ann
Trainee
Posts: 26
|
Post by ann on Feb 22, 2015 12:19:25 GMT -5
Both my grandfather and great grandfather worked at Dodworth (great granddad was a horse keeper) I know from my dad that the pit was referred to as Church Lane Pit, but seems to have changed it's name as time went on to Old Silkstone and then to Dodworth.
Could someone position when these changes happened please and confirm that they are one and the same pit?
|
|
|
Post by dazbt on Feb 22, 2015 16:20:23 GMT -5
Both my grandfather and great grandfather worked at Dodworth (great granddad was a horse keeper) I know from my dad that the pit was referred to as Church Lane Pit, but seems to have changed it's name as time went on to Old Silkstone and then to Dodworth.
Could someone position when these changes happened please and confirm that they are one and the same pit? Ann, I believe that Dodworth Colliery was known as Church Lane Colliery at one point, probably to define it from several other collieries within the Dodworth area. This is from memory because I'm away from home and my books at the moment, but I believe that at some point the original Dodworth Colliery was owned by The Old Silkstone Collieries Ltd and the name may have been applied to the particular pit. There was a separate drift mine called Higham Drift but also known as New Silkstone, it was eventually linked to the Dodworth pit, I recall working at Dodworth, riding the shaft there and walking quite a distance before passing the bottom of Higham Drift and being able to see daylight when looking up it, obviously being used as a downcast.
|
|
ann
Trainee
Posts: 26
|
Post by ann on Feb 22, 2015 17:48:46 GMT -5
Thanks for this dazbt. I must go through my family history stuff as Higham rings a bell and I can't remember why now! Seem to think it might have been on a census as a place of birth or a village where they were living at the time? I'm going back a long way with this - granddad was born in 1874 and great granddad in the 1840's and I only heard dad talk of Church Lane as where they worked - I've since heard Old Silkstone and Dodworth mentioned hence wondered if it was all the same place. Have got a couple of pit tokens - one Old Silkstone and the other Dodworth - me being a bit fanciful and liking to have something that was down granddad's pit! Just need Church Lane for the full set!
|
|
|
Post by dazbt on Feb 23, 2015 8:39:10 GMT -5
A little bit more;
Had chance to have a “lookup” in ‘The South Yorkshire Coalfield’ a history and development written by Alan Hill;
Can confirm firstly that Dodworth Colliery and Church Lane Colliery were one and the same, the two original shafts were sunk in 1857 by Messrs Charlesworth, both shafts 12’dia and reaching the Silkstone Seam at 205yards depth, there was a third shaft to the Flockton Seam at a depth of 77yards in close proximity.
Dodworth was connected to the earlier Higham Colliery that was owned by The Old Silkstone and Dodworth Coal and Iron Co.Ltd.
In 1862 the colliery was sold to The Old Silkstone and Dodworth Coal and Iron Co.Ltd who sank yet another shaft in 1872 / 1873 to the Parkgate Seam at a depth of 120yards.
In 1879 the colliery was flooded and closed until being reopened by The Old Silkstone Collieries Ltd who held ownership until Vesting.
In the 1950s Dodworth Colliery was being worked as three units incorporating The Rob Royd Colliery and Redbrook Colliery.
In 1982 Redbrook Colliery was revamped and a new upcast shaft was sunk and used as a man riding shaft for Dodworth miners now working faces in close proximity.
In 1985 Dodworth as a production unit was earmarked for closure but in 1987 as a last ditch attempt all Dodworth miners were transferred to the Redbrook unit without much success the Redbrook unit was closed shortly after in the same year.
|
|
ann
Trainee
Posts: 26
|
Post by ann on Feb 23, 2015 9:21:05 GMT -5
Thank you so much for all your trouble with that - that's brilliant! And that's stirred another memory for me - dad spoke of Rob Royd. Back in the 1970's dad took me back to where he was born and had grown up - Kingstone Place and we walked down a footpath signposted Dodworth and Gilroyd down by the "yellow water". Sadly we lost dad 8 years ago and there's so much stuff I'd like to be able to share with him.
|
|