pit was sunk at Dipton Colliery alongside the Delight Pit from the surface to the Bottom Busty Seam.

1867 - New winning sunk at Dipton Colliery from the surface to the Brass Thill Seam.

1904, Aug - Unprofitable

Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents for Dipton Colliery

Description

Coal has been worked in this neighbourhood from a very early period, chiefly by drifts, which are very numerous along the valley of the Derwent, and in many place the top seams are almost worked out. At present there are three extensive collieries at work in this parish [Dipton]. The Delight pit, sunk in 1854, is now worked by Jno. Bowes and Partners, Limited. The following seams are here: the Hutton, 6 feet 6 inches ; the Main Coal, 3 feet ; and the Busty, 4 feet 11 inches, at a depth of 114, 70, and 64 fathoms respectively. There are 62 coke ovens, by which the small coal is converted into coke. The average daily output is 400 tons, giving employment to 260 men and boys.

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!

						Bates, Christopher, 21 Mar 1889, aged 23, Stoneman, explosion of firedamp
						Cain, William H., 15 Sep 1936, (accident: Apr 1936), aged 29, Driller, died from tuberculosis brought about by silicosis, while employed as a driller
						Davidson, John Routledge, 25 Feb 1924, (accident: 06 Feb 1924, 3.15 p.m., 6th hour of shift), aged 42, Hewer, whilst hewing in a bord a stone 4 ft. 6 ins. in length fell between two planks and fractured his spine. He died from his injuries about 3 weeks later
						Dent, Robert, 14 Aug 1928, aged 28, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Harelaw Cemetery (new)
						Fairless, H., 29 Apr 1868, aged 28, Sinker, stone falling down shaft
						Fenwick, George H. Purvis, 16 Jul 1937, aged 64, Onsetter, he accidentally fell 200 feet to the bottom of the shaft - he had worked for more than 51 years at the colliery, Buried: Harelaw Cemetery (new)
						Garbutt, J. T., 11 Jan 1917, (accident: 13 Dec 1916), aged 24, Hewer, died as th result of injuries received by a fall of stone
						Graham, Joseph, 24 Oct 1883, aged 41, Stoneman, suffocation by fumes from gun powder [More information ...]
						Greener, John William, 04 Dec 1911, aged 44, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal and band, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Dipton [More information ...]
						Lamb, Pat V., 16 Mar 1927, aged 21, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Burnopfield {NBI}
						Linsley, Samuel, 26 Mar 1920, aged 57, killed by a fall of stone
						Maudlin, Joseph, 11 Dec 1886, aged 32, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone
						McGee, James, 14 Apr 1883, aged 33, Labourer, run over by tubs on surface tramway
						McKinley, Thomas, 20 Sep 1927, aged 15, Pony Driver, knocked down and run over by his pony, died in Newcastle Infirmary from shock following from his injuries, address: Century Terrace, Catchgate, Annfield Plain
						McNestrie, Albert George, 02 Jun 1934, (accident: 25 May 1934), aged 34, Pan Puller, crushed by machinery, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Dipton [More information ...]
						Nicholson, George, 12 Dec 1934, aged 25, Hewing Putter, killed by a fall of coal [More information ...]
						Ridley, Anthony, 15 Mar 1870, aged 16, Waggonman, run over by a waggon
						Robinson, John, 22 May 1890, 9:00 p.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 45, Stoneman, killed by a fall of roof, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Dipton
						Robinson, T. W., 16 Feb 1940, (accident: 03 Feb 1940), aged 63, Stoneman, died from injuries received
						Storey, William, 05 Sep 1873, aged 25, Mason, stepped out of cage into shaft, Buried: St. Thomas the Apostle Churchyard, Harelaw
						Taylor, Oliver, 31 Dec 1904, aged 55, Screenman [More information ...]
						Vasey, Alfred, 16 Oct 1919, (accident: 01 Sep 1919), aged 21, Labourer, died as the result of injuries received on 1st September, 1919, through being crushed between a tub and a mechanical tippler
						Walker, James, 31 Jan 1893, 2:00 p.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 25, Hewer, He was evidently hewing when a flat stone, about 5 in. thick, fell out from between two "backs," one of them close up to the face of the coal. It is doubtful whether he had any props under the stone, but, considering the nature of the roof, and that the face was 5 ft. from the pack, he ought to have had more props set [Inspection made & inquest attended]
						Walker, William, 04 Dec 1911, aged 32, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal and band, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Dipton [More information ...]
						Wymer, Reuben, 19 May 1903, (accident: 18 May 1903), aged 36, Cartman, Deceased was loading a cart at the colliery with steel bars from a railway truck. The bars were 8 feet long and each weighed more than 1 cwt. Deceased stood in the cart and as the bars were lowered to him laid them crossways and had so placed three of them when the horse moved forward; deceased fell off backwards, and the three bars rolled off and fell upon his stomach.
						Young, John, 04 Nov 1867, aged 12, Driver, crushed by tubs
						Young, Thomas, 14 Aug 1874, aged 21, Stoneman, explosion of powder

						27 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.

Some of the names of mining fatalities on this web site have been extracted from material deposited at the North East England Mining Archive and Research Centre (NEEMARC) — principally the records of the Durham Miners' Association and are marked with .

more information on some of the fatalities shown above

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Dipton Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Dipton Colliery

Gallery Images:

Credits

Sources:

NEEMARC - Ref: NUMDA/1/6/42, D.M.A. Minutes, Circulars etc. for 1917 (one volume: covers Jan-Jun)
NEEMARC - Ref: NUMDA/6/1/1/1, Reports of the Compensation Department, Vol I covering Sep 1918-Dec 1919
NEEMARC - Ref: NUMDA/6/1/1/6, Reports of the Compensation Department, Vol VI covering Jan-Dec 1926
1854 List of mines by T. Y. Hall, published in Vol II (1853-4) of the Transactions of the North of England Institute of Mining Engineers
1867 Mines Inspectors Report
1868 Mines Inspectors Report, Northumberland, North Durham and Cumberland District by George William Southern, H.M. Inspector of Mines
1870 Mines Inspectors Report (C 456) Where to find this report
1873 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1056), Northumberland, North Durham, and Cumberland District by George William Southern, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1874 Mines Inspectors Report (C 1216) Where to find this report
1880 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1881 Mines Inspectors Report (C 3241)
1883 Mines Inspectors Report (C 4078), Newcastle District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1886 Mines Inspectors Report (C 5090) Where to find this report
1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1889 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6015), Newcastle District (No. 3) by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1890 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1890 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6346), Newcastle District (No. 3) by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1893 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7339), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1894 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1896 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, also available online at Peak District Mines Historical Society Ltd
1900 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1902 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1903 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2119), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. B. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1904 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2506), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. B. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1905 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1909 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
1910 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1911 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 6237), Newcastle District (No. 2) by J. B. Atkinson, 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
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
1930 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1935 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1940 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory published by Louis Cassier Co. Ltd.
An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Supplement, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1910
Banners of the Durham Coalfield, Norman Emery, 1998, Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-1708-3
Contributions by members of the Public
Headstone(s) in Old Cemetery, Harelaw
Headstone(s) in St. James Churchyard, Burnopfield
Headstone(s) in St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Dipton
Headstone(s) in St. Thomas the Apostle Churchyard, Harelaw
History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.
Mineral Statistics for 1883 - Government report from the Mines Department (C 4058), published in 1884 — includes List of Mines and Mineral Works
National Burial Index published by The Federation of Family History Societies & Associates
Victoria History of the Counties of England – Durham. Published in three volumes in 1907.

Pictures:

Picture from the Derwentdale Local History Society web site - used with permission.

Further Research:

Research Notes for Dipton Colliery

Mail:
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