North Shields, Burdon Main Colliery (Collingwood Main)

HER Number:
2077

District:
N Tyneside

Site Name:
North Shields, Burdon Main Colliery (Collingwood Main)

Place:
North Shields

Map Sheet:
NZ36NE

Class:
Industrial

Site Type: Broad:
Coal Mining Site

Site Type: Specific:
Colliery

General Period:
Early Modern

Specific Period:
C19

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
Burdon Main Colliery. 1st edn OS mapping shows an Old Engine House within the site. Opened in 1811. There were seven pits - A Pit, Chance Pit, Chirton Pit, Engine Pit, Hopewell Pit, Old Pit and West Chirton Pit. The colliery was opened by Messrs Bells, Robson & Co. On opening one of the shafts in 1814 a skeleton of a man was found at a depth of 30 fathoms. The workings extended under the River Tyne to the low water mark. Old Pit and Hopwell Pit were upcast shafts. Coal was taken to the drops at North Shields by an inclined plane. On 17 July 1813 an explosion killed 8 miners. On 19 November 1835 11 were killed. Safety lamps were not used at the mine. The accident was blamed on a 10 year old trapper boy, John Arkley, who had left a door open. Deputy James Campbell's candle ignited the accumulated gas. The inquest was held at the Pineapple public house at Chirton. George Johnson was senior viewer for Burdon Main and Willington Collieries. He was a friend of Nicholas Wood. He prospered later in life with the chemical side of the coal industry.

Easting:
3523

Northing:
6713

Grid Reference:
NZ35236713

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 2077 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey map, 1865, 6 inch scale, Northumberland 89; Durham Mining Museum www.dmm.org.uk; T.H. Hair 1884, A View of the Colleries in the counties of Northumberland and Durham; Roy Thompson, 2004, Thunder Underground - Northumberland Mine Disasters 1815-65, p 65