| RefNo | COAL |
| Alternative Reference number | NCB |
| Title | Records of South Yorkshire Colliery Companies - predecessors of the National Coal Board |
| AdminHistory | Coal has been mined in South Yorkshire since Roman times. The first recorded evidence of mining in the area dates from the thirteenth century at Mexborough and Silkstone.
The South Yorkshire Coalfield covered a large area running from Barnsley to Sheffield and Doncaster and beyond. It held some of the richest coal seams in England including the Barnsley, Parkgate and Silkstone seams.
There were two main groups of colliery owners in South Yorkshire. The first of these were closely connected to the iron and steel trades, particularly of Sheffield, with collieries located in the southern part of the coalfield. For example: John Brown and Company Limited, United Steel Companies Limited, the Staveley Coal and Iron Company and the Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Company. Their number was increased by steel companies further afield such as Dorman, Long and Company Limited (Middlesbrough), Pease and Partners (Darlington) and the Barrow Haematite Iron and Steel Company (Cumbria). For this group of companies, collieries were essentially an ancillary to steel making. The second group of colliery owners mainly worked the collieries in the central region of the coalfield, to the east of Barnsley. These companies focused their activities on coal mining (and ancillary industries such as coke and brick-making). They were represented by Carlton Main and the South Kirkby Groups.
The Coal Industry Nationalisation Act, 1946, provided for the complete nationalisation of the coal industry. On 12 July 1946, the National Coal Board (NCB) was established and on the vesting date, 1 January 1947, coal-mines were taken into public ownership.
(Source: Alan Hill, The South Yorkshire Coalfield: a history and development, Tempus: 2001, p.25) |
| Description | Pre-vesting records arranged by colliery owner. Some records post-date 1947 but have been kept grouped together with the earlier records where they form part of a series. See the BCC collection for records relating to the National Coal Board (from 1947) later British Coal Corporation (from 1987). Note, there is some overlap between the COAL and BCC collections.
COLLIERY COMPANIES:
Amalgamated Denaby Collieries Limited (Denaby, Cadeby, Rossington, Dinnington and Maltby Main Collieries), 1898 - 1955 (COAL/ADC)
Askern Coal and Iron Company Limited (Askern Colliery), 1940 - 1950 (COAL/ASK)
Barrow Barnsley Main Collieries Limited (Barrow, Barnsley Main and Monk Bretton Collieries), 1925 - 1947 (COAL/BBMC)
Barber, Walker and Company Limited (Bentley Colliery), 1907 - 1946 (COAL/BWC)
Brodsworth Main Colliery Company Limited - see Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries Limited.
John Brown and Company Limited (Aldwarke Main, Rotherham Main and Carr House Collieries), 1893 - 1948 (COAL/JB)
Bullcroft Main Collieries Limited - see Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries Limited.
Carlton Main Colliery Company Limited (and predecessors) (Hatfield, Hodroyd, Brierley, Ferrymoor, South Elmsall, Grimethorpe and Frickley Collieries), 1906 - 1948 (COAL/CMC)
Cortonwood Colliery Company Limited, 1775 - 1979 (COAL/CCC)
Dalton Main Collieries Limited, 1924 - 1955 (COAL/DMC)
Dearne Valley Colliery Company Limited, 1901 - 1947 (COAL/DVC)
Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries Limited - see Amalgamated Denaby Collieries Limited.
Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries (Brodsworth, Bullcroft, Firbeck, Hickleton, Markham and Yorkshire Main Collieries) (COAL/DAC)
Dorman, Long and Company Limited (Upton Colliery), 1784 - 1944 (COAL/DLC)
Earl Fitzwilliam's Collieries Company (Elsecar and New Stubbin Collieries), 1873 - 1955 (COAL/EFC)
Firbeck Main Collieries Limited - see Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries Limited.
Hickleton Main Colliery Company Limited - see Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries Limited.
Houghton Main Colliery Company Limited (Houghton Main colliery) (COAL/HMC)
South Kirkby, Featherstone and Hemsworth Collieries Limited (South Kirkby Colliery), 1928 - 1946 (COAL/SK)
Kiveton Park Colliery Company Limited - see United Steel Companies Limited.
The Lundhill Coal Company - see Wombwell Main Company Limited.
Manvers Main Colliery Company Limited (Manvers, Barnburgh and Kilnhurst Collieries), [1855] - 1952 (COAL/MM)
Maltby Main Colliery Company Limited - see Amalgamated Denaby Collieries Limited.
Markham Main Colliery Company - see Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries Limited.
Mitchell Main Colliery Company Limited (Mitchell and Darfield Main Collieries), 1871 - 1955 (COAL/MIT)
New Monckton Collieries Limited, 1833 - 1946 (COAL/NMC)
Newton, Chambers and Company Limited, Thorncliffe Collieries (later N. C. Thorncliffe Collieries Limited) (Grange, Rockingham, Thorncliffe, Smithywood and Tankersley Collieries), 1872 - 1953 (COAL/NC)
Nunnery Colliery Company Limited (Nunnery and Handsworth Collieries), 1926 - 1962 (COAL/NUN)
Old Silkstone Collieries Limited (Barugh Coke Ovens), 1945 - 1946 (COAL/OSC)
Pease and Partners Limited (Thorne Colliery), 1909 - 1946 (COAL/PP)
Rossington Main Colliery Company Limited - see Amalgamated Denaby Collieries Limited.
Rothervale Collieries Limited - see United Steel Companies Limited.
Shireoaks Colliery Company Limited - see United Steel Companies Limited.
Stringer and Son Limited (Emley Moor and Park Mill Collieries), 1911 - 1916 (COAL/STR)
Tinsley Park Colliery Company Limited (Kilnhurst Colliery) - see Manvers Main Colliery Company Limited.
Wentworth Silkstone Collieries Limited (Wentworth Silkstone Colliery), 1913 - 1953 (COAL/WES)
Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery Company Limited (Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery), 1857 - 1954 (COAL/WHS)
Wombwell Main Company Limited (Wombwell Main and Lundhill Collieries), 1857 - 1951 (COAL/WMC)
United Steel Companies Limited (Fence, Orgreave, Treeton and Thurcroft Collieries), 1861 - 1975 (COAL/USC)
Wath Main Colliery Company Limited (Wath Main Colliery), 1900 - 1950s (COAL/WAT)
Wombwell Main Company Limited (Wombwell Main and Lundhill Collieries), 1857 - 1951 (COAL/WMC)
Yorkshire Main Colliery Company Limited - see Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries Limited.
Miscellaneous colliery records (price lists, agreements etc.), 1840 - 1959 (COAL/X1)
OTHER (NON-COLLIERY COMPANY) RECORDS:
Deeds relating to lands near former collieries in Silkstone, 1614 - mid 19th century (COAL/Y1)
Wath Joint Rescue Station, 1906 - 1955 (COAL/Y2)
Records of the Mines Department, Mines Inspectorate - inspections and surveys of pits in the South Yorkshire Coalfield (1942) (COAL/Y3)
Colliery Officials' Mutual Benefit Society, 1898 - 1956 (COAL/Z1)
South Yorkshire Coal Owners Association, 1895 - 1947 (COAL/Z2)
South Yorkshire Coking and Chemical Company, 1924 - 1955 (COAL/Z3)
South Yorkshire Coking Plant Owners Association, 1935 - 1947 (COAL/Z4)
South Yorkshire Coal Trade Association, 1888 - 1944 (COAL/Z5)
South Yorkshire Pumping Association and Mines Drainage Committee, 1919 - 1948 (COAL/Z6)
Yorkshire Area Wages Board, 1939 - 1941 (COAL/Z7)
Yorkshire Coal Owners' Mutual Benefit Indemnity Company Limited, 1913 - 1948 (COAL/Z8)
(Use Alt Ref No.) |
By colliery name:
Aldwarke Main (COAL/JBC)
Anston (COAL/USC)
Askern Main (COAL/ASK)
Barnburgh Main (COAL/MM)
Barnsley Main (COAL/BBMC)
Barrow (COAL/BBMC)
Bentley (COAL/BWC)
Brierley (COAL/CMC)
Brodsworth Main (COAL/DAC)
Bullcroft Main (COAL/DAC)
Cadeby Main (COAL/ADC)
Carr House (COAL/JBC)
Cortonwood (COAL/CCC)
Dalton Main - see Silverwood
Dearne Valley (COAL/DVC)
Denaby Main (COAL/ADC)
Dinnington Main (COAL/ADC)
Emley Moor (COAL/STR)
Elsecar (COAL/EFC)
Fence (COAL/USC)
Ferrymoor (COAL/CMC)
Firbeck Main (COAL/DAC)
Frickley (COAL/CMC)
Grange (COAL/NC)
Grimethorpe (COAL/CMC)
Handsworth (COAL/NUN)
Hatfield Main (COAL/CMC)
Hickleton Main (COAL/DAC)
Hodroyd (COAL/CMC)
Houghton Main (COAL/HMC)
Kilnhurst (COAL/MM)
Kiveton Park (COAL/USC)
Low Stubbin (COAL/EFC)
Lundhill (COAL/WMC)
Manvers Main (COAL/MM)
Markham Main (COAL/DAC)
Monckton (COAL/NMC)
Monk Bretton (COAL/BBMC)
New Stubbin (COAL/EFC)
Nunnery (COAL/NUN)
Orgreave (COAL/USC)
Park Mill (COAL/STR)
Rockingham (COAL/NC)
Rossington Main (COAL/ADC)
Rotherham Main (COAL/JBC)
Roundwood (COAL/DMC)
Shireoaks (COAL/USC)
Silverwood (COAL/DMC) - earlier called Dalton Main
Smithywood (COAL/NC)
South Elmsall (COAL/CMC)
Southgate (COAL/USC)
South Kirkby (COAL/SK)
Steetly (COAL/USC)
Tankersley (COAL/NC)
Thorncliffe (COAL/NC)
Thorne (COAL/PP)
Thurcroft (COAL/USC)
Treeton (COAL/USC)
Upton (COAL/DLC)
Wath Main (COAL/WAT)
Whitwell (COAL/USC)
Wombell Main (COAL/WMC)
Yorkshire Main (COAL/DAC) |
| Date | 1614 - 1960s |
| Extent | c.4,600 items |
| AccessStatus | Restricted |
| AccessConditions | Information in staff records may be subject to access restrictions under the Data Protection Act, or may be subject to exemptions from the Freedom of Information Act. For further information please refer to a member of staff. |
| Level | Collection |
| RelatedMaterial | Sheffield City Archives:
Records of the National Coal Board (later British Coal Corporation), 1905 - 1994 (BCC)
Alan Hill, The South Yorkshire Coalfield: a history and development, Tempus: 2001 (HIL/BUS)
Records of Carlton Main Colliery Company Limited, 1872 - 1962 (MD4080-5005; MD4024)
Records of Newton, Chambers and Company Limited (Thorncliffe works), [18th - 20th cent] (TR) and (MD3586-94)
Records of United Steel Companies Limited, 1879 - 1970 (USC)
Opencast mining papers, Wentworth Woodhouse, 1941 - 1971 (WWM/O/1-84)
The National Archives:
See COAL 48 (The National Archives) - records of local administration (Yorkshire, NE Division)
The Coal Authority:
Holds various historical records including the coal holdings register (CHR), coal licences register, coal abandonment plans, photographs, property deeds and documents etc. (contact the Coal Authority, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG18 4RG)
Sheffield Libraries:
Alan Hill, The South Yorkshire Coalfield: a history and development, Tempus: 2001 (Sheffield Central Lending Library: 338.2724)
Warwick Taylor, South Yorkshire Pits, Wharncliffe Books: 2001 (Sheffield Central Lending Library: 338.2724) |
| CustodialHistory | These records were deposited at Sheffield Archives by the National Coal Board (later British Coal Corporation) between 1977 - 2000. |
| ArchNote | Catalogue prepared by Clea Carroll and Cheryl Bailey, Sep 2015 (from original typescript paper list). Spot checks of boxes performed by Cheryl Bailey (2015 to date) to check locations and improve descriptive data (May 2019). |