Howden Colliery	Index	Howden Colliery

Location:	Howden-le-Wear 8½ miles [14 km] SW of Durham
Map Ref:	(Sheet 92) NZ165336, 54° 41' 49" N, 1° 44' 38" W
Maps:	1898 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
Opened:
Closed:	04 Sep 1907
Owners:	1860's - G. Hutchinson & Co.
	1880's - Howden Coal & Brick Co.
	1880's - Chapman, Morson & Co. Ltd.
	1890's - North Bitchburn Coal Co. Ltd.
	1910's - Auckland Rural District Council
Output:	1873 - Coal.
	1888 - Coal.
	1896 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing. Fireclay.
	1902 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing. Fireclay.
Employment:	1896 - 262 (187 below, 75 surface)
	1902 - 168 (125 below, 43 surface)
	Colliery Management (prior to 1955)
Seams Worked:	1894 - Ballarat, Constantine, Five Quarter, Harvey
	Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Howden Colliery
Notes:	1908 - Harvey, Constantine, Ballarat, Five Quarter, Top Main seams abandoned

Description

In this township [Witton-le-Wear] coal is and has for may years been extensively worked, and stone is also quarried at Harperley. The principal colliery is that worked by the North Bitchburn Coal Co., which was sunk in 1845, and now working the following seams : "the Harvey," 2 ft. 4 in. ; "Constantine," 2 ft. ; "Ballarat," 1 ft. 8 in. ; the "Five Quarter," 2 ft. 8 in. ; and the Brockwell, 4 ft. 3 in. These seams are marked by drifts. The output, 700 tons per day, is principally converted into coke here. There are also fire brick and sanitary pipe works in conjunction with this colliery, which are provided with clay from this pit ; and in all there are 700 men and boys employed.

The inhabitants of the villages of High Grange, North Bitchburn, Quarryburn, and Valley Terrace, are employed by this company. Howden colliery, also in this township, is worked by the same company, and comprises the same seams, excepting the "Brockwell." Here 250 tons per day are drawn, employing 250 men. A Hargill Hill the Brockwell seam, 6 feet, is being worked as a landsale pit by Mr. J. Proud.

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!

						Alderson, George R., 10 Feb 1890, aged 14, Driver, fell off limbers and was run over by a set of tubs
						Davis, Thomas, 03 Sep 1888, aged 37, Hewer, fall of roof from a slip, breaking down some props
						Dixon, Frederick, 27 Jan 1906, (accident: 22 Sep 1905), aged 20, Hewer, He was hewing in a broken lift when a "bell" fell from the roof and broke his back. He died on 27th January, 1906.
						Hunter, Edward, 14 Apr 1899, aged 48, Miner, Killed by a fall of stone from the roof of his working place. He and his marrow had tried to get the stone down, but could not do so; they then, without setting timber under the stone, as they should have done, started to hew, and it fell very soon afterwards.
						Price, William, 15 Apr 1879, aged 56, Collier, fall of stone while working in a long wall
						Stonehouse, James, 23 Dec 1882, aged 23, Hewer, fall of stone next to a loose end breaker [Inquest: 25 Dec 1882]
						Sykes, Benjamin, 11 Apr 1859, aged 16, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone from roof
						Tolson, Richard, 15 Dec 1885, aged 40, Hewer, fall of a large stone
						Yarker, John, 20 Jul 1875, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						9 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.

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Date							Inspectors Remarks
27 May 1853	–	–	–	1	–	1

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

  a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Howden Colliery

  list of collieries/pits etc. near to Howden Colliery

Credits

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Further Research:

  Research Notes for Howden Colliery