| Burnopfield Colliery | Index | Burnopfield Colliery | ||
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Burnopfield Colliery
also known as Hobson Pit
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| Location: | Burnopfield 7 miles [11 km] SW of Newcastle |
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| Map Ref: | (Sheet 88) NZ173562, 54° 54' 1" N, 1° 43' 49" W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maps: |  1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide |
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| 1951 map from the Guide to the Coalfields (Colliery Guardian) |
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| Opened: | 1742 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed: | 09 Aug 1968 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owners: | 1850's - John Bowes & Co. (Messrs. Bowes, Hutt, Wood, & Charles M. Palmer) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1860's - Marley Hill Coal Co. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1880's - John Bowes & Partners | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1890's - John Bowes & Partners Ltd. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1947 - National Coal Board (N.C.B.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Output: | 1882 - Coal. Fireclay. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1888 - Coal. Fireclay. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1890 - Coal. Fireclay. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1896 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam. Fireclay. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1902 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam. Fireclay. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1914 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1921 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam. Fireclay. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1930 - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1947 - Coal: Coking, Gas. (137,000 tons) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1950 - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1955 - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960 - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964 - Coal: Coking, Gas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Employment: |
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| NCB Employment Figures
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| Colliery Management (prior to 1955)
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| Seams Worked: | 1894 - Busty Bank, Main | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1914 - Brass Thill, Busty, Hutton, Main Coal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1921 - Brass Thill, Busty, Hutton, Main Coal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1930 - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Busty, Hutton, Main Coal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1950 - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Five Quarter, Hutton Section, Main, Shield Row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1955 - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Hutton, Section Three Quarter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960 - Brockwell, Hutton, Section, Three Quarter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964 - Brockwell, Hutton, Section, Three Quarter, Tilley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Burnopfield Colliery |
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Description
John Bowes & Partners are working the coal royalty at their Hobson pit, where the Main Coal and Busty Bank seams are met. The former is from 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches thick, and 50 fathoms from the surface, while the later is 90 fathoms deep, and 7 feet thick, with a band of fire-clay 9 to 12 feet wide in the centre ; about 140,000 tons are put out per annum, which with the coke ovens and fire brick works gives employment to 300 men and boys.
Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham
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Disasters (5 or more killed)
None Found
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Names of those killed at this colliery
Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!
Anderson, George, 22 Mar 1889, aged 54, Stoneman, explosion of powder | ||||||
Beattie, Robert, 26 Jan 1897, aged 49, Stoneman, Deceased and his marrow were altering some timber in the Busty Bank seam when some of it knocked him down and fastened him, and before he could be released the water rose round him and he was suffocated [Inspection made & inquest attended] [More information ...] | ||||||
Brown, Roger, 22 Dec 1869, aged 51, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone | ||||||
 | Brown, William, 22 Jan 1856, aged 23, killed by a fall of coal, Buried: St. Margaret of Antioch Churchyard, Tanfield | |||||
Clark, G., 30 Jun 1928, (accident: 17 Mar 1926), aged 33, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone | ||||||
| Davison, John Henry, 13 Sep 1897, (accident: 10 Sep 1897), aged 49, Hewer, He was just commencing to fill a tub, after being out of his place for a few minutes, when the fall took place and caught him. It fell from a slippery "horse-back." The deputy considered the place safe a quarter of an hour before the fall [Inquest attended], Buried: Tanfield Cemetery | |||||
Doran, John, 17 Jun 1904, aged 21, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone [More information ...] | ||||||
Kirtley, J. B., 20 Dec 1942, aged 28, Onsetter, caught by cage | ||||||
Locket, William, 20 Jan 1883, aged 41, Clay Teamer, crushed by cage at shaft top [More information ...] | ||||||
Lown, John, 14 Jul 1894, (accident: 05 Mar 1894, 2:00 a.m., 8th hour of shift), aged 63, Stoneman, On leaving the cage at the shaft top he slipped and broke his thigh. On the 14th July he died, and at the inquest the jury came to the conclusion that the deceased died from heart disease, accelerated by the accident [Inquiries made] | ||||||
Maddison, William, 10 Apr 1885, aged 55, Deputy, drawing last prop in a jud, a large stone fell on him | ||||||
McNeil, George, 12 Nov 1888, aged 22, Hewer, fall of stone in a jud | ||||||
Nicholson, T., 05 Jan 1951, (accident: 24 Aug 1944), aged 62, Shifter, died from injuries received | ||||||
O'Rourke, Austin, 19 Apr 1926, aged 18, Banksman, caught by cage and drawn into the shaft | ||||||
| Parker, John, 31 Jan 1910, aged 19, Hewer and Putter, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Burnopfield Cemetery | |||||
| Porter, Daniel, 17 Nov 1893, 11:30 p.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 20, Hewer, Deceased was engaged taking down top coal when a fall of stone occurred, knocking or canting out some props, and crushing him. The atone had been examined shortly before the accident, and considered safe and properly timbered [Inquest attended], Buried: St. James' Churchyard, Burnopfield | |||||
Wailes, Richard, 16 May 1947, Cutter, killed by a fall of coal | ||||||
Weightman, E., 25 Jan 1935, (accident: 24 Jan 1935), aged 15, Token Boy, crushed | ||||||
Wilkinson, Francis, 07 Aug 1891, 1:00 p.m., 11th hour of shift, aged 62, Horse Keeper, deceased was caught or hit by the limmers attached to a pony which he was riding, and which shied at a passing tub [Inquest attended] | ||||||
| 19 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.
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!
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Inspectors Remarks |
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| 28 Jul 1852 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | |
| 22 Jan 1856 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | fall of coal |
| 24 May 1856 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | fall of coal |
| 02 Apr 1857 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | crush by tubs |
| 18 Jun 1862 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | fall of stone |
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Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)
a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Burnopfield Colliery
list of collieries/pits etc. near to Burnopfield Colliery
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Credits
Sources:
- 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
- 1869 List of Mines
- 1869 Mines Inspectors Report
- 1880 List of Mines
- 1881 Mines Inspectors Annual Report
- 1883 Mines Inspectors Report (C 4078)
- 1885 Mines Inspectors Report (C 4760)
- 1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
- 1888 Mines Inspectors Report (C 5779), Newcastle District (No. 3) by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines, copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
- 1889 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6015)
- 1890 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
- 1891 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6625), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines, copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
- 1893 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7339), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines, copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
- 1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines, copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
- 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, copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
- 1902 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian.
- 1904 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2506)
- 1909 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
- 1910 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 5676)
- 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.
- 1955 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
- 1960 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
- 1964 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
- History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.
- Tombstone(s) in St. Margaret of Antioch Churchyard, Tanfield
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Related Links:
None found
Further Reading:
- Banners of the Durham Coalfield, Norman Emery, 1998, Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-1708-3, provides a brief history of the colliery along with the history of the associated Miners Lodge Banner
Further Research:
Research Notes for Burnopfield Colliery
