Mining

In the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, the first noticeable signs of industrialisation in the Black Country started to appear. An inquisition post mortem in 1273 records that there were four coal pits in the manor of Sedgley, and another in 1299 includes a reference to the mining of iron ore. In 1273 there were sixteen shops in Sedgley, believed to be involved in metal working.

Many early records relating to Wednesbury still survive. It is possible that coal was being dug in Wednesbury as early as 1286 because in that year Tandy de la Coldelvere was charged with creating an enclosure of land within the local woods, then part of Cannock Forest. This was an infringement of Forest Law. If the name Coldelvere meant coal digger, this is the first reference to coal mining in the area.

An important record of life in medieval Wednesbury in 1315 is the Assignment of Dower of Juliana Heronville, who was entitled to one third of the manor of Wednesbury after the death of her husband, lord of the manor, John de Heronville. After his death one third of the manor was left to Juliana, and two thirds were left to Henry, the son of John’s first wife. The document includes details of an iron mine valued at six shillings a year. This is the first record of iron ore mining in the town.

The assignment also gives details of several coal pits, and as such is the earliest record of coal mining in the town. It is likely that the fourteenth century pits in Wednesbury were near Broad Waters. In some areas the 10 yard coal seam outcrops at, or very near the surface, and this is where the first coal would probably have been extracted. In the 15th century, Cockheath was named as a coal mining area.

In 1377 John Waters of Wednesbury sued Roger Hillary for taking coal to the value of forty pounds from his mines in Wednesbury. In 1392 John Wylkys sued Roger Norton of Darlaston for digging and taking away coal from his land to the value of £10.

There are other early records of mining in the area. Much of Walsall lies in the South Staffordshire and Cannock Chase coalfields, where coal often outcrops close to the surface. By the early fourteenth century, coal and iron ore were being mined in the town. The lords of the divided manor, Roger de Morteyn, and Margery Ruffus made an agreement to share the profits of the coal and ironstone mines in the manor. Margery’s son, Sir Thomas le Rous reserved the right to license coal-mining on land at Birchills in 1326 and 1327. By the late 1380s, and 1390s, there were coal and ironstone mines in Windmill field. There were also coal mines at Bradley in 1315, at 'le Hayeschute' near Wednesfield in 1325, and at Bilston by 1401.


A bell pit with hand-winding gear.

Much of the early coal and iron ore extraction would have taken place where the seams are near the surface, so that shallow, open-cast workings were all that was necessary.

When these were worked-out, people dug bell pits, unsupported structures going maybe twenty five feet down, into the coal and ironstone measures.

At the bottom, as much material would be extracted as possible before the structure became unsafe. It was then abandoned, and a new shaft dug nearby.

In this way, large areas became covered with old pit shafts which slowly filled with water and collapsed. As a child I remember seeing what was left of this landscape at Bentley. There were small grass-covered hillocks and mounds everywhere, and many small pools covering flooded workings.

As mentioned earlier, no early records exist for Darlaston, and so it is not known when mining began in the town. In 1538 when the traveller, historian, and writer John Leland travelled through Birmingham and the Black Country, he made no reference to Darlaston, and so it may be that little, if any, industrialisation was taking place in the town at the time.

For over two hundred years the iron ore was mined for the production of the fairly low grade iron used by numerous blacksmiths in the area. By the second half of the sixteenth century coal was beginning to be used for domestic heating, due to the shortage of timber.

Early mining in Darlaston appears to have been concentrated in the thick seam of coal that runs from Bilston and curves in an arc through Moxley and the southern part of Darlaston, before running southwards into Wednesbury. The seam was often around thirty feet thick and became known as ‘the ten yard seam’. By the late seventeenth century, exploitation of this seam would have greatly changed the local landscape. For the first time, parts of Darlaston would have looked like an industrial area rather than open countryside.

In 1698, Timothy Woodhouse, who was manager of the coal mines belonging to Mrs Mary Offley, the Lady of the Manor, had a two year contract and was paid twenty pounds a year for maintaining the mining buildings, looking after the horses, collecting arrears, hiring colliers, and organising sales. In the first year he sold 3,000 sacks of coal, and later went into partnership in his own business.

Another record from around the same time states that Edward Blakemore, a nailer, who had a milking cow, barley, winter corn, and land, was owed thirty pounds by Mrs Mary Offley for coal, and expected that his executors would go to law to recover it.

One surviving document dated 1750, concerns a letter from Darlaston coal mine under-manager, Joseph Lytcott, to the owner of the mine. With the aid of a map, he advises the owner, not to sink any shafts in the vicinity of Clarke's Close, because of the danger of meeting other workings underground, which could cause flooding.


Joseph Lytcott's map.

I think it advisable that a pitt be sunk in the lane leading to Birmingham and that they drive a road by the lane side along Mrs. Cookes’ hedge to prevent or discourage her getting coal under the lane, for I understand she's one that will loose nothing she can get by any means fare or fowl. I have picked the place in the lane as you will see between x..............x if they sink and work in Clarke's Close all the water in Cookes and some of Shiltons must inevitably come upon in as you may see by the drop of the coal, and if the road I speak on be driven to secure Mrs. Cookes forthwith as may be done it must be while she's working and then she will drain the water from us - if she have any and if you approve of this I will write to Mr. Wood to say I goe for London and call at my coming down to see whether it be performed.

Joseph Lytcott

Clarke's Close was an area of about six acres, containing twenty three pits, of which seven were at work. The shafts were closely spaced as can be seen from the sketch. At Kitchen Croft they where not more than fifty yards apart. This is a clue to the type of pits being worked, namely bell pits, as the limit for underground working would have been within about a twenty five yard radius from the shaft. The leap marked on the sketch is probably a fault, and a sough was a drain to remove water from the mines. The road to Birmingham is Dangerfield Lane, the road to Bilston is Moxley Road, the road to Wolverhampton is Wolverhampton Street, and in the bottom left hand corner is Saint Lawrence's Church.

Other collieries in close proximity included Russian Colliery, near to where Pinfold Street Primary School now stands, Mill Colliery, near to where Mill Street is today, Lodge Holes Colliery, off Dangerfield Lane, and Herbert’s Park Colliery on the site of George Rose Park. There were many, many, small pits throughout much of Darlaston, which encircled the town centre, and changed the landscape forever.


   
Return to the
Farming Community
  Return to
contents
  Proceed to
Early Iron-Making