Bolsover Colliery Company
Encyclopedia
The Bolsover Colliery Company was a major mining concern established to extract coal from land owned by the Duke of Portland
. At its peak the business was a constituent of the FT 30 index of leading companies on the London Stock Exchange
.
, a Northumberland
born mine owner, who secured a lease from the Duke of Portland
over land at Bolsover
and Creswell
in Derbyshire
and started work to reach the coal at these two mines which he achieved in 1891 and 1896 respectively.
The General Manager of the company at this time was John Plowright Houfton, who was knighted for his work for the local community in 1929.
In 1899 Bainbridge secured a second lease from the Duke of Portland
this time over land at Crown Farm near Mansfield
in Nottinghamshire
: coal was reached in 1905.
Subsequent leases were secured from Earl Manvers
and Lord Savile
allowing further mine works to be established at Rufford, Clipstone
and Thoresby in Nottinghamshire
where coal was reached 1913, 1922 and 1928 respectively.
on nationalisation in 1947. Bolsover Colliery closed in 1993 and Creswell Colliery closed in 1991.
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland KG, GCVO, PC, TD, DL , known as William Cavendish-Bentinck until 1879, was a British landowner, courtier and Conservative politician...
. At its peak the business was a constituent of the FT 30 index of leading companies on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
.
History
The company was founded in 1889 by Emerson Muschamp BainbridgeEmerson Muschamp Bainbridge
Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge was an English mining consulting engineer, philanthropist and Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1895 to 1900....
, a Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
born mine owner, who secured a lease from the Duke of Portland
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland KG, GCVO, PC, TD, DL , known as William Cavendish-Bentinck until 1879, was a British landowner, courtier and Conservative politician...
over land at Bolsover
Bolsover
Bolsover is a town near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. It is 145 miles from London, 18 miles from Sheffield, 26 miles from Nottingham and 54 miles from Manchester. It is the main town in the Bolsover district.The civil parish for the town is called...
and Creswell
Creswell, Derbyshire
Creswell is a village located in Bolsover, near Worksop, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom. It is best known for Creswell Crags and Creswell Model Village....
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and started work to reach the coal at these two mines which he achieved in 1891 and 1896 respectively.
The General Manager of the company at this time was John Plowright Houfton, who was knighted for his work for the local community in 1929.
In 1899 Bainbridge secured a second lease from the Duke of Portland
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland KG, GCVO, PC, TD, DL , known as William Cavendish-Bentinck until 1879, was a British landowner, courtier and Conservative politician...
this time over land at Crown Farm near Mansfield
Mansfield
Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area....
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
: coal was reached in 1905.
Subsequent leases were secured from Earl Manvers
Charles Pierrepont, 4th Earl Manvers
Charles William Sydney Pierrepont, 4th Earl Manvers , known as Viscount Newark from 1860 to 1900, was a British nobleman and Conservative Party politician.- Career :...
and Lord Savile
Baron Savile
Baron Savile, of Rufford in the County of Nottingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.It was created in 1888 for the diplomat Sir John Savile. He was the eldest of the five illegitimate children of John Lumley-Savile, 8th Earl of Scarbrough, and the grandson of John Lumley-Savile,...
allowing further mine works to be established at Rufford, Clipstone
Clipstone Colliery
Clipstone Colliery is a coal mine situated near the village of the same name on the edge of an area of Nottinghamshire known as “The Dukeries” because of the number of stately homes in the area...
and Thoresby in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
where coal was reached 1913, 1922 and 1928 respectively.
Demise of the business
The mines were all acquired by the National Coal BoardNational Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
on nationalisation in 1947. Bolsover Colliery closed in 1993 and Creswell Colliery closed in 1991.