Durham Mining Museum - Local Records Extracts (original) (raw)

1830

April 28. — A petition to the king from Mr. Thomas Drummond, pitman, of Painsher, claiming the titles and dignities of the earl of Perth, in Scotland, which were forfeited by the attainder of his grandfather, James Drummond, commonly called the "duke of Perth," for having joined in the rebellion in Scotland in the year 1745, was by virtue of his majesty�s order of reference, presented to the house of lords, and was referred by their lordships to a committee of privileges. The circumstances attending the claim of this poor pitman were said to be of a nature more interesting than any hitherto brought before the public. See June 20th 1831. [_LRS_]

May. — Coal staiths erected near Cottage Row, Stockton on land lately occupied as a garden. [_LRSN_]

May 1. — A large party of gentlemen, including a portion of the committee of management of the Stockton and Darlington railway company, a number of proprietors, the chief clerk, secretary, and other officers of the company, and several other individuals, set off from Darlington, in several railway coaches, carrying flags with appropriate mottoes and devices, to open the Haggar Leazes Branch, which diverges from the trunk of the railway at West Auckland, and extends westward to Cockfield Fell, and thence in the direction of Butterknowl colliery, in all a distance of five miles. The party were met at the foot of the inclined plane, near to West Auckland, a little before eleven o�clock, by Mr. Storey, the chief engineer of the company, and a considerable body of spectators, who had assembled to greet them on their arrival. The West Auckland band of music, seated in waggons provided for their convenience, having joined them, and a procession having been formed, it moved forward at a brisk pace. On entering upon the branch, the band struck up "God save the King," and the populace, at that time still further augmented, gave three hearty cheers. Several ladies having, after a short delay, joined the procession, the word to advance was again given, and the whole body of carriages and people proceeded up the railway to the point of destination. The weather being extremely favourable, the number of spectators continued gradually to increase until they amounted to between 2,000 and 3,000. This branch was finally completed and opened with great eclat, October the 3rd, 1830. [_LRS_]

August 3. — A dreadful explosion of hydrogen gas took place in Jarrow colliery, at about twenty minutes before six o'clock on the morning, when forty-two men and boys were deprived of life. Twenty-one of the men were married, leaving widows and sixty-six children. There were one hundred and twenty men in the mine, of whom seventy were in the Bensham seam, where the blast took place. Ten more were much injured, and two horses were killed. It appeared on the inquest that the miners had broken into a crack or fissure in the coal, whence the inflammable gas suddenly issued, and was ignited by some negligence in the use of the Davy lamp, as the mine was well ventilated just before. [_LRS_]

November. — This month, the John Pit, Low Felling colliery, was discovered to be on fire, near to a steam engine placed down the pit. Three weeks were spent in vigorous exertions by means of a fire engine ; yet this became so expensive, that in the end the pit was closed up with deals resting on strong beams. On these was placed clay to a great thickness, strongly pressed down, and above all, water to the depth of two fathoms ; so that there is no doubt that the fire was soon extinguished. The pits have since been re-opened, and regular operations of the colliery resumed. [_LHTB_]

December 27. — The Stockton and Darlington railway suspension bridge, erected over the river Tees, near Stockton, by Captain Brown, R.N., was opened. The foundation-stone was laid oa the 18th July, 1829. It is calculated that this bridge will sustain a weight of 150 tons. At the same time an immense entire coal, weighing upwards of two tons, was sent down by this railway, to Middlesbo rough, from the Black Boy colliery, to be shipped for the London market; and which, when broken, was calculated to make two London chaidrons. [_LRS_]

• LHTB — Local Historian's Table Book of Remarkable Occurrences Connected with the Counties of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland and Durham by M.A. Richardson. Published in five volumes in 1844.
• LRS — Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by John Sykes, Published in 1833 in two volumes
• LRSN — Local Records of Stockton and the Neighbourhood by Thomas Richmond. Published in one volume in 1868.