Post by John on May 6, 2013 8:14:36 GMT -5
This is an article sent to me by Phil Whitehead a few years ago, he wrote it and gave me permission to use it.
Worksop, as most readers will be aware, is a former coal mining town, situated in North Notts, but arguably a bit more "Yorkshire" in culture and dialect, than compared to , say Mansfield. Much nearer Sheffield than the county town of Nottingham, with easier transport links to the former; historical trade links, all these added to Worksops character. However, it is perhaps mining history of the last 150 years that has served to enable this, the town's pits and miners being regarded part of the Yorkshire coalfield.
1854 saw one of the most significant events in the history of Worksop, as the Duke of Newcastle cut the first sod on the site of the future Shireoaks Colliery.
Shireoaks Colliery provided the catalyst from which the town slowly but surely to take on the character of a heavy industrial town with an ever increasing population. The proving of the local coalfield saw coal mining become the principle local industry. By the 20th century pit headstocks dominated the landscape. Steetly Colliery was opened in 1873, followed by Manton in 1902 and Firbeck Main in 1925.
Development of Shireoaks Colliery had been a step into the unknown. Prior to this no colliery had ever been sunk into the eastern concealed coalfield. Shireoks, led the way for many later collieries to the east of Shireoaks, not only Manton, but the lucrative eastern Notts coalfield including pits, such as Bilsthorpe and Bevercotes.
Although geographically in Notts, Shireoaks, Steetley, Manton and Firbeck have always been regarded as South Yorkshire collieries. Both the miners trade unions and the owners associations are partly responsible for this. In the 1870's the Nottinghamshir Miners association was based in the Erewash and Leen Valley pits, whilst the South Yorkshire Miners Association (SYMA, later just YMA), formed in 1858, took in most pits north of Alfreton, including several in Derbyshire. The YMA was the for-runner of the NUM, Yorkshire Area.
In 1872, when the Shireoaks miners first formed their union branch, they chose to affiliate to the SMYA rather than their county association in Nottinghamshire.
Quite simply, at the time, they were far closer to other Yorkshire pits, (Kiveton Park was the nearest) than any Notts pit (Kirkby Summit, then the nearest Notts pit, was about 15 miles away). A key market was the Sheffield steel industry. Clearly they had more in common with the Yorkshire miners.
Shaft sinking had begun at Steetley in 1873 only a year after the establishment of the Shireoaks union branch. Therefor, being part of the same company and being so close by, it made sense for the shaft sinkers to be part of the Shireoaks union branch. This principle then established, as Steetley came into production it was decided that the one branch would represent both Shireoaks and Steetley miners-- the branch taking the title of Shireoaks and Steetley (Worksop) branch of the SYMA. This link stayed in place for 88 years, the two pits not setting up seperate NUM branches until 1961.
In parallel, The Shireoaks Colliery Company was one of the founder members of the South Yorkshire and Derbyshire Coal Owners Association, formed in 1874. It was, in many ways, a response to meet growing strength of the unions - acting as a sort of cartel, in particular taking collective action whenever it felt that the state of trade warranted a uniform reduction in wage rates.
When Manton and Firbeck Collieries later came on stream, it was for similar reasons of proximity and also that the YMA was already established in the locality, that miners there joined the YMA.
Over the ensuing period of mining history, the Worksop miners were solidly involved in national disputes, such as the "1893 lockout", and the 1912 strike for a minimum wage, the valiant reversals of 1921 and 1926 and the campaign for Nationalisation.
Vesting Day, 1947, saw the National Coal Board established. The four Worksop area pits then became further embraced by the Yorkshire coalfield. They became part of the No1 (Worksop) Area, of the North East Division of the NCB, along with a majority of collieries geographically in Yorkshire. The miners at these four collieries were members of the recently formed Yorkshire Area of the NUM and the NCB deemed it appropriate where arranging groups of collieries to have the hierarchy of union and Coal Board area common. Later, in 1966, the Worksop Area merged with the Rotherham Area to form the NCB's South Yorkshire Area.
The four collieries thrived and such was their local labour market dominance that in 1950 around 43% of Worksop's male employees worked in coal mining, or industries connected directly to it. The 1972 and 1974 disputes were solidly supported by Worksop miners, resulting in improved wages, a massive recruitment drive and great optimism at local collieries. Alas, it was not to continue. In 1968 Firbeck had closed due to severe geological conditions, however all miners were relocated at other local collieries. The remaining three continued to perform well and break many records. Shireoaks was the first UK pit to trial trepanner power loaders in 1955 and later investment saw the development of the Parkgate seam at Manton, underground conveyor automation at Steetley and the driving of a high capacity drift at Shireoaks.
By the early 1980's the economic landscape was changing. Steetley closed in 1983 and a year later saw the onset of the 1984/85 miners strike, which was initially supported 100% at Shireoaks and Manton, although many began to drift back from December 1984 onwards.
Shireoaks eventually closed in 1990, followed by Manton in 1994. So after nearly a century and a halfs service, the proud history of coal mining in Worksop came to a close, leaving behind many happy and sad memories. However, it is hoped that mining's heritage and community spirit will survive. As the local coal industry passes into history, the writer hopes one day to write a full history of mining in the Worksop area.
Phil Whitehead, Ex NUM Branch Official, Ex Colliery Electrician, Shireoaks Colliery.
Worksop, as most readers will be aware, is a former coal mining town, situated in North Notts, but arguably a bit more "Yorkshire" in culture and dialect, than compared to , say Mansfield. Much nearer Sheffield than the county town of Nottingham, with easier transport links to the former; historical trade links, all these added to Worksops character. However, it is perhaps mining history of the last 150 years that has served to enable this, the town's pits and miners being regarded part of the Yorkshire coalfield.
1854 saw one of the most significant events in the history of Worksop, as the Duke of Newcastle cut the first sod on the site of the future Shireoaks Colliery.
Shireoaks Colliery provided the catalyst from which the town slowly but surely to take on the character of a heavy industrial town with an ever increasing population. The proving of the local coalfield saw coal mining become the principle local industry. By the 20th century pit headstocks dominated the landscape. Steetly Colliery was opened in 1873, followed by Manton in 1902 and Firbeck Main in 1925.
Development of Shireoaks Colliery had been a step into the unknown. Prior to this no colliery had ever been sunk into the eastern concealed coalfield. Shireoks, led the way for many later collieries to the east of Shireoaks, not only Manton, but the lucrative eastern Notts coalfield including pits, such as Bilsthorpe and Bevercotes.
Although geographically in Notts, Shireoaks, Steetley, Manton and Firbeck have always been regarded as South Yorkshire collieries. Both the miners trade unions and the owners associations are partly responsible for this. In the 1870's the Nottinghamshir Miners association was based in the Erewash and Leen Valley pits, whilst the South Yorkshire Miners Association (SYMA, later just YMA), formed in 1858, took in most pits north of Alfreton, including several in Derbyshire. The YMA was the for-runner of the NUM, Yorkshire Area.
In 1872, when the Shireoaks miners first formed their union branch, they chose to affiliate to the SMYA rather than their county association in Nottinghamshire.
Quite simply, at the time, they were far closer to other Yorkshire pits, (Kiveton Park was the nearest) than any Notts pit (Kirkby Summit, then the nearest Notts pit, was about 15 miles away). A key market was the Sheffield steel industry. Clearly they had more in common with the Yorkshire miners.
Shaft sinking had begun at Steetley in 1873 only a year after the establishment of the Shireoaks union branch. Therefor, being part of the same company and being so close by, it made sense for the shaft sinkers to be part of the Shireoaks union branch. This principle then established, as Steetley came into production it was decided that the one branch would represent both Shireoaks and Steetley miners-- the branch taking the title of Shireoaks and Steetley (Worksop) branch of the SYMA. This link stayed in place for 88 years, the two pits not setting up seperate NUM branches until 1961.
In parallel, The Shireoaks Colliery Company was one of the founder members of the South Yorkshire and Derbyshire Coal Owners Association, formed in 1874. It was, in many ways, a response to meet growing strength of the unions - acting as a sort of cartel, in particular taking collective action whenever it felt that the state of trade warranted a uniform reduction in wage rates.
When Manton and Firbeck Collieries later came on stream, it was for similar reasons of proximity and also that the YMA was already established in the locality, that miners there joined the YMA.
Over the ensuing period of mining history, the Worksop miners were solidly involved in national disputes, such as the "1893 lockout", and the 1912 strike for a minimum wage, the valiant reversals of 1921 and 1926 and the campaign for Nationalisation.
Vesting Day, 1947, saw the National Coal Board established. The four Worksop area pits then became further embraced by the Yorkshire coalfield. They became part of the No1 (Worksop) Area, of the North East Division of the NCB, along with a majority of collieries geographically in Yorkshire. The miners at these four collieries were members of the recently formed Yorkshire Area of the NUM and the NCB deemed it appropriate where arranging groups of collieries to have the hierarchy of union and Coal Board area common. Later, in 1966, the Worksop Area merged with the Rotherham Area to form the NCB's South Yorkshire Area.
The four collieries thrived and such was their local labour market dominance that in 1950 around 43% of Worksop's male employees worked in coal mining, or industries connected directly to it. The 1972 and 1974 disputes were solidly supported by Worksop miners, resulting in improved wages, a massive recruitment drive and great optimism at local collieries. Alas, it was not to continue. In 1968 Firbeck had closed due to severe geological conditions, however all miners were relocated at other local collieries. The remaining three continued to perform well and break many records. Shireoaks was the first UK pit to trial trepanner power loaders in 1955 and later investment saw the development of the Parkgate seam at Manton, underground conveyor automation at Steetley and the driving of a high capacity drift at Shireoaks.
By the early 1980's the economic landscape was changing. Steetley closed in 1983 and a year later saw the onset of the 1984/85 miners strike, which was initially supported 100% at Shireoaks and Manton, although many began to drift back from December 1984 onwards.
Shireoaks eventually closed in 1990, followed by Manton in 1994. So after nearly a century and a halfs service, the proud history of coal mining in Worksop came to a close, leaving behind many happy and sad memories. However, it is hoped that mining's heritage and community spirit will survive. As the local coal industry passes into history, the writer hopes one day to write a full history of mining in the Worksop area.
Phil Whitehead, Ex NUM Branch Official, Ex Colliery Electrician, Shireoaks Colliery.
