	South Medomsley Colliery	Index	South Medomsley Colliery

South Medomsley Colliery

also known as Pontop Hall Colliery

Location:

nr. Dipton
9½ miles [15 km] SW of Newcastle

Map Ref:

(Sheet 88) NZ144531, 54° 52' 21" N, 1° 46' 32" W

Maps:

1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

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

Opened:

1861

Closed:

Jul 1980

Pits:

Annie Pit, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ143530, opened: 1864, sinking: 1864

Shaft details for Annie Pit

Coronation Drift, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ139534

Main Coal Drift, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ147542

Mary Pit, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ143536, opened: 1867, sinking: 1867

Shaft details for Mary Pit

Owners:

1860s - Muschamp, Bainbridge & Co.

1880s - Owners of South Medmosley Colliey.

1890s - South Medomsley Colliery Co. Ltd.

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

Output:

1882 - Coal. Fireclay.

1883 - Coal. Fireclay.

1888 - Coal. Fireclay.

1890 - Coal. Fireclay.

1894 - Annie - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1894 - Drift - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1896 - Annie/Drift - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1900 - Mary/Drift - Coal: Coking, Gas. Fireclay.

1902 - Mary/Drift - Coal: Coking, Gas. Fireclay.

1905 - Coal: Coking, Gas. Fireclay.

1910 - Coal: Coking, Gas. Fireclay.

1915 - Annie/Drift - Coal: Coking, Gas. Fireclay.

1921 - Annie/Drift - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1925 - Annie/Drift - Coal: Coking, Steam.

1930 - Annie/Drift - Coal: Coking, Steam.

1935 - Annie/Drift - Coal: Coking, Steam.

1940 - Annie/Drift - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam.

1947 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam. (90,000 tons)

1950 - Coal: Coking, Steam.

1950 - Decons - Coal.

1950 - Shield Row - Coal: Coking, Steam.

1955 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam.

1960 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam.

1961 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam.

Employment:

Year	Pit	Total	Below	Above
1894	Annie	188	131	57
1894	Drift	60	60
	Total	248	191	57
1896	Annie/Drift	173	134	39
1900	Mary/Drift	333	264	69
1902	Mary/Drift	352	285	67
1905		378	288	90
1910		573	470	103
1915	Annie/Drift	362	298	64
1921	Annie/Drift	265	213	52
1925	Annie/Drift	480	404	76
1930	Annie/Drift	369	304	65
1935	Annie/Drift	335	274	61
1940	Annie/Drift	335	273	62
1945	Annie/Drift	321	240	81
1947		300	240	60
1950		359	274	85
1950	Brass Thill	Abandoned 10/48
1950	Shield Row	Abandoned 5/49
	Total	359	274	85
1955		384	307	77
1960		305	245	60
1961		305	245	60

NCB Employment Figures

Colliery Management (prior to 1970)

Seams Worked:

1905 - Drift - Hutton, Main Coal

1905 - Mary - Brockwell, Three Quarter

1910 - Drift - Hutton, Low Hutton, Main Coal

1910 - Mary - Brockwell, Busty, Three Quarter, Tilley

1915 - Annie/Drift - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Busty, Low Hutton, Main Coal, Three Quarter, Tilley

1921 - Annie/Drift - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Busty, Low Hutton, Main Coal, Three Quarter, Tilley

1925 - Annie/Drift - Brass Thill, Busty, Low Hutton, Three Quarter, Tilley

1930 - Annie/Drift - Brass Thill, Five Quarter, Main, Three Quarter, Tilley, Top and Bottom Busty

1935 - Annie/Drift - Bottom Busty, Five Quarter, Low Hutton, Three Quarter, Top Busty, Top Hutton

1940 - Annie/Drift - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Hutton, Low Hutton, Main Coal, Three Quarter, Tilley

1950 - Big Hutton, Bottom Busty, Brass Thill, Low Hutton, Main, Three Quarter, Top Busty

1950 - Decons - Main

1950 - Shield Row - Shield Row [Abandoned 5/49]

1955 - Brass Thill, Busty, Low Hutton, Shield Row, Three Quarter

1960 - Little Coal, Top Hutton

1961 - Little Coal, Top Hutton

Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for South Medomsley Colliery

Notes:

1863 - Boring operations from the surface were in progress on South Medomsley Royalty.

1864 - The Ann Pit (13 ft. in diameter), South Medomsley Colliery, was sunk from the surface to the Brockwell Seam.

1867 - The Mary Pit, South Medomsley Colliery, was sunk from the surface to the Brockwell Seam.

1894 - Main seam abandoned - coal exhausted

1914 - Shield Row seam abandoned

1929, 29 May - Low Hutton seam abandoned

1931, 29 Jul - Tilley seam abandoned

1936, 08 Jan - Main seam abandoned

1944, Nov - Five Quarter seam abandoned

1948, Oct - Abandoned

1949, May - Shield Row seam abandoned

1950 - Brass Thill seam abandoned

Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents for South Medomsley Colliery

Description

In 1864 the South Medomsley Coal Company sunk a shaft known as the Annie pit, and in 1867 a second shaft, called the Mary, was sunk, and are now working the Hutton seam, 46 fathoms deep, and 6 feet 6 inches in thickness ; the Low Hutton, 48½ fathoms, 2 feet 2 inches ; the Main Coal, 54 fathoms, 4 feet 7 inches ; the Harvey, 75½ fathoms, 2 feet ; the Busty, 91 fathoms, with 3 feet of top coal, 2 feet 8 inches of sagger clay, and 2 feet 10 inches of bottom coal ; the Three Quarter, 3 feet, with 8 inches of stone band running through it ; and the Brockwell, 104 fathoms, 2 feet 2 inches. The Five Quarter and Brass Thill are worked out. The coal are drawn from the Main Coal and Busty seams to the Mary pit, and the Hutton seams are worked through a drift in the valley about a mile north of the shaft. The clay from the Busty is made into fire-brick on the spot. There are 217 coke ovens, 53 of which are only in operation at present. The weekly output is about 1700 tons, giving employment to 211 men and boys. In 1893 an ancient wooden spade was found in the old workings of the Hutton seam.

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!

						Allan, William, 13 Jan 1876, aged 23, Screenman, breakage of a tub coupling chain on incline plane on surface
						Blackwood, John, 31 Jan 1908, aged 27, Putter and hewer, while riding outbye on a loaded coal tub his head appears to have caught roof
						Bolam, James MacIntosh, 11 Jun 1912, (accident: 26 Jun 1911), aged 20, Shifter, stone fell from roof upon him, when he went back to place after a shot had been fired, causing injury to spine; he died June 11, 1912
						Donley, James, 20 May 1874, aged 50, Hewer, Chester Ward Coroner's Inquest, place: Dipton, cause: fall of stone Busty seam, S. Medomsley (DRO Ref: COR/C/2/61)
						Edger, Thomas, 14 Feb 1887, aged 40, Hewer, explosion of a shot
						Foster, Joseph, 03 Dec 1954
						Freeman, Edward, 10 Jul 1947, aged 20, Putter, killed by a fall of stone, address: 41, Lily Gardens, Flint Hill
						Hall, J. T., 26 Sep 1871, aged 34, Driver, fall of a piece of pyrites from screen
						Hodgson, John William, 13 Aug 1925, (accident: 05 Aug 1925), aged 47, Hewer, burned by a shot
						Jackson, Robert, 09 Nov 1876, aged 44, Shifter, crushed by a tub
						Jeffrey, William, 13 Dec 1875, aged 41, Hewer, Chester Ward Coroner's Inquest, place: Dipton, cause: fall of stone, Busty seam Mary Pit, South Medom. (DRO Ref: COR/C/2/474)
						Lacey, Samuel, 01 Apr 1905, aged 52, Hewer, killed by shot [More information ...]
						McGhee, Hugh, 19 Dec 1895, 3:30 p.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 38, Hewer, he was carrying loose powder in his coat pocket, and slipped his foot, when his candle ignited it
						Merrington, Joseph, 29 Mar 1934, aged 37, Hewer, explosion, Buried: Cemetery at East Castle [More information ...]
						Moore, William, 06 Jun 1888, (accident: 01 Jun 1888), aged 50, Hewer, fall of coal whilst wedging down band
						Murphy, Patrick, 01 May 1876, aged 58, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						Newstead, James P., 13 Oct 1921, aged 17, Driver, as a result, it is alleged of injuries he received to his hand through being bruised by a sprag
						Newton, Luke, 29 Mar 1934, aged 20, Putter, explosion, Buried: Cemetery at East Castle [More information ...]
						Nicholson, George, 29 Mar 1934, aged 27, Hewer, explosion, Buried: Cemetery at East Castle [More information ...]
						Nicholson, John, 20 Apr 1887, aged 44, Hewer, explosion of fire damp and air
						Nixon, Joseph, 17 Jul 1930, aged 17, died from burns received, Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Dipton
						Ridley, Henry, 26 Jan 1910, aged 26, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Burnopfield Cemetery
						Robinson, James, 04 Feb 1890, 5:00 p.m., 11th hour of shift, aged 13, Screen Boy, Found dead at one end of a travelling belt
						Sanderson, Benjamin, 22 Sep 1899, aged 66, Hewer, The deceased was working in a skirting and was supposed to be setting a prop and head-tree, when a fall of stone from slips took place. The working was otherwise well timbered, and the deputy was going into the place for the third time when the accident occurred [Inspection made & inquest attended], Buried: St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Dipton
						Scott, John, 20 Mar 1890, aged 30, Hewer, killed by a fall of roof
						Sevilla, P., 08 Oct 1871, aged 13, Wailer, fall of tub from gangway
						Simpson, William, 28 Oct 1904, aged 65, Platelayer, A tank engine, going tank first, was pushing two empty coke trucks past the screens to the coke yard. Deceased was cleaning out a drain or runner in a space of 2½ feet between the rail and a wall, and he was run over unknown to the engine driver, who stated at the inquest that he sounded the whistle while moving forward. The fireman was also on the locomotive. The Jury added a rider to their verdict of accidental death "that more care should be taken in shunting on the colliery branches."
						Smith, John, 17 Oct 1918, aged 54, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						Stoner, George, 02 May 1901, aged 22, Hewer, The deceased was in the act of getting a prop to set under some stone which required supporting when the stone fell away from slips. A prop and headtree were canted out by the fall [Inspection made & inquest attended]
						Wallace, James, 07 Aug 1951, aged 44, Rolleywayman, a coupling broke, causing a tub to be catapulted against him causing fatal injuries
						Wears, John, 05 Jun 1893, 6:00 a.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 28, Hewer, The deputy on examining the place previous to the deceased commencing work, saw that the clay above the coal was not safe, and went in with the deceased and told him how to take it down. Deceased appears to have been working in the coal instead of obeying the deputy's instructions, as he was found buried under the clay [Inspection made & inquest attended]
						White, Cecil, 27 Apr 1944, aged 18, Putter, killed by a fall of stone

						32 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 kindly provided by Jim Grainger from his research into early newspapers (primarily the Durham Advertiser and Durham Chronicle) and are marked with .

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 South Medomsley Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to South Medomsley Colliery

Credits

Sources:

NEEMARC - Ref: NUMDA/6/1/1/1, Reports of the Compensation Department, Vol I covering Sep 1918-Dec 1919
1871 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 653), 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
1875 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1499), Newcastle-on-Tyne District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1876 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1734), Newcastle-on-Tyne District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1880 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1881 Mines Inspectors Report (C 3241)
1887 Mines Inspectors Report (C 5450) Where to find this report
1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1888 Mines Inspectors Report (C 5779), 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
1895 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8074), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
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
1901 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 1062), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, 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), 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
1905 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2910), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. B. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
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
1910 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 5676), Newcastle District (No. 2) by J. B. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
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
1961 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Volume S-T, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1894
Banners of the Durham Coalfield, Norman Emery, 1998, Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-1708-3
Contributions by members of the Public
D.M.A. Durham, General Secretary's Annual Report for 1952 [DMM Ref: L-01607 - Tom Bainbridge Collection]
Headstone(s) in Burnopfield cemetery
Headstone(s) in East Castle Cemetery
Headstone(s) in St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Dipton
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 South Medomsley Colliery

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