West Thornley Colliery

Location:

nr. Tow Law
9 miles [15 km] WSW of Durham

Map Ref:

(Sheet 92) NZ133386, 54° 44' 32" N, 1° 47' 36" W

Maps:

1898 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

1949 map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey

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

Opened:

1890s

Closed:

06 Nov 1965

Owners:

1850's - Attwood & Co.

1860's - Weardale Iron & Coal Co. Ltd.

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

Output:

1873 - Coal.

1888 - Coal.

1896 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing.

1902 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing.

1914 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing.

1921 - Coal: Manufacturing.

1925 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing.

1930 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing.

1934 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing.

1947 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing. (13,500 tons)

1950 - Harvey - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing.

1950 - North - Coal.

1950 - Top - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing.

1955 - Harvey - Coal: Coking, Household.

1960 - Coal: Coking, Household.

1961 - Coal: Coking, Household.

1964 - Coal: Household, Steam.

Employment:

Year	Pit	Total	Below	Above
1854		Working
1896		350	266	84
1902		384	289	95
1914		529	418	111
1921		133	109	24
1925		478	393	85
1925		Closed 05/24
1930		168	137	31
1934		14	3	11
1934		Discontinued 1931
1945	Main	45	30	15
1947		51	38	13
1950	Harvey	65	50	15
1950	Top	Abandoned 6/49
	Total	65	50	15
1955	Harvey	75	63	12
1960		49	44	5
1961		50	44	6
1964		60	56	4

NCB Employment Figures

Colliery Management (prior to 1958)

Seams Worked:

1894 - Ballarat, Five Quarter, Main Coal, Three Quarter, Top Coal

1914 - Ballarat, Brass Thill, Five Quarter, Harvey, Main, Top, Victoria

1921 - Ballarat, Brass Thill, Five Quarter, Harvey, Main Top, Victoria

1925 - Brass Thill, Five Quarter, Harvey, Victoria [Closed 05/24]

1930 - Brass Thill, Five Quarter, Harvey, Main, Top Coal

1934 - Brass Thill, Five Quarter, Harvey, Main, Top [Discontinued 1931]

1950 - Harvey - Harvey

1950 - North - Harvey

1950 - Top - Top [Abandoned 6/49]

1955 - Harvey - Harvey

1960 - Harvey

1961 - Harvey

1964 - Harvey

Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for West Thornley Colliery

Notes:

1929, 13 May - Victoria seam abandoned

1934 - Main, Five Quarter seams abandoned

1944, Dec - Five Quarter seam abandoned

1947, Nov - Main seam abandoned

1949, Jun - Top seam abandoned

Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents for West Thornley Colliery

Description

Coal is wrought in this parish [Thornley] by the Weardale Iron and Coal Company at their West Thornley colliery. Here the same seams are worked as in their Black Prince colliery at Tow Law [Ballarat, Five Quarter, Top Coal, Main Coal], with the addition of the Three Quarter seam, which is met at the depth of 54 feet above the Ballarat, the total depth of the shaft being 25 fathoms. There are about 350 men and boys employed in coal getting and coke making when the pit is in working order.

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!

						Charlton, Edward, 27 Dec 1891, (accident: 22 Dec 1891, 5:00 p.m., 10th hour of shift), aged 72, Screenman, severe shock by falling off pit heap screens
						Collins, Fred, 26 Apr 1903, aged 36, Stoneman, alleged to have died from an injury received in the mine, but a post-mortem examination showed death was due to natural causes
						Dixon, Oswald, 15 Dec 1916, aged 14, Driver, killed through being crushed between a tub and the side
						Graham, James, 21 May 1909, aged 53, Shifter, He and his marrow were engaged enlarging a road to make room for a tank, when a flat triangular stone fell from a slip on to him
						Graham, William, 25 Dec 1897, (accident: 23 Dec 1897), aged 54, Hewer, Head severely cut, collar bone broken, and spine injured by a fall of stone from the roof of his working place. Died on the 25th [More information ...]
						Harper, Thomas, 06 Apr 1891, aged 60, Coke Drawer, died from heart disease while at work this morning
						Kelly, John, 15 Feb 1868, aged 12, Helper Up, crushed between tub and roof, he had only worked two days
						Little, Thomas, 28 May 1910, (accident: 06 Jan 1910), aged 63, Hewer, Whilst hewing, a small piece of stone fell on to the back of his neck. He put himself under medical care and did not work again. He died on 28th May, and an inquest was held on 30th May. After hearing the medical evidence, the jury found that Little died from convulsive fits directly or indirectly resulting from accidental injury received whilst at work on 6th January
						McEvoy, Charles, 11 Nov 1910, aged 36, Hewer, He was working in a narrow place where the coal was 2 feet thick and 8 inches of bottom stone, and 10 inches of top stone were taken away by the hewer to make height. Whilst sitting hewing just under the brow of his top canch a large post stone fell out of the roof on to him. The stone was 4 feet thick and was bounded on all sides by slips. The place was well timbered and it is difficult to suggest how the accident could have been prevented
						Murray, Thomas Henry, 03 Sep 1894, (accident: 01 Sep 1894, 10:00 a.m., 6th hour of shift), aged 16, Driver, Head and body severely crushed by tubs running amain on incline. Died on the 3rd instant [More information ...]
						Pollet, Samuel, 18 Jan 1876, aged 19, Collier, fall of a large stone from the roof on his bord
						Proud, Richard, 27 Dec 1886, (accident: 21 Dec 1886), aged 28, Hewer, broken thigh and severely crushed by a fall of top coal
						Spencer, George Nicholas, 04 Aug 1938, aged 45, Filler, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Tow Law Cemetery
						Stokes, James, 05 Apr 1889, aged 32, Hewer, died from apoplexy while following his employment; he had been ailing for some time; no inquest held
						Sugden, Thomas, 08 Oct 1874, aged 18, Engineman, caught by revolving shaft of an underground pumping engine
						Wilson, John, 15 Jan 1917, (accident: 11 Jan 1917), aged 43, Hewer, he had been taking out another man's tub, and also allowed him to fire his shot. About two tons of coal came away and severely injured Wilson. He was taken to Newcastle Infirmary where he died on 15th Jan. It was against pit rules for a man to fire any other workmen's shot

						16 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.

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 .

Some of the names of mining fatalities on this web site have been extracted from material deposited at the North East England Mining Archive and Research Centre (NEEMARC) — principally the records of the Durham Miners' Association 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 West Thornley Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to West Thornley Colliery

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
1868 Mines Inspectors Report
1869 List of Mines
1873-4 List of Mines
1874 Mines Inspectors Report (C 1216)
1876 Mines Inspectors Report (C 1734)
1880 List of Mines
1881 Mines Inspectors Annual Report
1884 List of Mines
1886 Mines Inspectors Report (C 5090)
1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a 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), Durham District (No. 4) by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), 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
1897 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8819), 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
1903 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2119), Durham District (No. 4) by R. D. Bain, H.M. Inspector of Mines, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
1909 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
1909 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 5177)
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
1925 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
1934 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
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
1961 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1964 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
NEEMARC - Ref: NUMDA/1/6/42, D.M.A. Minutes, Circulars etc. for 1917 (one volume: covers Jan-Jun)
Banners of the Durham Coalfield, Norman Emery, 1998, Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-1708-3
Contributions by members of the Public
History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.
Tombstone(s) in Tow Law Cemetery

Pictures:

Further Research:

Research Notes for West Thornley Colliery



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: 29 Nov 2008	Search	Print