	Handen Hold Colliery	Index	Handen Hold Colliery

Handen Hold Colliery

(See also West Pelton Colliery)

Location:

West Pelton
7 miles [11 km] NNW of Durham

Map Ref:

(Sheet 88) NZ233526, 54° 52' 3" N, 1° 38' 13" W

Maps:

1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

1951 map from the Guide to the Coalfields (Colliery Guardian)

Opened:

1860

Closed:

01 Mar 1968

Pits:

Six Feet Staple

Shaft details for Six Feet Staple

Owners:

1860 - Sir James Joicey & Co. Ltd.

1860s - James Joicey & Co. Ltd.

1940s - Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries Ltd

1947 - National Coal Board (N.C.B.)

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.

1915 - Busty - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1921 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1921 - Busty - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1925 - Coal: Gas.

1925 - Busty - Coal: Coking.

1930 - Coal: Coking.

1935 - Coal: Gas.

1935 - Busty - Coal: Coking.

1947 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1950 - Coal: Gas.

1950 - Busty - Coal: Gas.

1955 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1960 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1964 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

Employment:

Year	Pit	Total	Below	Above
1894		263	214	49
1896		276	228	48
1900		224	173	51
1902		432	347	85
1905		614	491	123
1910		707	556	151
1910		Re-opening old Handen Hold Pit
1915		87	76	11
1915	Busty	508	363	145
	Total	595	439	156
1921		158	146	12
1921	Busty	610	466	144
	Total	768	612	156
1925		169	157	12
1925	Busty	600	424	176
	Total	769	581	188
1930		580	422	158
1935		531	394	137
1940		610	466	144
1945		315	214	101
1947		319	197	122
1950		272	189	83
1955		395	275	120
1960		464	376	88
1964		491	409	82

Colliery Management (prior to 1970)

Seams Worked:

1905 - Busty, Five Quarter, Low Main, Main Coal

1910 - Busty, Five Quarter, Low Main, Maudlin Main Coal [Re-opening old Handen Hold Pit]

1915 - Beaumont, Five Quarter, Low Main, Shield Row

1915 - Busty - Busty

1921 - Beaumont, Five Quarter, Low Main, Maudlin, Shield Row

1921 - Busty - Beaumont, Busty

1925 - Five Quarter, Shield Row

1925 - Busty - Busty

1930 - Beaumont, Busty

1935 - Low Main, Shield Row [Discontinued 6/33]

1935 - Busty - Beaumont, Brockwell, Busty, Tilley

1950 - Beaumont, Five Quarter, Shield Row

1950 - Busty - Busty, Five Quarter, Shield Row, Tilley

1955 - Busty, Five Quarter, Shield Row, Tilley

1960 - Brockwell, Tilley

1964 - Bottom Brockwell, Tilley

Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Handen Hold Colliery

Notes:

1857 - A 6 ft. staple was put down from the surface to the Hutton Seam at Handen Hold, West Pelton Colliery.

1910 - Five Quarter, main Coal, Maudlin, Low Main, Hutton seams abandoned

1913 - Beaumont seam abandoned

1944 - Shield Row seam abandoned

1950 - Beaumont seam discontinued

Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents for Handen Hold Colliery

Description

This parish [West Pelton] participates in the extensive mining industry of the neighbourhood, the royalties being worked by Sir James Joicey & Co., Limited. At the Hand-in-Hold pit the Low Main seam is worked, at a depth of 54 fathoms, 3 feet 4 inches in thickness ; the Hutton seam, 63 fathoms, 4 feet 6 inches, with an average output of 650 tons per day, giving employment to 270 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!

						Argyle, William, 03 Nov 1884, aged 17, Banksman, crushed by pulley wheel
						Armstrong, Thomas (Jnr), 14 Jul 1899, aged 16, Landing Boy, An empty set was running into an engine landing, when by some means the tubs left the rails and ran into a full set behind which the deceased was standing. He should have been in a refuge hole which was close at hand [Inspection made & inquest attended]
						Carr, John, 10 Feb 1904, (accident: 09 Jun 1903), aged 62, Hewer, Deceased was injured by a fall of stone from the roof of a broken working in the Five Quarter seam on 9th June, 1903, but was able to walk home. The accident was not considered serious and was not reported to me. He was off work until 8th July, and then resumed and continued at work, with an occasional day off, until 26th December, after which he worked no more. He died from exhaustion resulting from cancerous disease of the stomach and liver. An inquest was held after a post-mortem examination and although the Jury in their verdict considered the disease was accelerated by the injury received, medical evidence did not bear this out
						Days, A., 17 Oct 1932, aged 55, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						Douglas, John, 20 Feb 1912, aged 24, Shaft Lad, a tub coming from behind ended up against the controller at the shaft side, catching deceased and knocking him into the cage as it was rapped away; he was thrown back and dropped on to the scaffolding 4 feet below hanging on level
						Gamble, William H., 19 Feb 1932, aged 30, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, residence: Newburn Road, West Stanley [More information ...]
						Glancy, George Fisher, 20 Jul 1936, aged 14, Waggon Boy, crushed
						Golightly, Hugh, 08 Nov 1923, (accident: 06 Nov 1923), aged 44, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						Guy, John, 27 Oct 1883, aged 31, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						Hall, Thomas, 19 Feb 1932, aged 19, Putter, killed by a fall of stone, residence: Newburn Road, West Stanley [More information ...]
						Hall, William Hodgson, 20 Dec 1912, (accident: 12 Dec 1912), aged 58, Deputy, while helping to put a full tub on the rails, the tub swung round, knocking a prop out, causing a fall of stone, Buried: St. Paul's Churchyard, West Pelton
						Lashley, N. E., 30 Mar 1933, (accident: 08 Aug 1932), aged 35, Filler, fall of stone, died from injuries received
						Robinson, Nicholson Johnson, 07 Jan 1908, aged 19, Driver, kicked by pony, Buried: St. Paul's Churchyard, West Pelton
						Scott, William, 06 Oct 1904, aged 24, Hewer [More information ...]
						Shepherd, John, 19 Feb 1932, aged 40, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, residence: 9 Beech Grove Terrace, Black House [More information ...]
						Smiley, Samson, 1916, [details unknown]
						Thompson, John, 04 Jun 1908, aged 42, Engineplane man, caught by sheave frame while repairing, Buried: St. Paul's Churchyard, West Pelton
						Weatherspoon, David William, 25 Jul 1951, aged 48, Overman, accident occurred at approximateley 12 noon in the south-east district of the Sheild Row Seam after the main & tail haulage had jumped the wagonway and drawn out timber supports on the outbye side of the main landing in attempting to secure the fall a further roof fall occurred killing him, he died due to extensive head injuries
						Whittaker, William, 15 Jul 1963, (accident: 12 Jul 1963), aged 40, he was injured by a roof fall in the Brockwell Seam on the 12th July 1963 while hewing coal, injuries were broken leg and pelvis, he died later in hospital

						19 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

The following unnamed fatalities are listed in the Mines Inspectors Reports, once again this collection is not complete!

Date							Inspectors Remarks
06 Jun 1862	–	–	–	–	1	1	crush of tubs

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Handen Hold Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Handen Hold Colliery

Gallery Images:

Handen Hold - Tommy Kennedy with 'Noble'

Handen Hold - Tommy Kennedy with 'Ginger'

Handen Hold - J. G. Rutter with 'Dutton'

Handen Hold - Waiting to start their shift - 'Dutton' is on the left

Memorial Images:

Credits

Sources:

NEEMARC - Ref: NUMDA/6/1/1/6, Reports of the Compensation Department, Vol VI covering Jan-Dec 1926
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
1884 Mines Inspectors Report (C 4429), Newcastle District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1890 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
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
1899 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 134), Newcastle District (No. 3) by John L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1900 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1902 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
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
1908 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 4672), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. B. Atkinson, 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), 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
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.
1945 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1947 The 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
1950 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1955 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1960 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1964 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
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 St. Paul's Churchyard, West Pelton
History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.
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
Victoria History of the Counties of England – Durham. Published in three volumes in 1907.

Further Research:

Research Notes for Handen Hold Colliery

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