Blackhall Colliery

Location:

Blackhall
12 miles [19 km] SSE of Sunderland

Map Ref:

(Sheet 93) NZ461396, 54° 44' 57" N, 1° 17' 1" W

Maps:

1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

1929 map from Horden Collieries Ltd. Information Booklet, shows the royalty and their collieries

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

Opened:

1909

Closed:

16 Apr 1981

Owners:

1909 - Horden Collieries Ltd.

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

Output:

1921 - Coal.

1930 - Coal: Gas, Household, Manufacturing, Steam.

1947 - Coal: Bunker, Coking, Gas, Household. (592,467 tons)

1950 - Coal: Bunker, Gas, Household, Manufacturing, Steam.

1960 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Household, Steam.

1970 - Coal: Gas, Household, Steam.

1975 - Coal: Gas, Household, Steam.

1980 - Coal: Coking, Household, Steam.

Employment:

Year	Total	Below	Above
1914	673	464	209
1921	1,418	1,131	287
1930	2,445	1,930	515
1940	2,300	1,784	516
1945	2,356	1,841	515
1947	2,388	1,838	550
1950	2,490	2,006	484
1960	2,106	1,732	374
1970	1,709	1,369	340
1975	1,450	1,158	292
1980	1,353	1,115	238

NCB Employment Figures

Colliery Management (prior to 1955)

Seams Worked:

1914 - Five Quarter, Low Main

1921 - Five Quarter, Hutton, Low Main, Main

1930 - Five Quarter, Hutton, Low Main, Main

1950 - Five Quarter, Hutton, Low Main, Main

1960 - Five Quarter, Hutton, Low Main, Top Hutton

1970 - Harvey, Hutton, Low Main, Yard

1975 - Hutton, Low Main

1980 - Low Main

Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Blackhall Colliery

Notes:

1894 - A deep diamond bore was put down at Blackhalls, in the township of Monk Hesleden, from the surface to below the Brockwell Seam for the Horden Collieries, Limited.

1967 - Five Quarter or Main 'F' seam abandoned

1970 - Main Coal or Yard 'G' seam abandoned

1973 - Harvey 'N' seam abandoned

1974 - Hutton 'L' seam abandoned

Description

Coal drawing was commenced in 1914 and the output now exceeds 3,350 tons per day.

The two shafts are each 22 feet in diameter and 193 fathoms in depth from the surface.

The seams at present being worked are the Main, Low Main and Hutton and vary in thickness from 3 feet to 6 feet.

Blackhall Colliery is entirely electrically operated, principally by power derived from the Horden Coke Oven Gases.

The current is received at a main transforming station at 20,000 volts and reduced to the required working pressures.

There is a large well equipped Coal Depot about half a mile South of the Colliery on the main road from which various grades of Household Coal are supplied by motor lorries direct to the residents in the neighbouring towns.

An Aerial Ropeway, as at Horden, delivers the refuse into the sea.

Horden Collieries Ltd. Information Book, 1929

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!

						Allen, Walter George, 20 Jul 1916, aged 15, Pony Driver, He was driving a pony and three tubs in the pit. Another driver saw Allen's lamp go out, and heard his shout "Back" to the pony. He was found lying with his neck broken ; he had been jammed against a prop
						Balfour, Alexander Rue, 16 Jul 1951, aged 33, Buried: St. John's Churchyard/Cemetery, Hesleden
						Barras, Norman, 21 Feb 1923, (accident: 07 Nov 1922), aged 23, Filler, died from injuries received in a fall of stone, Buried: St. John's Churchyard/Cemetery, Hesleden
						Basey, Arthur, 03 Sep 1954, aged 41, Buried: Blackhall Cemetery
						Batty, John Joseph, 23 Sep 1927, aged 45, Buried: Blackhall Cemetery
						Bird, Joseph, 12 Apr 1934, aged 50, Drawer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. Helen's Parish Church/Cemetery, Kelloe
						Brown, George, 11 Dec 1933, aged 40
						Brown, George William, 12 Jan 1935, (accident: 08 Jan 1935), aged 37, Timber Drawer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Blackhall Cemetery
						Brown, John Thomas, 01 Jun 1955, aged 50, Buried: Blackhall Cemetery
						Carling, James, 24 Jan 1934, aged 21, died from injuries received, Buried: Blackhall Cemetery
						Cartwright, Percy, 13 Jan 1927, (accident: 14 Oct 1925), aged 32, Cutter, on 14th October 1925 he sustained injuries to his spine when he was caught by a fall of stone during his bait time. He had left the face and gone back about 14 yards, the fall occurred five minutes later. He spent six months at Sunderland Royal Infirmary before being taken home where he died from his injuries on 13th January 1927
						Cave, Albert, 01 Feb 1935, (accident: 31 Jan 1935), aged 37, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						Chambers, David, 18 Sep 1923, aged 22, Filler, killed by a fall of stone
						Cowan, Stanley, 07 May 1949, aged 27
						Cowey, William, 29 Nov 1922, aged 58
						Cuthbertson, Charles, 18 Jul 1949, aged 38
						Dickinson, William, 10 Jan 1917, aged 15
						Dobson, John, 12 Jul 1916, aged 38
						Dunn, G. Patrick, 07 Jun 1940, aged 42, Labourer, killed by a fall of stone
						Feaney, Christopher, 28 Aug 1935, aged 36
						Fenn, Ernest M., 27 Feb 1925, aged 26
						Flanagan, Bernard, 02 Feb 1927, aged 41, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Blackhall Cemetery
						Fletcher, Joe, 13 Sep 1966, aged 46
						Fort, James, 07 Nov 1929, (accident: 23 Nov 1928), aged 27, Filler, killed by a fall of stone
						Foster, Joseph, 09 Jan 1923, aged 14, Haulage, died from injuries received
						Gibbon, George, 22 Feb 1934, aged 56, Drawer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Blackhall Cemetery
						Gill, Joseph C., 22 Jan 1944, (accident: 14 Jan 1944), aged 41, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal
						Gorton, Matthew, 19 May 1928, (accident: 11 May 1928), aged 54, Deputy, killed by a fall of coal
						Grand, John (Jack), 16 Dec 1952, aged 62, cremated at Sunderland Crematorium
						Hall, George, 17 Dec 1940, aged 40
						Hannant, W. Jimmy, 07 Apr 1981, aged 57
						Harrison, Len, 12 Jun 1917, aged 35
						Harrison, R., 14 Oct 1949, (accident: 15 Sep 1947), aged 41, Bricklayer, died from injuries received
						Iverson, Christopher, 24 Aug 1920, aged 14
						Jones, Stan, 13 Jul 1929, aged 15, Landing Lad, run over
						Lowther, Christopher, 19 Oct 1913, (accident: 08 Oct 1913), aged 28, Sinker, deceased along with another man was setting a pair of gears in one of the winnings, when a stone came over the balk, inflicting injuries from which he died on 19th October
						Mansfield, C. E., 08 Aug 1970, aged 49
						Mawson, John R., 14 Apr 1950, aged 59
						Montgomery, -, 1930
						Moses, John W., 07 Apr 1932, aged 49
						Mudd, J., 16 Mar 1949, (accident: 21 Mar 1944), aged 58, Shifter, died from injuries received
						Neasham, George, 10 Mar 1933, aged 20, Buried: Blackhall Cemetery
						Owens, Jonnie, Jun 1974, aged 50
						Preston, William, 09 Jul 1951, aged 61
						Richardson, Robert, 26 Apr 1946, aged 47, Stoneman, died from injuries received, Buried: Blackhall Cemetery
						Roxborough, Thomas Norman, 17 Nov 1939, (accident: 16 Nov 1939), aged 28, Waggonway Man, caught with set rope, Buried: St. John's Churchyard/Cemetery, Hesleden
						Rumney, J., 23 Dec 1944, (accident: 14 Nov 1943), aged 21, Haulage Worker, died from injuries received
						Scott, William, 19 Jan 1980, aged 40
						Smith, Allan, 14 Dec 1946, aged 43
						Smith, J., 20 Jun 1946, (accident: 17 May 1946), aged 64, Stoneman, died from injuries received
						Smith, John, 08 Aug 1949, aged 38, Buried: Blackhall Cemetery
						Stead, M., 08 Feb 1951, (accident: 16 Nov 1946), aged 62, Stoneman, died from injuries received
						Stephenson, John J., 09 Oct 1953, aged 43
						Stokell, Robert, 19 Mar 1926, aged 27, Hewer, Buried: Blackhall Cemetery
						Storey, Robert, 07 Aug 1916, aged 30
						Sykes, George W., 01 Aug 1940, (accident: 06 Apr 1937), aged 38, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone
						Taylor, R., 28 Jan 1948, (accident: 07 Oct 1944), aged 70, Stoneman, died from injuries received
						Todd, Joseph Parkin, 28 Jul 1917, aged 33, Buried: St. John's Churchyard/Cemetery, Hesleden
						Travis, W. A., 05 Jul 1948, (accident: 09 Mar 1938), aged 46, Filler, killed by a fall of stone
						Usher, Billy, 03 Apr 1956, aged 48
						Walker, Thomas, 10 Aug 1919, aged 35
						Watson, George, 19 Mar 1922, (accident: 16 Mar 1922), aged 26, Putter, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. John's Churchyard/Cemetery, Hesleden
						Wintersgill, George, 30 Aug 1925, (accident: 28 Aug 1925), aged 14, Rope Guider, struck by bar

						63 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.

For those names marked we have a digital photograph of the tombstone, see the information page for further details.

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 Blackhall Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Blackhall Colliery

Credits

Sources:

1913 Mines Inspectors Report
1914 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
1919 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
1921 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
1930 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
1940 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory published by Louis Cassier Co. Ltd.
1945 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
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, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
1960 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1970 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1975 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1980 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
History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.
Horden Collieries Ltd. Information Book, 1929
Tombstone(s) and Memorial in St. Helen's Parish Church/Cemetery, Kelloe
Tombstone(s) in Blackhall Cemetery
Tombstone(s) in Hesleden Cemetery
Victoria History of the Counties of England – Durham. Published in three volumes in 1907.

Pictures:

Colliery picture from Horden Collieries Ltd. Information Book, 1929

Further Research:

Research Notes for Blackhall Colliery



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