	Twizell Colliery	Index	Twizell Colliery

Twizell Colliery

Location:

Grange Villa
7 miles [11 km] NNW of Durham

Map Ref:

(Sheet 88) NZ223523, 54° 51' 56" N, 1° 39' 5" W

Maps:

1860s map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey

1898 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

Opened:

1844

Closed:

04 Aug 1938

Sinking Started:

Mar 1843

Pits:

Engine Pit

Shaft details for Engine Pit

Gate Pit

Shaft details for Gate Pit

Owners:

1850s - James Joicey

1860s - James Joicey & Co. Ltd.

1930s - Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries Ltd.

Output:

1855 - Coal.

1860 - Coal.

1865 - Coal.

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. Fireclay.

1915 - Coal: Coking, Gas. Fireclay.

1921 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1923 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1924 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1925 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1927 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1929 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1930 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

1935 - Coal: Coking, Gas.

Employment:

Year	Total	Below	Above
1854	Working
1894	173	144	29
1896	128	103	25
1900	356	286	70
1902	371	313	58
1905	320	284	36
1910	373	319	54
1915	358	303	55
1921	443	363	80
1923	454	376	78
1924	442	356	86
1925	397	316	81
1927	359	282	77
1929	345	270	75
1930	356	276	80
1935	173	142	31

Colliery Management (prior to 1970)

Seams Worked:

1905 - Busty

1910 - Busty

1915 - Brockwell, Busty

1921 - Brockwell, Busty, Hutton, Main, Maudlin

1923 - Beaumont, Brockwell, Busty, Low Main, Maudlin

1924 - Beaumont, Brockwell, Busty, Low Main, Main Coal, Maudlin

1925 - Brockwell, Busty, Main, Maudlin

1927 - Brockwell, Busty, Maudlin

1929 - Brockwell, Busty, Maudlin

1930 - Brockwell, Busty, Maudlin

1935 - Brockwell, Hutton, Low Main, Maudlin

Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Twizell Colliery

Notes:

1739 - A boring was in progress below the Main Coal Seam in a coal-pit at Twizell.

1795 - A staple was sunk from the surface at Twizell, near Edmondsley, proving four thin seams.

1799 - A boring was put down below the Hutton Seam, Engine Pit, Twizell Colliery.

1804 - Boring operations were in progress from the surface in the vicinity of Twizell, near Edmondsley, proving the thickness and extent of the sand-beds.

1843 - Commenced to sink the Engine Pit, near Gingling Gate, Twizell Colliery, from the surface in March ; reached the Hutton Seam and finished sinking operations in April, 1844.

1930, 16 Jun - Main seam abandoned

1934, 16 Nov - Busty seam abandoned

1937, 05 Nov - Hutton seam abandoned

1937, 07 Sep - Maudlin seam abandoned

1937, 24 Dec - Tilley seam abandoned

1938, 04 Aug - Low Main, Beaumont ot Towneley, Brockwell seams abandoned

Description

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, 08 Feb 1918, aged 63, Shifter, killed by a fall of stone
						Armin, George, 19 Feb 1934, (accident: 08 Feb 1934), aged 24, Labourer, crushed by truck, Buried: St. Paul's Churchyard, West Pelton
						Bowen, John, 10 Jul 1914, (accident: 29 Jan 1911), aged 62, Shifter, died from pneumonia; it was alleged that death was accelerated by injuries to his finger received in 1911
						Burridge, Mark, 27 Nov 1915, aged 55, He was found drowned in the Colliery reservoir. He had not worked for the past 14 years, having suffered from mental disease. He had been missing since 18 October.
						Cooper, A., 1938, aged 62, killed by a fall of stone when working alone
						Davison, Thomas, 09 Jul 1874, aged 27, Hewer, irruption of water, his brother (Robert) was killed at Beamish in 1868, Buried: Pelton Churchyard
						Dobson, Thomas, snr., 16 Jun 1899, aged 54, Hewer, he was found on 16th June lying in his working place and died shortly after as the result of a fit. Verdict, "Died from natural causes." [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]
						Ferguson, Henry, 29 Oct 1896, (accident: 14 Oct 1896), aged 29, Hewer, He was resting his hand on the top of his pick shaft, when a small piece of stone fell on to it. He died on the 29th October from lockjaw [Inquest attended]
						Finnigan, Edward, 15 Jul 1912, aged 39, Hewer, he was hewing in a longwall face in the Bottom Busty Seam; the band between the two seams is thick and was a fireclay full of slips; a cauldron fell, canting out four props, and fatally injuring him
						Grieveson, Robert, 16 Feb 1932, aged 35, Onsetter, fell down shaft, Buried: Pelton Cemetery [More information ...]
						Grindle, Albert William, 09 Sep 1932, aged 47, died from injuries received, Buried: Pelton Cemetery
						Haddon, William Cowan, 21 Mar 1935, aged 26, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Pelton Cemetery
						Hall, William, 20 Jul 1856, aged 53, fell down the shaft
						Hall, William, 02 Jan 1880, aged 50, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone from roof
						Hobson, John Robert, 08 Apr 1930, aged 15, Driver, he was found dead under the second tub of a set of four in the Maudlin Seam [Durham Chronicle 18 Apr 1930]
						Mallabarr, John Andrew, 10 Apr 1911, aged 46, Stoneman, killed by a fall of coal and stone
						Milligan, Patrick, 22 Feb 1900, aged 20, Hewer, Deceased was working at the face of a bord, when a large stone fell from between two slips. A prop and plank were canted out by the fall. There was plenty of spare timber. [Inspection made & inquest attended]
						Oliver, Archibald, 18 Oct 1907, (accident: 11 Oct 1907), aged 19, Pony Putter [More information ...]
						Robson, Charles, 16 Aug 1923, aged 25, he was caught by the revolving picks of a mechanical coal cutter and died from his injuries in Newcastle Infirmary
						Sharp, William, 02 Nov 1894, 3:00 p.m., 9th hour of shift, aged 14, Helper Up, He exchanged places with a driver contrary to orders, and when riding on the limmers his head was caught against the roof [Inquest attended]
						Taylor, John, 10 Jul 1914, (accident: 06 Jul 1914), aged 62, Waggonwayman, whilst he was going inbye on an endless rope haulage road he stumbled on the moving rope and fell with his head on a rail; the road was 5 feet 10 inches in height, and the travelling road 3 feet 5 inches wide at the place where the accident occurred; he died 4 days afterwards
						Taylor, Joseph, 19 Dec 1898, aged 66, Labourer, When attempting to cross the railway in front of a locomotive, he apparently misjudged the speed and was knocked down and killed. The engine was moving at about 3½ miles an hour with steam shut off [Inspection made & inquest attended]
						Taylor, William, 04 Apr 1865, aged 60, Waggon Man, crushed by a truck
						Turnbull, Robert, 03 Jan 1862, aged 18, Pony Putter, fall of roof in tramway caused by tub getting off at turn
						Wearmouth, Richard Richardson, 16 Oct 1909, aged 31, Sinker, struck by something that fell in shaft
						Young, William, 09 Jul 1924, 5.40 a.m., 3rd hour of shift, aged 48, Hewer, deceased was working at the face of a heading which had just exposed a fault. There was a fault on one side of the heading as well. A fall of roof occurred at the face and killed him. Additional timber had been set to meet the changed conditions, but it was unable to prevent the fall, Buried: St. Paul's Churchyard, West Pelton

						26 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

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

Date							Inspectors Remarks
12 Nov 1853	–	–	–	1	–	1
22 Sep 1857	–	–	–	1	–	1	fall of stone

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Twizell Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Twizell Colliery

Gallery Images:

Credits

Sources:

NEEMARC - Ref: NUMDA/1/6/39, D.M.A. Minutes, Circulars etc. for 1914 (two volumes: covers Jan-Jun, Jul-Dec)
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
1862 Mines Inspectors Report, Southern District by John J. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines
1865 Mines Inspectors Report, South Durham District by John J. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines
1874 Mines Inspectors Report (C 1216) Where to find this report
1880 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1880 Mines Inspectors Report (C 2903) Where to find this report
1881 Mines Inspectors Report (C 3241)
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
1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), 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
1896 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8450), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1898 Mines Inspectors Report (C 9264), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
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
1900 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 536), Newcastle District (No. 3) by John L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1902 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1905 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1907 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 4045), 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
1909 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 5177), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. B. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
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
1912 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 6983), Newcastle District (No. 2) by J. B. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1914 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 8023), Northern Division (No. 2) by J. R. R. Wilson, 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
1932 Mines Inspectors Report
1935 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
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
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
Contributions by members of the Public
Headstone(s) in Pelton Cemetery
Headstone(s) in St. Paul's Churchyard, West Pelton
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
Victoria History of the Counties of England – Durham. Published in three volumes in 1907.

Pictures:

Picture from DMM Library

Further Research:

Research Notes for Twizell Colliery

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