Sheffield Coal Company
Encyclopedia
The Sheffield Coal Company was a colliery owning and coal selling company with its head office situated in South Street
, Sheffield
, South Yorkshire
, England
.
The Houndsfield-Wilson Coal Company, owners of pits in Birley Vale merged with three individuals, with previous Sheffield Coal Company connections, named Bartholomew, Jeffcock and Dunn to form the new company and were later joined by John Jeffcock and William Littlewood from High Hazels, Darnall and John and Edwin Sorby of Attercliffe but with colliery interests at Dore House, near Orgreave.
The company worked below land of the Duke of Norfolk
's estates
and continued this until 1866 when they leased a large tract in the area of Woodhouse
, Hackenthorpe and Beighton
, at that time outside the Sheffield boundary, from the Earl Manvers
.
In 1900 three of the S.C.C. directors took option leases on the new coalfield around Dinnington
in order to develop and increase their available reserves. New sales offices were opened in London (following the completion of the Great Central Railway
's line to the capital) and Bournemouth (which could also be reached, via Woodford Halse, from the London line).
In 1937 the United Steel Companies
, which had coal mining interests at Orgreave
and Treeton
, made an offer for the Sheffield Coal Company of which the directors recommended acceptance, the deal being finalised on 24 June.
on nationalisation, but the company name, which had continued to exist under United Steel's ownership continued, along with others which became part of the NCB, until being finally wound up in 1961.
). Although a small amount of coal was being cut from the new colliery, brought to the surface at Birley West, it was not until 1890 when a new winding engine was installed that it fully came on stream. Later expansion came with mining rights being obtained from the Duke of Norfolk to mine below Handsworth Common.
Sunk in 1844 by the Staveley Iron Company, North Staveley Colliery
at Aston came under the SCC umbrella in the latter part of the 19th century. The colliery was situated to the north of, and set back from the later Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
line between Woodhouse
and Kiveton
.
The last colliery to be opened by the Sheffield Coal Company was Brookhouse Colliery
which drew its first coal in 1929. Situated between Swallownest and Beighton it was adjacent to the main line of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
about a mile east of Woodhouse Junction. The site also housed coke ovens supplying metallurgical coke
to the iron and steel industry.
The Site of the former Brookhouse Colliery is now part of the Rother Valley Country Park
and a proposed leisure development called the YES project. The site now falls in Rotherham Borough Councils area for planning.
The Moor
The Moor is a primary pedestrianised thoroughfare and one of the main shopping streets of Sheffield, England. Along its length lie some of the most popular department stores and it is seen as one of the primary retail cores of the city centre...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Formation
The Sheffield Coal Company was one of the oldest colliery companies in Sheffield being founded on 28 February 1805 to lease from the Duke of Norfolk and work coal pits in the Park area of the city. This lease expired in 1820 and the company was re-formed five years later.The Houndsfield-Wilson Coal Company, owners of pits in Birley Vale merged with three individuals, with previous Sheffield Coal Company connections, named Bartholomew, Jeffcock and Dunn to form the new company and were later joined by John Jeffcock and William Littlewood from High Hazels, Darnall and John and Edwin Sorby of Attercliffe but with colliery interests at Dore House, near Orgreave.
The company worked below land of the Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
's estates
and continued this until 1866 when they leased a large tract in the area of Woodhouse
Woodhouse, South Yorkshire
Woodhouse ward—which includes the district of Woodhouse and most of Handsworth—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the southeastern part of the city and covers an area of 7 km2. The population of this ward in 2001 was 17,900 people in...
, Hackenthorpe and Beighton
Beighton
Beighton ward —which includes the districts of Beighton, Hackenthorpe, Owlthorpe, and Sothall—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the eastern part of the city, on the border with Rotherham and covers an area of 5.7 km2...
, at that time outside the Sheffield boundary, from the Earl Manvers
Earl Manvers
Earl Manvers was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1806 for Charles Pierrepont, 1st Viscount Newark. He had already been created Baron Pierrepont, of Holme Pierrepont in the County of Nottingham, and Viscount Newark, of Newark-on-Trent in the County of Nottingham, in...
.
In 1900 three of the S.C.C. directors took option leases on the new coalfield around Dinnington
Dinnington
Dinnington is a town in rural South Yorkshire, England, and part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham. It is roughly equidistant from Sheffield, Rotherham and Worksop, and is located at an elevation of about 100 metres above sea level....
in order to develop and increase their available reserves. New sales offices were opened in London (following the completion of the Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
's line to the capital) and Bournemouth (which could also be reached, via Woodford Halse, from the London line).
In 1937 the United Steel Companies
United Steel Companies
The United Steel Companies were a steel making, engineering, coal mining and coal by-product group based in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.-History:...
, which had coal mining interests at Orgreave
Orgreave Colliery
Orgreave Colliery was a coal mine situated adjacent to the main line of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railwayabout south east of Sheffield. The colliery is within the parish of Orgreave, from which it takes its name.- History :...
and Treeton
Treeton Colliery
Treeton Colliery was a coal mine situated in the village of Treeton, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England.Work on the sinking of Treeton Colliery commenced, with all due ceremony, in October 1875...
, made an offer for the Sheffield Coal Company of which the directors recommended acceptance, the deal being finalised on 24 June.
Nationalisation and the end
The collieries of the Sheffield Coal Company, by that time owned by United Steel Companies, became part of 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, but the company name, which had continued to exist under United Steel's ownership continued, along with others which became part of the NCB, until being finally wound up in 1961.
Collieries
From their agreement with the Earl of Manvers the company sunk Birley West Colliery on a site in the Shirebrook Valley between Woodhouse and Hackenthorpe and began extracting coal by 1852. Within ten years plans were put forward to acquire more land and sink a new shaft. It was not until Spring 1887 that work commenced on the new shaft but the following year the part completed colliery gained the name Birley East Colliery (collectively these pits were referred to as Birley CollieriesBirley Collieries
The Birley Collieries were a group of coal mines set in the Shire Brook Valley in south east Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They were connected to the railway system by a branch line from the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway at Woodhouse East Junction, about 800 yards east of...
). Although a small amount of coal was being cut from the new colliery, brought to the surface at Birley West, it was not until 1890 when a new winding engine was installed that it fully came on stream. Later expansion came with mining rights being obtained from the Duke of Norfolk to mine below Handsworth Common.
Sunk in 1844 by the Staveley Iron Company, North Staveley Colliery
North Staveley Colliery
Aston Colliery was a small coal mine sunk on Aston Common, within Rotherham Rural District but six miles east of Sheffield in the 1840s. In 1864 its workings were taken over and developed by the North Staveley Colliery Company, part of the Staveley Coal and Iron Company, based in North Derbyshire.-...
at Aston came under the SCC umbrella in the latter part of the 19th century. The colliery was situated to the north of, and set back from the later Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
line between Woodhouse
Woodhouse railway station
This station is in Woodhouse, Sheffield. It should not be confused with a station of similar name at Mansfield Woodhouse.Woodhouse railway station, formerly Woodhouse Junction, is a railway station serving the Woodhouse and Woodhouse Mill in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The station is ...
and Kiveton
Kiveton Park railway station
Kiveton Park railway station serves Kiveton Park in South Yorkshire, England. The original station was opened by the Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway in 1849, situated to the east of the level crossing and opened with the line...
.
The last colliery to be opened by the Sheffield Coal Company was Brookhouse Colliery
Brookhouse Colliery
Brookhouse Colliery was a coal mine situated about 6 miles east of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.- History :To develop coal seams in the area the Sheffield Coal Company opened a new colliery between Swallownest and Beighton, at that time on the borders of Rotherham Rural District and...
which drew its first coal in 1929. Situated between Swallownest and Beighton it was adjacent to the main line of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
about a mile east of Woodhouse Junction. The site also housed coke ovens supplying metallurgical coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
to the iron and steel industry.
The Site of the former Brookhouse Colliery is now part of the Rother Valley Country Park
Rother Valley Country Park
The Rother Valley Country Park is a country park in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, close to its border with Sheffield and Derbyshire. It covers 3 square kilometres and has four artificial lakes...
and a proposed leisure development called the YES project. The site now falls in Rotherham Borough Councils area for planning.