Ludworth Colliery

Research Notes

• National Coal Board — 1st Deposit
• Ref: NCB 01/X 119 — Thornley, Ludworth and Wheatley Hill collieries memorandum book (reports, abstract of leases, sections of seams, tentale rents, particulars of machinery, houses, working and sales abstracts, etc.), 1882-1883

• National Coal Board — 1st Deposit, Papers of Robert Simpson (1814-1894)
• Ref: NCB 01/RS 271A — Plans, Bundle of plans of which one or two are initialled "R.S.": provenance of others uncertain. Estates near Wingate Grange (showing owners and pits; including Littletown, Ludworth, Thornley, Wheatley Hill, Shotton, Hurworth, etc.), 1833; extract from Philip's map of geology of Yorkshire, 1853; estates belonging to George Clark in Bedlington by W. Anson (showing field names, acreages, and bore holes), 1814; Languin colliery, plans to show mode of working, with explanatory notes by T. J. Taylor, 1838; land near St. Helen's Auckland, by W. Kay, 1845; tracing of Auckland district from Lambert's map, not dated

• National Coal Board — 13th Deposit
• Ref: NCB 13/320 — Weardale Steel, Coal and Coke Company - Particulars, plan and conditions of sale, Wheatley Hill, Thornley and Ludworth Collieries, 9 August 1877

• National Coal Board — 27th Deposit
• Ref: NCB 27Interim List/54 — Analysis of wages, cost per ton and other particulars of Thornley and Ludworth Collieries, 1909-1916. Enclosed: Lease of Coal, Ironstone and Fireclay from M. H. Salvin, esq., to Weardale Steel, Coal and Coke Company, Ltd., 28 January 1922
• Ref: NCB 27Interim List/58 — Correspondence and other particulars relating to the recruitment of workers to Thornley, Ludworth and Wheatley Hill Collieries during wartime, c.1916

• National Coal Board — 33rd Deposit
• Ref: NCB 33/Box 12/18 — Colliery specification, Ludworth and Castle Eden Collieries, not dated [1954]

• Photocopies and photographs
• Ref: D/Ph 150/1 — Sale catalogues for Thornley and Ludworth Collieries, 1865
• Ref: D/Ph 150/3 — Workmens' Death Fund rules for Thornley, Ludworth and Wheatley Hill Collieries, 1930

• Miscellaneous documents
• Ref: D/X 830/8 — Copy of public notice advertising the auction sale of Wheatley Hill Colliery, Thornley Colliery and Ludworth Colliery at the Turk's Head Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne, 9 August 1877
• Ref: D/X 832/1 — Minutes of "a meeting of gentlemen interested in the formation of the London Steam Collier and Coal Company Limited" and subsequent weekly board meetings which involved such matters as the purchase of the business of Messsrs. Walton and Gowland on condition that they obtain permission for the company to berth a steamer of at least 175 feet long (7 July 1865); the purchase of Thornley and Ludworth Colliery (2 November 1866) and the establishment of a Northern Committee of directors to administer the collieries, 12 May 1865 - 9 July 1867
• Ref: D/X 832/2 — Minutes of weekly board meetings of Thornley Coal Company (renamed Hartlepool Collieries Company, 9 April 1868), concerning matters such as the affairs of Thornley and Ludworth Collieries and the associated wharf company at Hartlepool, 20 July 1867 - 29 December 1868
• Ref: D/X 832/3 — Minutes of weekly board meetings of the Hartlepool Collieries Company (formerly Thornley Coal Company), including the decision to try to sell Ludworth Colliery (14 April 1871), 4 January 1869 - 3 May 1871
• Ref: D/X 832/6 — Indexed letter book of Thornley and Ludworth Collieries, including letters from Philip Cooper, Thornley Manager; R. Balderstone and J. Clark, 3 May 1882 - 10 October 1883
• Ref: D/X 832/24 — 1 January 1871. (1) North Eastern Railway Company ; (2) Original Hartlepool Collieries Company, Ltd. Copy agreement for 7 years between (1) and (2) as to the rates for leading coal from the Thornley, Ludworth and Wheatley Hill Collieries to Hartlepool, West Hartlepool and Sunderland; 3/- per chaldron on round coals and 2/9 per chaldron on small coals to Old Hartlepool and 3/4 on round and small coal sent to West Hartlepool or Sunderland
• Ref: D/X 832/30 — Copy of the plan of Ludworth Colliery at the time of the sale, lent to Messrs. Harcourt and Macarthur, solicitors, 8 Moorgate Street, London E.C., 7 November 1871. Scale: 6 inches to 1 mile [1 : 10560]
• Ref: D/X 832/31 — Two letters to Philip Cooper, viewer, Original Hartlepool Collieries Company, Ltd., Durham, from Harcourt and Macarthur, solicitors, 8 Moorgate Street, London, E.C., enclosing proofs of particulars of sale, then of particulars and conditions of sale of Ludworth Colliery, for comment by Mr. Cooper, 20 and 21 November 1871
• Ref: D/X 832/32 — Annotated rough proof copy of the particulars of sale of Ludworth Colliery, 20 November 1871
• Ref: D/X 832/33 — Particulars and conditions of sale of Ludworth Colliery, property of the Original Hartlepool Collieries Company, Ltd., to be offered for sale by auction in one lot by Charles Brough at the Queen's Head hotel, 12 December 1871. Includes a plan of the colliery, 12 December 1871. Scale: 6 inches to 1 mile [1 : 10560]
• Ref: D/X 832/37 — Correspondence to Philip Cooper from Thomas Douglas, Peases West Colliery; William Ford, director (of the Original Hartlepool Collieries Company, Ltd.), Atcombe Court, Stroud; George Gowland, director (of the above company and of Royal Exchange Shipping Company, Ltd.); W. Lishman, Witton-le-Wear and R. Smith, secretary of the Original Hartlepool Collieries Company, Ltd., 4 New Broad Street, London, EC, concerning the preparation of a report on Thornley, Ludworth and Wheatley Hill Collieries for the board of directors, 17 June - 2 September 1875
• Ref: D/X 832/38 — Office copy of the annual report for 1875 on Thornley, Ludworth and Wheatley Hill Collieries to the directors of the Original Hartlepool Collieries Company, Ltd., by Philip Cooper, general manager, (including a report on the disastrous fire at Thornley, 8 May 1875), 1875
• Ref: D/X 832/39 — Printed report to the directors of the Original Hartlepool Collieries Company, Ltd., on the costs, sales and recommendations for the collieries of Thornley, Ludworth and Wheatley Hill by Philip Cooper, Thomas Douglas, William Lishman, June 1875
• Ref: D/X 832/40 — Letter to the members of the Original Hartlepool Collieries Company, Ltd., from R. Smith, secretary, 4 New Broad Street, with reference to the need to raise £50,000 from shareholders from debentures bearing eight per cent (in addition to the £100,000 having been provisionally subscribed) in order to complete the capital account and bring the whole of the three collieries into full working, 18 April 1876
• Ref: D/X 832/45 — Copy valuation of coal mines returns for Ludworth, Thornley and Wheatley Hill, signed by Philip Cooper, General Manager of the Original Hartlepool Collieries company, Ltd., 17 March 1879
• Ref: D/X 832/48 — Letter to Philip Cooper, Thornley, General Manager of the Original Hartlepool Collieries Company, Ltd., from Edward Johnson, Assistant Overseer, Shadforth, enclosing, for his approval, a return form for a county rate basis for Ludworth Colliery, 31 December 1878
• Ref: D/X 832/50 — Valuation of Ludworth Colliery on the proposed county rate basis by T. Fenwick Hedley and Son, valuers to the Durham County Rate Committee, Sunderland, annotated on reverse with assistant overseer's statement estimating the rateable value, May 1879
• Ref: D/X 832/51 — Copy of rate book for valuation of property, other than houses, of Ludworth, Thornley and Wheatley Hill Collieries, 1883
• Ref: D/X 832/57 — Copy of the Ludworth Colliery Bond setting out the terms for Ludworth Colliery monthly hiring, not dated [1850s]
• Ref: D/X 832/60 — Letter to Philip Cooper, Thornley Colliery, from John Ambler, concerning the Ludworth brakemen, and proposals about reduction of Sunday working, 22 October 1872
• Ref: D/X 832/71 — Correspondence to Philip Cooper, Thornley Colliery, from Theo Wood Bunning, Secretary of the Durham Coal Owners' Assocation, William Crawford, Secretary of the Durham Miners' Association, and others, concerning strikes at Wheatley Hill, Thornley and Ludworth Collieries, relating to disputes mainly about reduction, length of shift and refusing to work on Baff Saturdays, 1 May - 12 November 1874
• Ref: D/X 832/72 — Correspondence between Theo. Wood Bunning, Philip Cooper and various others, concerning the return of the Thornley men and meeting of a deputation of Ludworth men, 3-22 February 1875
• Ref: D/X 832/75 — Statement showing wages paid to shaftsmen at Thornley, Wheatley Hill and Ludworth Collieries, 22 June 1876
• Ref: D/X 832/80 — Philip Cooper's copy of a printed line drawing plan of Thornley and Ludworth collieries, showing the site of a new pit on Wheatley Hill estate, and including a diagram of a shaft showing the various seams of coal, 31 December 1867. No scale
• Ref: D/X 832/91 — Proposals and detailed estimates for proposed expenditure on refitting Thornley Colliery after the fire of June 1875, to complete Ludworth Colliery to the extent of raising pay to 500 tons a day and on completing Wheatley Hill Colliery no. 2 pit to Harvey seam, 9 June 1875
• Ref: D/X 832/94 — Letters to Mr. Ainsley from W. Potts of Wheatley Hill Colliery Office, Ferryhill (the Original Hartlepool Collieries Company, Ltd.), giving details of engines' horse power for Wheatley Hill and Ludworth Collieries, 7 and 8 March 1879
• Ref: D/X 832/143 — Plan of cottage with one room upstairs for Ludworth Colliery (referred to in specification dated 20 November 1873) with front and side elevations and ground plan, 20 November 1873. Scale: 1 inch to 4 feet [1 : 48]
• Ref: D/X 832/156 — Record book of the Haswell Plough, Ludworth, Thornley and Wheatley Hill colliery houses, including names of occupants and their periods of occupation, 1893 - 17 December 1947
• Ref: D/X 832/188 — Letter from "a friend" to George A. Curry, Thornley Colliery, informing him that a miner from No. 2 pit, and others from No. 1 pit, are selling loads of coal from Ludworth pit heaps at 7 shillings a load, while he was receiving strike pay, 8 April 1912

• User Guide 19B — Collieries
• Ref: DF/WF/37/6 — Plan, not dated