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  Ludworth Colliery  Index  Ludworth Colliery  

Ludworth Colliery


  Description Disasters Names Local Collieries Credits  

Location: Ludworth
5½ miles [9 km] E of Durham
Map Ref: (Sheet 88) NZ362415, 54° 46' 3" N, 1° 26' 10" W
Maps: 1860s map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey
1898 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
Opened: 1837
Closed: 1931
Pits: North Pit
  Shaft details for North Pit
South Pit
  Shaft details for South Pit
  Shaft details for Ludworth Colliery
Owners: 1850's - Thornley Coal Co. (Thomas Wood, Gully, Chaytors, Burrell)
1860's - London Steam Colliery & Coal Co.
1880's - Original Hartlepool Collieries Co. Ltd.
1890's - Weardale Iron Co. Ltd.
Output: 1873 - Coal.
1888 - Coal.
1896 - Coal: Gas, Manufacturing, Steam.
1914 - Coal.
1921 - Coal.
1923 - Coal.
1924 - Coal.
1925 - Coal.
Employment:
Year Pit  Total Below Above
1854Working
1869Sinking
1884Standing
189622116952
190244
1902Coal drawing is suspended
1914674522
192123318449
1923321616
1924401723
1924Standing
1925401822
1925Standing
  Colliery Management (prior to 1955)
Seams Worked: 1894 - Low Main, Main Coal
1914 - Five Quarter
1921 - Five Quarter, Main Coal
1923 - Five Quarter, Main Coal
1924 - Five Quarter, Main Coal [Standing]
1925 - Five Quarter, Main [Standing]
    Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Ludworth Colliery
Notes:

1843 - Ludworth Colliery got coal at a depth of 840 ft.

1846 - Ludworth Colliery commenced working.

1904 - Five Quarter, Main Coal, Low Main, Hutton seams abandoned - Not profitable to work under present conditions of trade

1934 - Five Quarter seam abandoned

  Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents for Ludworth Colliery


  Summary Disasters Names Local Collieries Credits  

Description

The coal royalties in this township [Shadforth] are leased by the Marquis of Londonderry and the Weardale Iron & Coal Company. The former is the proprietor of the Sherburn Hill Colliery, and the latter are the owners of Ludworth Colliery. The "Low Main" and the "Main Coal" seam are the seams being worked at Ludworth, giving an output of 400 tons per day, and where employment is given to over 300 hands.

Ludworth, a pit village in this township, situated about half a mile east of Shadforth, contains a national school, a neat and substantial building, two chapels, and several rows of somewhat dilapidated houses.

Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham


  Summary Description Names Local Collieries Credits  

Disasters (5 or more killed)

None Found


  Summary Description Disasters Local Collieries Credits  

Names of those killed at this colliery

Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!

      

Addison, Matthew, 03 Mar 1859, aged 10, Trapper, crushed by tub and pony

     

Anderson, Irvine, 24 Dec 1844, aged 29, Who, with two others, was ascending Ludworth Pit in a corf. When it was about seven fathoms from the bottom of the shaft, it struck against the side and he was thrown out. He was recovered from the bottom of the shaft and taken home, but died three hours later from a fractured skull. The inquest into his death was held on Tuesday, 24 December [date of inquest]

      

Arkley, Thomas, 26 Dec 1899, aged 64, Screenman, Fell down dead from heart disease while at his work.

      

Atkin, Richard, 07 Aug 1924, aged 32, Pumpman, fell down shaft, Buried: St. Cuthbert's Churchyard, Shadforth

     

Berry, James, 12 Dec 1855, thrown down the shaft [More information ...]

      

Brown, William Michael, 21 Feb 1902, aged 57, Master Shifter, deceased signalled to the winding engineman to take the cage from the 5/4 to main coal seam and then attempted to get into the cage, but the engineman, not knowing there was no onsetter there, dropped the cage at once, and Brown was caught and killed [More information ...]

      

Craig, William, 06 May 1880, aged 40, Deputy, while attempting to draw a set of chocks in longwall he knocked out a wedge, and immediately a fall took place ; he neglected to set a prop, although told by another deputy to do so, as the stone was found to be bad

     

Elsdon, Joseph, 10 Jan 1845, aged 26, Sinker, fell down shaft [date of inquest] [More information ...]

     

Farrow, Joseph, 01 Mar 1848, Deputy Overman, he was crushed to death when part of the roof fell on him

      

Fletcher, John, 20 Mar 1883, aged 31, Hewer, fall of stone while working in a jud, a stone fell out next to goaf

     

Gibson, George, 23 Apr 1852, aged 35, in cage which fell down the North Pit shaft [The Durham Chronicle - 02/04/1852], Buried: St. Cuthbert's Churchyard, Shadforth [More information ...]

     

Haddick, Craig, 10 Jan 1845, aged 33, Sinker, fell down shaft [date of inquest] [More information ...]

     

Hedley, Thomas, 23 Apr 1852, aged 20, in cage which fell down the North Pit shaft [The Durham Chronicle - 02/04/1852], Buried: St. Cuthbert's Churchyard, Shadforth [More information ...]

     

Hedley, William, 23 Apr 1852, aged 24, in cage which fell down the North Pit shaft [The Durham Chronicle - 02/04/1852], Buried: St. Cuthbert's Churchyard, Shadforth [More information ...]

     

Hunter, John, 10 Jan 1845, aged 28, Sinker, fell down shaft [date of inquest] [More information ...]

      

Iley, William, 22 Feb 1878, (accident: 14 Feb 1878), aged 30, Heap Keeper, leg badly crushed between waggons while passing between them

     

Johnson, Ralph, 10 Jun 1859, aged 14, Horse Driver, killed by a fall of stone

     

Johnson, Thomas, 04 Sep 1852, aged 11, Driver, fell off the limmers attached to a laden coal-tub, his head was jammed between the off-side fore wheel and the tramplate. [The Durham Chronicle - 10/09/1852]

     

Justice, James, 05 Jun 1850, aged 66, Furnaceman, he had gone to work at 4p.m. and was found on the following morning lying 40 yards from the furnace with 'a stone of considerable weight on his legs' — his head was also injured; the roof in that area was 16 feet high

     

Kyle, Edward, 31 Jan 1916, Air Compressor Minder, he started his shift at 6 a.m. and ten hours later was found dead lying on the floor of the air compressor engine house

      

Lonsdale, William, 24 Nov 1861, aged 31, Shifter, fall of stone on horse road

     

Moor, Thomas, 13 Jan 1847, aged 26, Banksman, hit by part of the pulley wheel in a cage overwind [More information ...]

     

Morton, George, 18 Sep 1846, aged 11, Trapper, He left his door open and went to assist another lad to push a tub of coals up an incline. The cottril by which the pony was attached to the tub slipped, causing the tub to run back. Morton was jammed between a prop and another tub and died instantly

      

Porter, John, 07 Nov 1874, aged 53, Wasteman, crushed by cage at pit bottom

      

Robson, John, 08 Mar 1899, aged 63, Hewer, Died while working at the coal face from heart disease.

     

Robson, Joseph, 10 Jan 1845, aged 28, Sinker, fell down shaft [date of inquest] [More information ...]

      

Rose, Richard, 02 Oct 1878, aged 37, Labourer, severely crushed by tub at tip end by pony running away and upsetting a tub of stone on him ; he died next day

      

Stephenson, Robert, 22 Oct 1860, aged 33, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

      

Sweeny, Anthony, 18 Nov 1876, aged 12, Trapper, crushed between cage and flat sheets by getting into cage while it was in motion, contrary to rules

      

Taylor, John, 30 Jul 1893, aged 57, Labourer, Died in hospital to-day from alleged injuries received to foot while emptying a tub of stone on refuse heap a month ago. No confirmatory evidence; it appears to be an old wound.

     

Watson, William, 23 Apr 1852, aged 11, in cage which fell down the North Pit shaft [The Durham Chronicle - 02/04/1852], Buried: Thornley [More information ...]

      

White, Robert, 28 Oct 1877, (accident: 25 Oct 1877), aged 62, Mason, injury to spine by falling from scaffold while repairing smithy roof

     

Wilkinson, John, 13 Oct 1846, aged 12, While standing waiting to be drawn up from the High Main Coal seam at Ludworth Pit on 13 October, John Wilkinson, aged 12, was accidentally knocked through a hole in the brattice by the onsetter, who was taking a tub out of the cage. The boy fell down the opposite section of the shaft, a distance of about 10 fathoms, and was killed.

 
  33 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.

Some of the names of mining fatalities on this web site have been kindly provided by The Wheatley Hill History Club and are marked with .

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


  Summary Description Disasters Names Credits  

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

  a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Ludworth Colliery

  list of collieries/pits etc. near to Ludworth Colliery


  Summary Description Disasters Names Local Collieries  

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
  • 1859 Mines Inspectors Report
  • 1860 Mines Inspectors Report
  • 1861 Mines Inspectors Report
  • 1869 List of Mines
  • 1873-4 List of Mines
  • 1874 Mines Inspectors Report (C 1216)
  • 1876 Mines Inspectors Report (C 1734)
  • 1877 Mines Inspectors Report (C 2003)
  • 1878 Mines Inspectors Report (C 2321
  • 1880 List of Mines
  • 1880 Mines Inspectors Report (C 2903)
  • 1881 Mines Inspectors Annual Report
  • 1883 Mines Inspectors Report (C 4078)
  • 1884 List of Mines
  • 1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • 1890 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • 1893 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7339), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, from a 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
  • 1899 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 134), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, from a 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
  • 1902 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 1590)
  • 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
  • 1923 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • 1924 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • 1925 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
  • An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Volume L-R, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1887
  • Contributions by members of the Public
  • History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.
  • Victoria History of the Counties of England – Durham. Published in three volumes in 1907.

  Summary Description Disasters Names Local Collieries Credits  

Related Links:

On this site
 Newspaper articles
External sites
 The Wheatley Hill History Club
 The Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre

Further Reading:

  • The Weardale Steel, Coal & Coke Co., 1914-1947, Published by The Wheatley Hill History Group, Aug. 2005, ISBN 1-900456-19-2
  • The Weardale Steel, Coal & Coke Co., 1886-1913, Published by The Wheatley Hill History Group, Sept. 2004, ISBN 1-900456-16-8

Further Research:

  Research Notes for Ludworth Colliery

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Page last updated: 25 Jun 2008


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