FEATHERSTONE MAIN
COLLIERY
In 1868 George Bradley
leased 948 acres of his Ackton Hall estate to George Shaw, a rich Sheffield
man. The lease was granted for 60 years to extract the coal from the Stanley Main Seam with the
option of taking a lease on the Haigh Moor Seam below. George Shaw agreed to
pay a royalty of sixpence on each ton of coal, and after seven years a minimum
rent of £1,000. Shaft sinking began straight away and it was named Featherstone
Colliery.
George Shaw died
in 1870 leaving his son John Shaw as beneficiary. He gave notice in 1871 to George
Bradley of his intention to take up the lease on the Haigh Moor Seam, but
George Bradley refused to grant it, no doubt wanting to keep that good coal for
his own colliery. John Shaw changed the name of his colliery to Featherstone
Main in 1871, perhaps to upstage George Bradley's proposed colliery about to
be started.
George Bradley
took the dispute over the Haigh Moor Seam to the Court of Chancery in 1873
where he sought to have the agreement overturned because John Shaw was not a
proper party to the contract, and the time for taking up the lease had expired.
The Master of the Rolls ruled against George Bradley on both counts and the way
was open for the expansion of John Shaw's colliery. In 1907 the colliery became
part of the South Kirkby, Featherstone and Hemsworth Collieries Ltd. The two maps are from the Ordnance Survey series.
A map of the colliery in 1890.
All ten black and white photos are from postcards.
The access road and footpath from Green Lane was a dirt track
Featherstone Main Colliery from Featherstone Lane.
During the period of the 1914-18 Great War 900 of the workers joined the Forces and 76 died.
The colliery probably reached its maximum output in 1924 when 2,095 men and boys were employed underground and 480 on the surface. Parts of the Stanley Main and Warren House seams were closed as uneconomical in 1930 throwing about 400 men and boys on the dole.
The coal seams had bands of shale in them which were difficult to separate and there were constant disputes between colliers and management about the amount of shale and stone sent out with the coal. (Note: It was called dirt hence dirt tips or muckstacks.) There were often strikes over the percentage allowed and in 1935 things came to a head.
The Featherstone Main miners decided on a strike because they considered the management wanted to deduct more money than they though fair for the amount of dirt sent out with the coal. The miners at South Kirkby, Ackton Hall and Hemsworth all voted to back them. The management said Featherstone Main Colliery had been run at a loss for some time and if the men handed in their strike notice the mine would be closed. The men thought it was a bluff and went on strike, but it wasn't a bluff and it was announced the mine would not reopen for work and salvage operations would start.
Because it was a wet pit and there were underground connections to Ackton Hall and Snydale Collieries the shafts were kept in operation and the shaftmen from Ackton Hall Colliery went at regular intervals to pump the water out. Many of the surface buildings were retained and used to repair Ackton Hall's wooden wagons and reclaim copper from old electric cables.
Snydale Colliery closed in 1965 and it was decided to put in a water dam in the connection to Ackton Hall Colliery and fill in the shafts at Featherstone Main. The site was partly cleared but some buildings remained and were used by private companies. Photo - Dr J Gatecliff.
The coal seams had bands of shale in them which were difficult to separate and there were constant disputes between colliers and management about the amount of shale and stone sent out with the coal. (Note: It was called dirt hence dirt tips or muckstacks.) There were often strikes over the percentage allowed and in 1935 things came to a head.
The Featherstone Main miners decided on a strike because they considered the management wanted to deduct more money than they though fair for the amount of dirt sent out with the coal. The miners at South Kirkby, Ackton Hall and Hemsworth all voted to back them. The management said Featherstone Main Colliery had been run at a loss for some time and if the men handed in their strike notice the mine would be closed. The men thought it was a bluff and went on strike, but it wasn't a bluff and it was announced the mine would not reopen for work and salvage operations would start.
Because it was a wet pit and there were underground connections to Ackton Hall and Snydale Collieries the shafts were kept in operation and the shaftmen from Ackton Hall Colliery went at regular intervals to pump the water out. Many of the surface buildings were retained and used to repair Ackton Hall's wooden wagons and reclaim copper from old electric cables.
Snydale Colliery closed in 1965 and it was decided to put in a water dam in the connection to Ackton Hall Colliery and fill in the shafts at Featherstone Main. The site was partly cleared but some buildings remained and were used by private companies. Photo - Dr J Gatecliff.
One of the muckstacks 50 years after the pit closed. Photo - Dr Gatecliff.
_NEW.jpg)
This photo, taken from North Featherstone by Dr Gatecliff, shows the Featherstone Main muckstacks overshadowed by Ackton Hall's final muckstack.
Eventually the whole area became an opencast mine and when the coal was extracted the site was levelled and returned to the green fields as it was in the 1860's. The photo of the opencast workings is from the Express and that of the restored site is from Google Earth. The colliery was to the left of the footpath that runs from top to bottom.
MANAGERS
Earnest Andrews 1868-1886
J T Bennett 1886-1893
Thomas Thompson 1893-1897
Peter Darlington 1897- 1922
Austin M G Prest 1922-1927
John Wells McTrusty 1927-1928
John Wells McTrusty 1927-1928
C S Magee 1928-1934
N Baster 1934-1935
FEATHERSTONE MAIN COLLIERY FATAL ACCIDENTS
1871
George Reynolds age 51, and James Pitchford age 19 were working with a candle for light. A fall of roof brought down some gas which the candle ignited. They was badly burnt and died a few days later.
1872
William Phœnox, W Livesey and John Cawthorne. Phœnox, a deputy, was examining the pit before work started
and took off the top of his lamp and ignited firedamp. Phœnox was 43, Livesey was 14 and
Cawthorne was 13.
1875
Charles Greenhough, a
collier age 25 was killed by a fall of roof.
James McVay, a
surface screener age 32 of Pontefract was crushed by wagons.
1877
John Henry Dixon, a collier age
27 was killed by a fall of coal.
1878
Elijah Walker, a collier age 20 was killed by a fall of stone.
John Hunter, age 14 was run over by tubs.
1881
William Wait, a collier age 62 was crushed by tubs.
1883
Matthew Travis, a pony driver age 15 was run over by tubs.
1884
W Whaites, a collier age 24 was injured by a fall of roof on February 15 and died March 11.
1886
Thomas Parkes, a collier age 38 was buried by a fall of coal. He was got out and taken home where he died two hours later.
1887
Edward Limb, a collier age 56 was killed by a fall of roof.
David Hodson, a screener age 17 was crushed by wagons and died the next day.
1888
Adolphus Rowley, a pony driver age 19 was crushed by tubs and died two months later.
Thomas Cardo, a trapper age 14 fell out of the cage.
1889
Harry Glossop, a shunter age 22 was crushed by tubs.
1891
William Longbottom, a surface worker age 25 was hit on the head by a lump of coal on December 1 and died on December 20.
1892
Joseph Westwood, a collier age 49 was killed by a fall of coal.
1893
Tom Roberts, a pony driver age 14 was injured when his head was crushed between a tub and the side of the roadway. He was taken home and died the same night.
1894
Joseph Taylor, a byworker age 23 was killed by a fall of stone.
Joseph Foster, a collier age 30 was killed by a fall of roof.
1895
John Henry Thomas, a labourer age 14 was knocked down by a wagon and died a few hours later in Clayton Hospital.
William Scott, a collier age 54 was injured by a fall of coal and died the next day in Clayton Hospital.
1897
Thomas William Dutton, a driver age 16 was crushed between a tub and a bar.
1898
George Horbury, a shunter age 22 of Streethouse was riding on his shunter's pole when he fell off and was run over by a wagon.
Edwin Frobisher, a collier age 49 was killed by a fall of roof.
1901
Francis Adey, a collier age 24 was killed by a fall of roof.
1902
Henry Womersley, a byeworker age 55 of Kinsley was killed by a fall of roof.
John Barnes, a collier age 25 was killed by a fall of coal.
John Hardy, a collier age 40 of Pretoria Street was injured by a fall of roof last December 5 and died on April 20.
1905
James Edward Bennett, a deputy age 46 was hit by runaway tubs and taken to Clayton Hospital where he died soon after.
George Eccles, a collier of Pontefract age 53 died in Clayton Hospital after being buried by a fall of roof.
John Henry Barnett, a miner of Pontefract age 30 was killed by fall of roof.
Alfred Flockton, a collier age 36 of Castleford was killed by a fall of coal.
John Beach, a hanger-on age 34 of Granville Street was killed when he was standing on the sump boards and was hit by the cage.
1906
John Turner, a haulage lad age 18 slipped and fell on the rails and was run over by tubs. He died four days later in Pontefract Infirmary.
1907
Alfred Rigg, a byeworker age 24 of Gladstone Terrace was injured by a large stone which fell from the roof and he died the next day in Clayton Hospital.
John Hill, a collier age 33 of Pretoria Street was killed by a fall of roof.
Charles Wheatley Patrick, a collier age 57 was killed when he was crushed by runaway tubs.
1908
Bernard Maurice Westbrook, a pony driver age 16 of Cowards Buildings was found dead after being run over by a full tub.
Benjamin Parker, a collier age 49 of Purston was killed by a fall of roof.
Samuel Morton, a collier age 50 was injured when a pot hole (a fossilised tree trunk) fell on him on July 29. He died on August 7.
James Hamer, a filler (trainee collier) age 21 of Albert Street was hit by a fall of roof on December 9 which fractured his spine. He was taken to Clayton Hospital where he died on December 18.
1909
James Turton Haggas, a miner of Crossley Street was killed by a fall of stone.
J W Machin, a pony driver age 17 died when he was crushed between two runs of tubs.
1910
Thomas Lyman, a deputy age 54 was killed by a fall of roof.
1911
John William Alder, a collier age 31 was killed by a fall of roof.
Enoch Llewellyn, a pony driver age 14 stumbled into the side of the roadway and a sharp stone cut his throat and severed his trachea and carotid artery.
Joseph Slater, a byworker age 57 was hit by runaway tubs.
John Barnett, a collier age 59 of Lord Street was killed by a fall of coal.
William Wilks, a collier age 44 of Thorntons Buidings was killed by a fall of roof.
1912
Archie Roberts, a pony driver age 18 was run over by a full tub on April 19 and died September 25.
Julius Connell, a byworker age 43 of Pontefract was killed by a fall of roof.
John Barrett, a byworker age 23 was killed by a fall of roof.
1913
Charles Evans, a collier age 28 of Streethouse was killed by a fall of roof.
Patrick Cain, a collier age 40 was injured by a fall of coal on 11 April and died 24 November.
Samuel Hudson, a collier age 40 was killed by a fall of roof.
Arhur Spencer, a washery assistant age 17 of Hall Street, Purston, was oiling a creeper and was caught by the machinery and killed.
1914
Charles Ward, a pony driver age 19 was run over by a full tub on 2 October last year and died 18 February.
Thomas Lakin, a byworker age 58 was killed by a fall of roof.
William Dunmore, a collier age 33 was killed by a fall of coal.
Edward Hughes, a collier age 51 was killed by a fall of coal and roof.
1915
George William Pearson, a collier age 31 was killed by a fall of coal.
1916
Thomas Toplis, a pony driver age 17 of Church Lane was found dead under a full tub.
1917
John Martin Rowett, age 57 of Pretoria Street and Levi Walters, age 31 of Ackworth Road, Purston, were killed by a fall of roof.
John William Betteridge, age 24 of Sharlston was killed by a fall of roof.
Joseph Gibson, age 40 was killed by a fall of roof.
1919
Harry Hillyard, a collier age 38 was injured when a fall on 6 February fractured his spine and he died five months later.
Alfred Hozier Morgan, a collier age 29 was killed by a fall of roof.
1920
Benjamin Firnstone, age 66 of Leeds Terrace was crushed by tubs.
Joseph Heaton, a byeworker age 59 of Ivy Street was killed by a fall of roof.
John Lakin, a deputy age 66 of Featherstone Lane was found dead under a run of tubs.
John Lakin, a deputy age 66 of Featherstone Lane was found dead under a run of tubs.
1922
George Herbert Cooper, a rope lad age 15 was run over by tubs.
1923
John Jukes, a deputy age 64 of Victoria Street was injured by a fall or roof and died the same day in Clayton Hospital.
Thomas Birchall, a collier age 36 fractured his leg when a tub ran over it and he died from gangrene a week later.
1924
Richard Blackham, a collier age 38 of Farm Road was injured by a fall of roof on 29 May and died 2 July from septicemia in Clayton Hospital.
James Backhouse, an assistant banksman age 29 of Moor Road attempted to stop the cage pulling a tub into the shaft and he fell down the shaft.
1925
Gilbert Scholefield, a ropeman age 25 of Housley Terrace, North Featherstone, was crushed between tubs and died when he was released.
Michael Jean O'Connor, a collier age 41 of "Heathfield", Purston, was buried by a fall on 12 January and taken to Clayton Hospital where he died on 21 January.
John Wright, a ripper age 25 of Featherstone Lane was killed by a fall of roof.
George White, a collier age 32 of Purston Terrace was hit by a fall of coal and died from a fractured skull.
Friend Brook, a byeworker age 63 of Gordon Street was hit on his foot by a falling piece of stone in March. He died 25 July from traumatic gangrene.
Calvert Hewitt, a collier age 54 of Purston Buildings was hit by a fall of roof and died before he could be taken out of the pit.
Michael Jean O'Connor, a collier age 41 of "Heathfield", Purston, was buried by a fall on 12 January and taken to Clayton Hospital where he died on 21 January.
John Wright, a ripper age 25 of Featherstone Lane was killed by a fall of roof.
George White, a collier age 32 of Purston Terrace was hit by a fall of coal and died from a fractured skull.
Friend Brook, a byeworker age 63 of Gordon Street was hit on his foot by a falling piece of stone in March. He died 25 July from traumatic gangrene.
Calvert Hewitt, a collier age 54 of Purston Buildings was hit by a fall of roof and died before he could be taken out of the pit.
1926
Joseph Herrington, age 41 of Dixon Street injured his thumb on 13 January and died 10 days later of toxaemia in Pontefract Infirmary.
1927
Frederick Cecil Round, age 20 of Pontefract was killed by a fall of roof.
James Sephton, a collier age 37 of North Featherstone Lane was injured by a fall of roof and died seven days later in Pontefract Infirmary.
William Baxter, a collier age 71 of Victoria Street was killed by a fall of roof.
Victor Brant, a haulage worker age 25 of Crossley Street was crushed by an overturned tub and taken to Pontefract Infirmary where he died shortly after..
1928
Harry Bishop, age 33 of Kimberley Street was hit on the head by a piece of wood thrown up by a circular saw. He was taken to Pontefract Infirmary and died the same day.
Richard Bernard Pollard, a blacksmith age 35 of Halfpenny Lane was guiding the winding rope onto the drum when he fell and was crushed by the rope.
1929
Edmund Backhouse, a dataller age 52 of Aketon Villas, North Featherstone, had his head cut by a falling stone on 21 November 1928 and died from pyraemia in Pontefract General Infirmary on 26 February.
Thomas Shaw age 58 suffered spinal injuries from a fall of roof in January 1926. He died in Wakefield Mental Hospital 4 November 1929. The inquest jury decided it was death by misadventure.
Eliis Barnard, a pony driver age 22 of Streethouse was found dead trapped under a full tub of coal.
1930
Matthew George Killingbeck, a by-worker age 43 of Claytons Buildings, had a head injury on 10 March caused by a fall of roof. After his return to work he hit his head in the same place against a girder on 20 June. He was admitted to Pontefract Infirmary on 1 July and died from meningitis on 8 July. The inquest jury decided the blows to the head caused the meningitis.Eliis Barnard, a pony driver age 22 of Streethouse was found dead trapped under a full tub of coal.
1932
Ambrose Webster, age 55 was injured by a fall of roof on 5 October and was taken to Pontefract Infirmary where he died 19 October from pneumonia..
1936
James Dyas, age 18 of Featherstone Square fractured his spine in a fall of roof in October 1934. He died in April this year and the inquest jury decided his death was because of the accident.
FATAL ACCIDENTS OUTSIDE THE PIT YARD
1929
Alfred Glassby, age 69 of Earle Street was coal picking on the muckstack when he was hit by a lump of stone during tipping operations. He suffered a broken and dislocated ankle and died in hospital from gangrene.
1931
William Prust, age 57 of Carlton Street was on the muckstack for coal picking. He was hit on the head by a wagon door. He walked home but became unconscious and died the next day in Pontefract Infirmary.