	Victoria Garesfield Colliery	Index	Victoria Garesfield Colliery

Victoria Garesfield Colliery

Location:

Victoria Garesfield
7½ miles [12 km] WSW of Newcastle

Map Ref:

(Sheet 88) NZ145580, 54° 54' 59" N, 1° 46' 26" W

Maps:

1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

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

Opened:

1870

Closed:

13 Jul 1962

Pits:

Ashtree Drift, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ144593

Coronation Drift, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ142581

Hookergate Drift, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ145581

Rickless Travelling Drift, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ139608

Speculation Drift, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ143581

Owners:

???? - Victoria Garesfield Coal Co.

1880s - Priestman & Peele.

1899 - Priestman Collieries Ltd.

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

Output:

1882 - Coal. Fireclay.

1883 - Coal. Fireclay.

1888 - Coal.

1890 - Coal.

1894 - Coal: Coking, Gas. Fireclay.

1896 - Coal: Coking, Gas. Fireclay.

1900 - Coal: Coking, Gas. Fireclay.

1905 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing, Steam. Fireclay.

1910 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing, Steam. Fireclay.

1915 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing, Steam. Fireclay.

1921 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing, Steam. Fireclay.

1925 - Coal: Coking, Steam. Fireclay.

1930 - Coal: Coking, Steam. Fireclay.

1935 - Coal: Coking, Steam. Fireclay.

1947 - Coal: Coking. (53,000 tons)

1950 - Coal: Coking. Fireclay.

1955 - Coal: Coking. Fireclay.

1960 - Coal: Coking. Fireclay.

1961 - Coal: Coking. Fireclay.

Employment:

Year	Total	Below	Above
1894	473	344	129
1896	481	346	135
1900	464	315	149
1905	527	385	142
1910	619	460	159
1915	463	328	135
1921	520	420	100
1925	591	480	111
1930	552	445	107
1935	448	377	71
1940	394	325	69
1945	290	233	57
1947	290	227	63
1950	288	224	64
1955	250	190	60
1960	205	170	35
1961	205	170	35

NCB Employment Figures

Colliery Management (prior to 1970)

Seams Worked:

1905 - Brockwell, Five Quarter, Stone Coal, Three Quarter

1910 - Brockwell, Five Quarter, Stone Coal, Three Quarter, Tilley

1915 - Brockwell, Five Quarter, Stone Coal, Three Quarter, Tilley

1921 - Brockwell, Five Quarter, Three Quarter, Tilley

1925 - Brockwell, Five Quarter, Stone Coal, Three Quarter, Tilley

1930 - Brockwell, Five Quarter, Stone Coal, Three Quarter, Tilley, Victoria

1935 - Brockwell, Five Quarter, Stone, Three Quarter, Tilley, Victoria

1950 - Brockwell, Five Quarter, Stone, Three Quarter, Tilley, Victoria

1955 - Brockwell, Stone, Three Quarter, Tilley, Victoria

1960 - Brockwell, Victoria

1961 - Brockwell, Victoria

Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Victoria Garesfield Colliery

Notes:

1934, 01 Mar - Tilley seam abandoned

Description

The Victoria Garesfield Colliery is situated about a mile south of Garesfield, and is working the same royalties as that colliery. At both these collieries large quantities of excellent coke is made, as well as fire brick, and further developments may be expected. This colliery is being worked by Messrs. Priestman.

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!

						Barker, Alfred Royal, 21 Aug 1899, aged 26, Blacksmith, A platelayers' tram was being moved by a locomotive and the deceased, in attempting to pass from the latter to the tram while in motion, fell, and was run over by the engine [Inspection made & inquest attended]
						Barker, James, 18 Oct 1905, aged 67, Labourer, struck by set, Buried: St. Patrick's Churchyard/Cemetery, High Spen on 21 Oct 1905 [More information ...]
						Best, John, 27 Dec 1897, aged 54, Coke Drawer, The deceased was in the act of crossing over the tram way on the top of the ovens to put in one of the oven dampers, when he was knocked down by a small coal runner [Enquiries made], Buried: St. Patrick's Churchyard/Cemetery, High Spen on 30 Dec 1897
						Doran, John, 03 Mar 1936, (accident: 24 Feb 1936), aged 34, Hewer, died from injuries received
						Drummond, J., 26 Nov 1942, (accident: 28 Sep 1942), aged 57, Charge Hand, killed by a fall of stone
						Gardner, William, 23 Dec 1926, aged 45, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone
						Henderson, Thomas, 21 Oct 1901, aged 16, Driver, The deceased was illegally riding on an incline set when a full tub ran amain over the bank-head, and collided with the set. The boy at the bank-head had omitted to close the chock provided [Inspection made & inquest attended], Buried: St. Patrick's Churchyard/Cemetery, High Spen on 24 Oct 1901
						Laverty, Willie, 24 Oct 1902, aged 13, Buried: Sacred Heart Churchyard, Byermoor
						Laws, Anthony, 21 Mar 1888, aged 46, Engine-plane man, on engine plane; a set had drawn some timber and caused a fall; when deceased and others were clearing it away a second fall took place
						Laythan, Henry, 11 Jan 1906, (accident: 23 Dec 1905), aged 37, Deputy, Buried: St. Patrick's Churchyard/Cemetery, High Spen on 15 Jan 1906 [More information ...]
						McCullagh, Patrick, 03 Aug 1935, aged 40, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone
						McNaughton, Bartholemew, 1936, Shifter, he died from the effects of spirochaetal jaundice caused by the presence of rats in the colliery - several men at the colliery has been taken ill with the virus. On 28 Aug 1936 his widow was awarded £600 compensation at Newcastle County Court against Priestman Collieries Ltd., Buried: St. Patrick's Churchyard/Cemetery, High Spen on 27 Jun 1935
						Stoker, Robert, 25 May 1891, 10:40 a.m., 7th hour of shift, aged 50, Hewer, fall of stone from between four "slips" between the last crowntree and the face [Inspection made & Inquest attended]
						Veile, Matthew, 16 Jul 1883, aged 20, Fireman, run over by waggons on surface
						Waters, Thomas, 31 Aug 1886, aged 16, Driver, crushed between tubs
						Watson, James, 05 Jan 1930, aged 47, Stoneman, killed in a shot firing accident; he and Gilbert Featherstone had decided to light two fuses simultaneusly - contrary to the usual custom - and when one shot did not take effect, Watson ran up to check it and was caught by the second explosion

						16 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 .

more information on some of the fatalities shown above

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Victoria Garesfield Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Victoria Garesfield Colliery

Credits

Sources:

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
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
1891 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6625), 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
1897 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8819), 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
1901 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 1062), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, 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
1909 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
1910 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
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
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 Sacred Heart Churchyard, Byermoor
Headstone(s) in St. Patrick's Churchyard/Cemetery, High Spen
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

Further Research:

Research Notes for Victoria Garesfield Colliery

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