Tyne and Wear HER(3844): Sheriff Hill Colliery (Ellison Main) - Details
3844
Gateshead
Sheriff Hill Colliery (Ellison Main)
Sheriff Hill
NZ25NE
Industrial
Coal Mining Site
Colliery
Post Medieval
C18
Documentary Evidence
Sheriff Hill Colliery, also known as Ellison Main Colliery was founded in the 1780s. The "Plan of Colleries of Gateshead Fell" dated 1773, has a colliery marked "pit not sunk yet". The pits of Sheriff Hill Colliery were Ann, Bess, Centre, Dolly, Edge, Fanny, George, King, Bradley, Doll, Isabella, Kells, Stapple and Hope. Owners were Allhusen & Co: Sir A. Wood, Charlaw, Sacriston. Later owners were Lamb & Hutchinson, Gibson & Co, Charlton & Gibson and Forster. There were several disasters at the colliery - on 27th December 1793 14 people were killed, on 21st December 1794 there another explosion. On 27th June 1815 an explosion killed 11 people. A fire on 11th December 1815 killed 5 people and on 19th July 1819 there were 35 lives lost due to an explosion. Many of the victims of this latter disaster were buried at St. Mary's Churchyard in Gateshead. The layout of the colliery is shown on a plan by Thomas Bell of 1826. The Colliery closed by 1897. The colliery was served by the Bensham and Gateshed Fell Way which was built after 1670 (HER 5947).
2729
5967
NZ27295967
<< HER 3844 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 7
Bennett, G, Clavering, E & Rounding, A, 1989, A Fighting Trade, Vol 1, p 70; Pre-Construct Archaeology, 2004, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment: Whitehouse Lane Playing Fields, Wrekenton, Gateshead; Durham County Record Office, 2001, Durham Colleries: A History; W. Dowding, 1972, Durham Mines: Names and Dates of Coal Workings in County Durham; www.dmm.org.uk; T. Hair, 1844, Views of the colleries of the counties of Northumberland and Durham; Pre-Construct Archaeology, 2004, An Archaeological Evaluation at Whitehouse Lane Playing Fields, Wrekenton, Gateshead