Mapperley Village

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Tim Bennett - When I was metal detecting in Mapperley I found a pit motty belonging to a Mr Howitt

 The Motty (Token, Mottee or Mottie) is an identity tag, the miner would collect it, with his lamp, then give it to the Banksman when he went down the pit and would hand it back to the Banksman when he came out.  If it was not handed in a search would be organised. 


Mining in West Hallam and Other Local Collieries


  • 1869 - CE Checkland became the owner of Mapperley and Stanley Collieries (Derbyshire), leased from William Drury Lowe of Locko Park.
  • 1871 - Mapperley Colliery changed hands from Checkland and Co to Glendon Iron Co
  • 1872 - Mapperley Colliery near Ilkeston (Glendon Coal and Iron Co) was sunk to work Deep Soft, Deep Hard, Piper, Low Main and Kilburn seams
  • 1876 - There was strike at Mapperley Colliery (Derbyshire) and work only resumed after 8 weeks on the Master’s terms.
  • 1883 - There was a strike lasting 4 months over reductions at Mapperley (Glendon Iron Co). Manager James Ashworth and Agent George Lewis (569) ME
  • 1885 - The Mapperley Colliery Co purchased Mapperley colliery from Glendon Iron and Coal Co
  • 1887 - Mapperley (Mapperley Colliery Co), Ilkeston, Deep Hard seam opened.
  • 1890 - There was no snap time allowed at Boythorpe, Pleasley, and Mapperley and Stanton collieries. The price of coal at the pithead was 8s 3d (41¼p) a ton. 
  • 1891 - Stanley colliery was sunk to the Kilburn seam at 219 yards (200m) (Mapperley Colliery Co)
  • 1894 - Pits in Derbyshire included Mapperley 1,2 150 and 410 yds, (137m and 375m) West Hallam, (Mapperley Colliery Co), George Spencer (1458), WC Parkin (953 S), 230, 174/106 Deep Soft, Deep Hard, Kilburn
    Stanley, Ilkeston, (Mapperley Colliery Co), B Wilson (no cert), sinking 8/2
    Stanley, Kilburn 76 yds (70m) (Derbyshire Kilburn Coal Co) and Stanley Top Drift (Derbyshire Kilburn Coal Co), Joseph Harvey (1040), 181/69 Kilburn
  • 1898 - Mapperley (Mapperley Colliery Co Ltd) – district known as ‘Old Soft coal’ was stopped suddenly in June 1892 by reason of gob fires which had broken out some time earlier. The Hard coal at 148 yards (135m) was accessed by stone drifts from the Soft coal, (abandoned 25th August 1898 by George Spencer, Agent and Manager).
  • 1899 - There was a sinking accident at Stanley Pit (Mapperley Colliery Co), when one man was killed and 4 others were injured, on 24th February 1899.
  • 1900 – Collieries working in Derbyshire included Mapperley (Mapperley Colliery Co) West Hallam, 150 & 410 yards (137m and 375m) Deep Hard (Deep Soft stood) 180, Kilburn 245/124, Manager George Spencer (1458), Under managers JM Herring (1105s) and A Clifford (2623)
    Stanley (Mapperley Colliery Co) West Hallam, Kilburn 250/49, Manager FM Brown (1135), Under manager W Bramley (515)
    Stanley (Derby Kilburn Colliery Co) and Stanley Top Drift (Derby Kilburn Colliery Co) Kilburn 150/50, Manager William H Sankey (2616), Under manager JR Harvey (1297 / 1st)
    But Mapperley No1 (Mapperley Colliery Co) Ilkeston, Deep Soft stood, no work.
  • 1903 - Sinking was completed at Stanley (Mapperley Colliery Co) but Mapperley (Mapperley Colliery Co) Deep Soft stood, no work.
  • 1904 - Mapperley Stanley pit, Dale Parish, position Longitude 1º-22’-00” and Latitude 32º-57’-49”, altitude 165 feet (50m) a. o. d. unmarketable quantities of coal. Black shale trial heads abandoned 31st Dec 1903, Manager George Spencer 12th Mar 1904
  • 1908 - Stanley changed companies from the Derby Kilburn Colliery Co to Mapperley Colliery Co in December
  • 1911 - A boy at Mapperley came before the Council. He had been out of work 14 weeks having been dismissed for breaking a pony’s jaw. The boy said that he did not injure the animal but that it suffered from an abscess. It was decided that if the boy was not reinstated the Council was to take legal proceedings. Outcome?
  • 1912 - Mapperley 1 (Mapperley Colliery Co) Piper stood, no work.
  • 1914 - Old workings were met at Mapperley in the Deep Soft seam curtailing further development in that area. It was apparent that ancient workings were not known about in quite a few instances as mentioned previously. Also Mapperley Hard coal 4’ 9” (1.45m) and Piper 4’ 9” (1.45m) stopped 16 Nov 1914, Surveyor JW Calder.
  • 1915 - Mapperley Colliery, Hard coal – Jays 2” (0.05m), scuds 10” (0.25m), wall coal 2’ 11” (0.89m), bottoms 12” (0.305m), fireclay holing 7” (0.18m), total 5’ 0” (1.52m) and Piper – coal 2’ 4” (0.71m), parting 1” (0.025m), coal 2’ 4” (0.71m), holing 6” (0.15m) total 5’ 3” (1.59m), abandoned Mar 1915, JW Calder.
  • 1919 - Thomas Severn, Under manager at Mapperley (Derbyshire) disappeared underground on 5th June 1919. He was last seen at 12.15pm turning into a slit onto the return airway from the Smalley district. No expense was spared in the hunt to find him, even dogs were taken down the pit to try to track him and also a Clairvoyant was tried, but to no avail. He was never found.
  • 1921 - Mapperley (Mapperley Colliery Co Ltd) Deep Hard, Gees 1’ 3” (0.38m), scuds 10” (0.25m), hard coal 3’ 4” (1.01m), soft coal 6” (0.15m), dark soft clunch floor, Abandoned Feb 1921, Surveyor GE Emmerson (671).
    1926 - Stanley Drift (Mapperley Colliery Co Ltd) adit and shaft, Low Main 3’ 6” (1.07m), closed. Small working opened for boiler fuel during strike, Surveyor WH Gilchrist (49)
  • 1936 - Stanley drift (Mapperley Colliery Co) opened
  • 1946 - Mapperley Colliery Co Ltd: Mapperley 533 / 187, Manager Ben Denton (2594), Stanley 225/117, Hillside 184 / 8 Manager for both Charles E Bremner-Smith (3084)
  • 1947 - Mapperley No’s 1 and 2: Agent Jim Smillie (2828), Manager Ben Denton (2594), U/m RL Hogg (2nd), 509 in Deep Soft, Piper and Low Main seams, (Kilburn abandoned in December), 219 on surface. (Ex-Mapperley Colliery Co Ltd). Output: 266,083 tons.
    Stanley including Hillside: Agent Jim Smillie (2828), Manager Charles E Bremner-Smith (3084); U/m John Hobley (2651), 402 in Low Main and Kilburn seams and 129 on surface. (Ex-Mapperley Colliery Co Ltd). Output: 187,373 tons.
    Woodside No1 (formerly Shipley); Agent Jim Smillie (2828), Manager Tommy Wright (3048), Under manager William E (Ted) Bridgett (3816), 662 men in Piper seam and 180 on surface. Field shaft: 7 men on pumping operations.
    Woodside No’s 2 and 3: Manager Tommy Wright (3048) (later Area General Manager), U/m Arthur Dennis (4207), 558 in Low Main seam and 203 on surface. (Ex-Shipley Collieries Ltd). Output: 700,800 tons.
  • 1947 - Workings from Mapperley (Derbyshire) were continued after leaving a pillar around the old Richardson’s shafts but once again met old works and a sough as they had in 1945.
    Mapperley No’s 1 and 2, (Mapperley Colliery Co or Checkland and Co) Deep Soft, Piper, Low Main and Kilburn abandoned Dec 1947
    Mapperley Wood (RM Douglas) Waterloo 2’ 6” (0.76m) and Dunsil 2’ 0” (0.61m) finished Dec 1947, 184,000 tons
  • 1954 - Record Weekly Outputs Achieved During 1954, Mapperley 9,254 tons
  • 1955 - Pithead baths were opened at Mapperley and Ormonde (Derbyshire).
  • 1958 – Record levels of coal Mapperley 9,182 tons in June
  • 1959 - The Deep Soft seam at Mapperley (Derbyshire) was finally abandoned as old shafts in the area lay in front of the proposed workings. The seam consisted: Roof Soft 4’ 6” (1.37m), clunch or Dunns 11” (0.28m), Deep Soft 4’ 10” (1.47m), clunch 11” (0.28m) and coal 5” (0.13m). 
  • 1961 - On 7th July 1961, Stanley colliery (Derbyshire) was closed after 58 years. 
    Surface drifts were driven to the Low Main in 1936 by the Mapperley Colliery Co and included Hillside (later Stanley No2) by the early 1940s. 

The pit is situated at the village of West Hallam near Ilkeston. First face started June 1941.
Highest manpower was 596 in 1949 and highest output 287,383 tons in 1956. 
This was the last mine in the district. No more walking to work for the miners who were transferred to other pits.
Seams worked

  • Kilburn -1918 and –Dec 1958
  • Low Main – Mar 1957, -1976
  • Piper 1951-1961. Originally 2 shafts were sunk in 1891 to Kilburn at 210 yards (192m). Shaft position No1: SK44SW, 442532, 340938. Stanley Piper seam opened 1951, exhausted by 7th July 1961. There were old shafts 100 yards (91m) deep.

350,000 gallons of water per day pumped. Low Main cover line to surface 30 yards (27.5m).

Output and Manpower NCB: No5 Area EMD

  • 1947: 187,373 tons, 537 men
  • 1948: 227,666 tons, 557 men
  • 1949: 252,533 tons, 596 men max
  • 1950: 227,921 tons, 556 men
  • 1951: 232,013 tons, 543 men
  • 1952: 256,030 tons, 546 men
  • 1953: 253,259 tons, 548 men
  • 1954: 251,382 tons, 554 men
  • 1955: 284,054 tons, 537 men
  • 1956: 287,383 tons max, 543 men
  • 1957: 248,192 tons, 527 men
  • 1958: 193,442 tons, 451 men
  • 1959: 161,190 tons, 355 men
  • 1960: 142,147 tons, 269 men
  • 1961: 75,691 tons, 155 men. Colliery ceased production July 1961

Agents

  • FM Brown (1135) Agent 1936-1938
  • S Barber Agent 1938-1946
  • J Smillie (2828) Agent 1947-1950
  • Ben Denton (2594) Agent 1952-

Sub-Area Managers / Group Managers

  • Eric W Potts (2131) Sub-Area Manager 1950-1952
  • P Cliff Parry Sub-Area Manager (4149) 1952-1956
  • Sam S Thornhill (3123) Group Manager 1957-1961

Managers for Stanley (and Hillside)

  • Ben Denton (2594) Manager 1936-1939
  • Charles E Bremner-Smith (3084) 1939-1949
  • FM Ball (2339) Manager 1950-1952
  • John Hobley (2651) Manager 1952-1960 (been at the same pit for almost 41 years, transferred to Woodside) 1961

Manager William

  • E Bridgett (3816).

Under managers

  • M Eyre Junior (2713) 1936-1937
  • John Hobley (2651) 1937-1952 (promoted to Manager)
  • R Harrison (2nd) 1952-1961

Surveyors: 

  • Bernard P Cullen (3163) under supervision of SEG Hill (870) Group Surveyor
  • Denis Wardingley (2441).

Bestwood (Nottinghamshire) produced a record weekly output of 25,415 tons. Also Mapperley (Derbyshire) record reached 11,586 tons with 69.1 cwts OMS.


Mapperley Colliery Closed After 93 Years

1965 - Mapperley colliery (Derbyshire) sunk to 410 yards (375m) in 1872 by the Glendon Iron Co and taken over by Mapperley Colliery Co in 1884 and was closed in March 1965 after 93 years. The pit was situated to the west of the village of Mapperley and to the north of West Hallam and southeast of Smalley. Shaft positions: SK44SW.

(Photo shows wooden cooling tower, to the right. Steam condensed into the pond beneath. At Ollerton in the 1960s - 1980s they had gold fish in the pond, two painters used to feed them, they also fed on the algae which grew along the sides)
  • No1 shaft 14’ 0” (4.26m) dia, 442303, 343364, 149½ yards (136.7m)
  • No2 shaft 10’ 0” (3.05m) dia, 442302, 343344, 408½ yards (373.5m)
  • No3 shaft 442240, 343347, 404¾ yards (370m). Water made underground from various sources was pumped to the surface.

Seams Worked

  • Deep Soft 4’ 10” (1.47m), clunch/dunns 11” (0.28m), coal 5” (0.13m) 1870-1898 (district known as Old Soft coal was suddenly abandoned in June 1892 by reason of gob fires that had broken out previously) and - Apr 1959, Roof Soft (1.37m) -10/4/1959
  • Deep Hard -1914 and -/2/1921, blue bind roof, gees 1’ 3” (0.38m), scuds 10” (0.25m), hard coal 3’ 4” (1.01m), soft coal 6” (0.15m), soft clunch floor, and 7/3/1957, signed for 14/3/1967
  • Piper coal bright 2’ 6” (0.76m), coal hard 1’ 3” (0.38m) -1913 and 1946-26/3/1965
  • Low Main 1937-26/3/1965
  • Kilburn -25/12/1947
  • Brown Rake seam, dark grey bind, ironstone balls 4” (0.10m) coal 2’ 8” (0.81m). shaley coal 5” (0.13m)
  • Clunch 3” (0.08m) 1958-2/10/1964 abandoned 20/5/1966.

Mapperley

Coppice

The workings were bounded by Stanley-Hillside (1958), West Hallam, Woodside and Coppice workings.

A connection to Coppice was made in Oct 1964. 

On 1st April 1965 Mapperley was merged with Coppice (right). Highest output ever was 471,810 tons in 1958 with 738 men. At closure there were 240 men, 12 retired, 70 men transferred to Denby Drury Lowe and 70 odd to Cossall.

3 shafts No1 DC 13 ft dia (3.96m) 140 yards (128 m) 170 tons / hour from double deck 2 x 17 cwt tubs; No2 UC 14 ft dia (4.27m) 407 yards (372m), riding to Low Main at 195 yards (178m); No3 UC 10 ft dia (3.05m) to 407 yards (372m) with electric winch to Low Main at 191 yards (175m). A Norton Tividale Baum washery 180 tons per hour was installed in 1936. Prior to 1947 the pit produced its own electricity and there was an overhead power line to Stanley. Production was mainly handfilled longwall advancing and there was some room and pillar work.

Continued

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