Bates Colliery

Location:

Blyth
12 miles [19 km] NNE of Newcastle

Map Ref:

(Sheet 81) NZ305823, 55° 8' 3" N, 1° 31' 23" W

Maps:

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

Opened:

Closed:

1986

Sinking Started:

1932-4

Owners:

1930's - Cowpen Coal Co. Ltd.

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

Output:

1947 - Coal: Household, Manufacturing, Steam. (310,000 tons)

1950 - Coal: Steam.

1960 - Coal: Household, Manufacturing, Steam.

1970 - Coal: Household, Manufacturing, Steam.

1975 - Coal: Household, Steam.

1980 - Coal: Household, Steam.

1985 - Coal: Household, Steam.

Employment:

Year	Total	Below	Above
1940	761	685	76
1945	1,049	748	301
1947	1,136	836	300
1950	1,242	944	298
1960	1,614	1,335	279
1970	1,915	1,548	367
1970	inc. shared services
1975	1,789	1,498	291
1980	1,730	1,420	310
1985	1,735	1,454	281

NCB Employment Figures

Colliery Management (prior to 1955)

Seams Worked:

1950 - Beaumont, Plessey

1960 - Beaumont, Plessey

1970 - Bottom Plessey, Harvey, Plessey

1975 - Harvey, Hutton, Three Quarter

1980 - Hutton, Three Quarter

1985 - Brass Thill, Hutton, Main, Three Quarter

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!

						Ball, George, 1939, [approximate date]
						Barron, Matty, 1980, killed by a longwall shearer when it came out at the end of it's cut [approximate date]
						Bell, John, 1944, [approximate date]
						Charlton, Paul, 1980, aged 21, crushed in rockfall, Brass Thill 295s winnings, son of Geordie Charlton chock fitter [approximate date]
						Craig, John, 1946, [approximate date]
						Dunn, John S., 1942, [approximate date]
						Emmerson, James T., 1941, [approximate date]
						Fawcus, Robert, 1943, [approximate date]
						Ferry, John, 1937, [approximate date]
						Fuller, James John, 1952, killed by a fall of stone [approximate date]
						Hart, James, 1944, [approximate date]
						Hepple, Cud, 1980, run over by an underground locomotive [approximate date]
						Lumley, James, 1945, [approximate date]
						McAndrews, Jimmy, 1979, Shift Charge Engineer, crushed by haulage in R21s Main Gate [approximate date]
						Mould, John E., 1941, [approximate date]
						Nelson, William E., 1942, [approximate date]
						Potts, Thomas Boyd, 18 Jul 1936, Deputy, explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Rossiter, William Henry, 1938, [approximate date]
						Stapleton, William, 1946, [approximate date]
						Thewlis, Thomas, 1944, [approximate date]
						Thornton, George, 1935, [approximate date]
						Wall, William Walker, 1934, [approximate date]
						Waterson, Thomas, 18 Jul 1936, Deputy, explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Webb, Albert I. C., 1940, [approximate date]
						Weir, John, 09 Jan 1946, aged 59, Coal Filler, killed by a fall of coal
						Wilson, Isaac, 1939, [approximate date]
						Wright, Robert, 1944, [approximate date]

						27 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

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Bates Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Bates Colliery

Credits

Sources:

1936 Mines Inspectors Report
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
1985/6 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
Contributions by members of the Public

Pictures:

Colliery picture supplied by Bob Bowerbank



Mail: Webmaster	Back	Home	Crown copyright material is reproduced under Class Licence Number C01W0000177 with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland. Copyright © 1999-2008 by The Durham Mining Museum and its contributors Registered Charity No: 1110608 Page last updated: 23 Jul 2008	Search	Print