Sheepbridge - oldminer.co.uk

The Sheepbridge ironworks were originally started by the Dunston and Barlow Company in 1857, by the year 1862 William Fowler and company had further expanded the ironworks and the hot blast and mild iron from the three furnaces was supplied to be used by John Brown and company of Sheffield for armour plating. This was tested by the military at Portsmouth on November 22nd. 1861 and was said to 'exceed every test heretofore made'.

The company was launched in 1864 by H.D.Pochin and friends. William Fowler was chairman and managing director, in 1868 J.Stores Smith became managing director with Fowler retaining the chairmanship. Charles Mc. Laren joined the board and later he became chairman. William Fowler and his father took up the leases of large amounts of land between Chesterfield and Whittington Moor and began the task of coal extraction, then Hankey a London banker joined the company partnership and part of the coal field was sub let to other companies. In 1890 the company was headed by J.Stores Smith J.P. as managing director, Mr Watkin Davis as general manager and Mr. John Hall as secretary.

As the sub leases lapsed the company began taking over the collieries and by 1871 the company worked four large collieries, the first three producing 250 tons of coal daily each. Sheepbridge colliery in the works yard. Nesfield colliery two miles away. Dunston colliery one mile away and Norwood colliery at Killamarsh producing 700-800 tons of coal daily. The four collieries employed double shafting and furnaces for ventilation until 1871. By 1896 the company also owned collieries at Langwith, Glapwell and Norwood. Of the 10,000 tons of coal produced each week, 3,000 tons were used on the works, 6,000 tons were sold and 1,000 tons were turned into coke. 2,000 men and boys were employed by the company. In 1873 the company began to work jointly with the Staveley company on a large bed of coal on the Newstead Abbey estate. This was a reflection of the financial relationship between the two companies. The Staveley Company later purchased the Sheepbridge company outright in 1955. Henry Pochin had financial interests in John Brown and company, the Sheepbridge company and the Staveley company. He was eventually to become director of many companies including these three and also deputy chairman of many more. The Staveley company and Sheepbridge company went hand in hand on many other ventures.

Nearby owned by the Derbyshire Silkstone Colliery Company but included as it was in the works yard.

The company installed a modern Guibal fan at a cost of several thousands of pounds in 1875. This would replace the furnace or other primitive forms of ventilation and was forty feet in diameter and could move 200,000 cubic feet of air per minute

Sunk 1857-8 in the works yard area to the Deep Hard seam, Sitwell coal at 54 feet, Deep Hard at 218 feet, the shaft bottom at 219 feet.

John Harley was charged with violating the 55th special rule of the Coal Mines Regulations Act at the Albert Colliery Newbold on the 5th July. The offence was that of ramming a shot after it had misfired, the defendant pleaded guilty.

He was fined 10/- plus costs.  

On Wednesday the Manager at the Albert Colliery belonging to the Derbyshire Silkstone Colliery Co. met a deputation of men at the colliery offices. He stated that the Directors had decided to give them the full advance of 2½ %on the standard rate. The deputation thanked him and afterwards a full meeting of the men was held in the Star Inn.  

Mr. Taylor was, therefore, reluctantly obliged to send word to the underground men that no one would be allowed to descend the colliery except officials until the water in question had been pumped out at Dunston colliery. It appears that the Sheepbridge Company decided on Thursday last on hearing that such a danger as might arise to recommence pumping and had been pumping ever since and getting out the water as fast as possible. The Newbold colliery which is on the rise will go on working as will almost all the surface men at Albert colliery. Immediately the danger is removed the underground men will again commence work after their long holiday.  

Henry Jackson a collier from Brampton was fined £3 including costs for assaulting James Stevenson at Barlow on the 7th inst. The men whilst working at Nesfield Colliery had a dispute about some tops in the course of which the defendant kicked Stevenson in the ribs and he hit so seriously that he was obliged to obtain medical aid.

The whole of the miners employed at the Derbyshire Silkstone's Dunston and Nesfield collieries brought their tools out of the pit on Tuesday.

Sunk near Killamarsh to the Top Hard seam at 484 feet from 1865-7 and from here to the Sitwell seam at a depth of 1057 feet in 1916. A drift was later made to the Thorncliffe seam some 300-400 yards south of the colliery.

William Granby labourer of Killamarsh in the employ of the Sheepbridge Company and working at Norwood colliery received injuries to his left forearm caused by a wheel of a wagon passing over it. It was found necessary to amputate the arm below the elbow.

The fan shaft was sunk in 1873 to the Silkstone seam at about 301 feet from the surface and the pumping shaft which was also called the Cobnar Wood colliery number three shaft was around 331feet deep into a 42 foot fault in the strata.

Colliery material to be sold on 8th September at the colliery now worked by Thomas Cartledge at Dunston – under distress for rent.  

Mr. Thomas Lister the engineer at the above works having resigned the position held by him for some years to commence colliery operations on his own account.  

The best and cheapest house coal can be had at the above colliery on Brimington Road. Best House ex pit 11/6d per ton, Seconds about half and half 8/- per ton, Slack good for engine and smiths 5/- per ton. Toll Bar fares. Apply William Eyre, Stonegravels or at the pit.   

An accident at Dunston Colliery on Tuesday morning when a pony driver named Edward Wright aged 14 employed at the colliery was knocked down by a loaded wagon and crushed about the head and legs. He was removed to Chesterfield hospital.  

Sheepbridge, Dunston Opencast 2010.

Photos show us opencasting in Dunston seam [Deep Soft] old workings date from cica. 1860 by Sheepbridge Company.

Looking towards Sheepbridge.

The small band of coal near the top is an unnamed 9 inch uneconomical seam 16 feet from the surface.

Looking directly at an air shaft centre of shot sunk from the surface and filled in with a local rubble and clay fill.

I have found the following M Hurditch of 18 Capel St., Sheffield, working a small colliery at Bakers Bank Sheepbridge employing 2 men underground in 1938.

There is little economical ironstone in this area so the prize would have been coal. The only band of ironstone to note is at about 27 yards from the surface and is only 6 inches in section.