Vane Tempest Colliery

Location:

Seaham
5 miles [8 km] SSE of Sunderland

Map Ref:

(Sheet 88) NZ425503, 54° 50' 44" N, 1° 20' 17" W

Maps:

1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

1950s map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey

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

Opened:

1926

Closed:

04 Jun 1993

Sinking Started:

Dec 1923

Pits:

Tempest Pit

Vane Pit

Shaft details for Vane Tempest Colliery

Owners:

1926 - Londonderry Collieries Ltd.

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

1986 - British Coal (name change)

Output:

1930 - Coal: Gas, Steam.

1947 - Coal: Gas, Household, Manufacturing, Steam. (437,348 tons)

1950 - Coal: Gas.

1960 - Coal: Gas, Manufacturing.

1970 - Coal: Gas, Household, Manufacturing, Steam.

1975 - Coal: Gas, Household, Manufacturing, Steam.

1980 - Coal: Coking, Household, Steam.

1985 - Coal: Coking, Household, Steam.

1988 - Coal: Household, Steam.

1990 - Coal: Household, Steam.

Employment:

Year	Total	Below	Above
1927	106		106
1927	Sinking
1930	750	491	259
1940	1,460	1,100	360
1945	1,356	1,047	309
1947	1,569	1,197	372
1950	1,819	1,394	425
1960	1,756	1,388	368
1970	1,626	1,293	333
1975	1,435	1,109	326
1980	1,063	846	217
1985	1,234	851	383
1988	1,160	940	220
1988	Vane Tempest & Seaham combined
1990	1,106	910	196

NCB Employment Figures

Colliery Management (prior to 1955)

Seams Worked:

1930 - Five Quarter, Hutton, Low Main

1950 - Five Quarter, Hutton, Low Main, Main, Maudlin

1960 - Five Quarter (Coast), Low Main, Main, Maudlin

1970 - High Main, Low Main, Top Maudlin, Yard

1975 - Low Main, Yard

1980 - Low Main, Maudlin/Low Main, Yard

1985 - High Main, Seam "C", Yard

1988 - High Main, Seam "C"

1990 - High Main, Seam "C"

Notes:

1983, Jul 11 - Combined with Seaham

1992, Oct 23 - Last working shift

Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents for Vane Tempest Colliery

Description

The decision by Londonderry to sink a shaft was made public in January 1923 and work began in December. Two shafts were sunk, the Vane and Tempest, using the freezing process, and were completed in 1926.

Banners of the Durham Coalfield

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!

						Ashworth, W. H., 09 Feb 1931, aged 30, Stoneman, fell down shaft
						Atkinson, George, 15 Mar 1962, aged 17, Buried: Princess Road Cemetery, Seaham
						Brown, Gilbert, 12 Nov 1963, aged 49, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						Cattermole, W. H., 16 Dec 1942, aged 53, Hewer, run over by tubs
						Charlton, Wilfred, 13 Mar 1953, aged 54, fall of stone, address: Brough Avenue, New Seaham
						Clegg, Thomas, 20 Apr 1956, aged 64, died from injuries received, Buried: Ryhope Cemetery
						Clough, Mark, 26 Jun 1941, aged 46, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Princess Road Cemetery, Seaham
						Conn, T., 06 Jul 1937, (accident: 30 Jun 1937), aged 46, Hewer, slipped
						Douglas, Chris, 22 Apr 1941, aged 41, Engineman, caught in machinery
						Dunn, Lawrence Smith, 09 Dec 1948, aged 32, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. Matthew's Churchyard, Silksworth
						Durkin, M., 17 Oct 1934, (accident: 10 Oct 1934), aged 47, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone
						Elliott, Noman B., 30 Dec 1931, aged 32, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, left a widow and six children, address: 22 Stanley Street North, New Seaham
						Evans, James, 22 Sep 1967, aged 23, Buried: Princess Road Cemetery, Seaham
						Hedley, Thomas, 17 Oct 1960, aged 28, Buried: Ryhope Cemetery
						Hillam, William Charles, 17 Mar 1958, aged 44, killed by a fall of stone, address: Webb Avenue, New Seaham, Buried: Princess Road Cemetery, Seaham [More information ...]
						Hood, Joseph, 17 May 1951, aged 61, Buried: Princess Road Cemetery, Seaham
						Hunter, G., 07 Feb 1942, aged 33, Hewer, shock
						Kokotailo, John Frank, 17 Mar 1958, aged 36, killed by a fall of stone, address: Fern Crescent, Seaham, Buried: Princess Road Cemetery, Seaham [More information ...]
						Lawson, James D., 07 Jun 1950, aged 57, Buried: Princess Road Cemetery, Seaham
						McAndrew, H., 26 Nov 1936, aged 51, Drawer, killed by a fall of stone
						McCann, Anthony, 22 Jun 1928, aged 22, Sinker, killed by a fall of stone [More information ...]
						Mead, C. W., 09 Feb 1933, (accident: 03 Feb 1933), aged 36, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						Milford, George, 17 Sep 1936, aged 40, Buried: Christ Church Churchyard, Seaham
						Moss, Thomas, 09 May 1941, (accident: 17 Apr 1941), aged 53, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						Robinson, Derek, 07 Nov 1965, aged 21, Buried: Ryhope Cemetery
						Savage, Alexander, 19 Dec 1949, aged 38, Buried: Princess Road Cemetery, Seaham
						Sharpe, George, 07 Jun 1950, aged 52, Buried: Princess Road Cemetery, Seaham
						Watson, J. C., 27 Jul 1942, aged 51
						Watson, R., 31 May 1935, aged 55, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone

						29 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 Vane Tempest Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Vane Tempest Colliery

Credits

Sources:

1927 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
1985/6 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1988 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1990 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
The Times Newspaper
Tombstone(s) and Memorials in Christ Church Churchyard, Seaham
Tombstone(s) in Princess Road Cemetery, Seaham
Tombstone(s) in Ryhope Cemetery, Sunderland

Pictures:

Further Research:

Research Notes for Vane Tempest Colliery



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