St Helen's Colliery, Cumberland
Coal mines near Workington. The colliery occupied two sites, the older, Nos 1 and 2 pits, was between Seaton and Flimby. The second, No 3 pit (William Pit), at Siddick opened in 1880.
1861 William Mulcaster and Co. reopened and enlarged two old pits at St Helen’s, continuing them to the Cannel and Metal Bands. [1] These were Nos 1 and 2 Pits, St Helen’s Colliery, but nothing has yet come to hand about the earlier history of these pits.
1861 Census – William Mulcaster, managing partner, coal mine employing 202 men, 40 boys and 9 women.
1866 Agreement relating to royalty at Flimby between 1) Thomas Walker, Maryport and 2) William Mulcaster, Richard Bell and Thomas Westray, as the St Helens Colliery Company, Seaton.[2] Thomas Walker was one of the local land owners, along with the Earl of Lonsdale and Henry Curwen.
1869 “NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between the undersigned, Thomas Westray, Richard Bell, William Mulcaster, John Walker, Thomas Walker, Humphrey Senhouse, and Peter William Nicholson, as Colliery Proprietors and Coal Merchants, at Maryport, St. Helen's, and Workington, in the county of Cumberland, under the style or firm of the Saint Helen's Colliery Company, has been this day dissolved, so far as regards the undersigned Thomas Westray.[3]
1870 Lease of St Helen’s Colliery from 1 Jan 1870 for 21 years to William and Joshua Mulcaster, both of Flimby. Comprised No 1 and 2 Pits.[4]
1871 Census – William Mulcaster, managing partner, Crosby, Gilcrux and St Helen’s Collieries, employing 707 man, 115 boys and 75 women. His son Joshua Mulcaster, colliery owner and viewer, employing 140 men, 16 boys and 11 women.
1873 Directory entry – William Mulcaster and Co., Colliery Proprietors, St Helen’s, Flimby.[5]
1874 Pit described as being on the side of a hill and sunk 59 fathoms to the 10 quarters seam. The Slater, Ratler, Cannel and Metal Seams were also worked.[6]
1876 St Helens Colliery and Brickworks Company Limited registered 6 Nov 1876, capital £62,100, to purchase St Helen’s colliery and brickworks.[7] The initial directors were:- *William Mulcaster, sen., Maryport, Cumberland, colliery proprietor. *Richard Senhouse, Cockermouth, Cumberland. *Henry Bell, Cockermouth, Cumberland, surgeon. *Peter William Nicholson, Harrington, Cumberland. It is not known when St Helen’s Brickworks was built, but it post dates the 1864 Survey OS Map and is mentioned in a newspaper in 1873. There is no Board of Trade file in the National Archives, but a copy of the memorandum of association and articles is held in Cumbria Archives. [8]
1877 Lease of colliery assigned from William Mulcaster and Richard Senhouse to St Helens Colliery and Brickworks Company Limited.[9]
1877 Began sinking No 3 pit at Siddick.[10]
1880 No 3 pit raised first coal.[11]
1882 No 3 Pit, also known as William Pit, reached the Low Main Band, having already passed through the Cannel and Metal Bands.[12]
1887 No 1 and 2 Pits closed.[13]
1888 30 miners killed at No 3 Pit by an explosion of fire damp.[14] Directors at this time were:- Philip Wedgewood, farmer, Flimby; William Mulcaster; Humphrey P Senhouse; Augustus Helder; William McGowan and Thomas Carey.[15]
1894 A block of 24 Coppée coke ovens commissioned in June, the first in Cumberland. At the time it was reported that there were 76 bee-hive ovens in use at William Pit. An interesting note is that they still had a “Newcomen and Watts”[sic] atmospheric engine in use.[16]
1900 No 1 and 2 Pits and brickworks reopened.[17]
1900 Nos. 1 and 2 - Coal: Household, Manufacturing. Fireclay. No. 3 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Household, Steam. Fireclay.[18]
1902 Lord Lonsdale leased an area of undersea coal from the Crown and immediately re-leased it to St Helen’s Colliery and Brick Works Limited.[19]
1905 2 men killed in No 1 Pit.[20]
1908 Koppers by-product coke ovens introduced (for extraction of by-products such as benzol, tar, etc.)[21]
1909 Directors - Mr. W. McGowan, Whitehaven; Mr. H. Thompson, Aspatria ; Mr. P. Douglas, Workington; Mr. P. McNally, Workington; Mr. J. Inglis, Workington.[22]
1921 No 2 pit closed. [23]
1927 382,000 of coal raised, with more than half from undersea. [24]
1943 St Helen’s Colliery acquired by the United Steel Companies Limited. [25]
1966 Colliery closed 1 Sep 1966.[26]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ “West Cumberland Coal 1600-1982/3” by Oliver Wood
- ↑ Cumbria Archives Ref YBSC/10/1/2
- ↑ London Gazette - 1 5 June 1869
- ↑ Cumbria Archives Ref DSF/4/3
- ↑ Kelly’s Directory of Cumberland 1873
- ↑ West Cumberland Times - 23 May 1874
- ↑ Manchester Courier - 20 Nov 1876
- ↑ Cumbria Archives Ref YBSC/10/1/48
- ↑ Cumbria Archives Ref YBC/10/1/3
- ↑ Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser - 4 Dec 1877
- ↑ “West Cumberland Coal 1600-1982/3” by Oliver Wood
- ↑ Workington Free Press and Solway Pilot - 3 Jun 1882
- ↑ “West Cumberland Coal 1600-1982/3” by Oliver Wood
- ↑ “West Cumberland Coal 1600-1982/3” by Oliver Wood
- ↑ Inquest - West Cumberland Times - 19 May 1888
- ↑ Carlisle Journal - 1 Jun 1894; Maryport Advertiser - 23 Jun 1894; Whitehaven News - 28 Jun 1894; Workington Star - 29 Jun 1894
- ↑ “West Cumberland Coal 1600-1982/3” by Oliver Wood and West Cumberland Times - 7 Mar 1900
- ↑ Durham Mining Museum Website
- ↑ “West Cumberland Coal 1600-1982/3” by Oliver Wood
- ↑ Whitehaven News - 21 Sep 1905
- ↑ West Cumberland Times - 5 Sep 1908
- ↑ Workington Star - 19 Nov 1909
- ↑ “West Cumberland Coal 1600-1982/3” by Oliver Wood
- ↑ “West Cumberland Coal 1600-1982/3” by Oliver Wood
- ↑ “West Cumberland Coal 1600-1982/3” by Oliver Wood; Birmingham Daily Gazette - 28 Oct 1943
- ↑ Birmingham Daily Post - 3 Jun 1966