Ossett - the history of a Yorkshire town

Ossett's Coal Mines

My grandfather was a coal miner all his life. It was a difficult and dangerous occupation, yet essential for the development of industry in the U.K. Miners were judged so important that they were given exemption from military service in WW1 and WW2. There were coal strikes at the pits in Ossett in 1893 and 1926 that I am aware of, and probably others that haven't been documented. Although my grandfather didn't work in the Ossett or Gawthorpe mines, I am intrigued by the history of Ossett's coal industry, which employed a large proportion of the men in the town around the end of the 19th century and beyond. The pits at old Roundwood, Gawthorpe and Shaw Cross were substantial and there were many more smaller undertakings dating back to the 1790s. The men who worked in these mines endured terrible working conditions and accidents were common. Much evidence of the many horrific mining accidents in the Ossett coal mines can be found in the archives of the 'Ossett Observer' and I have reproduced just a few of the reported incidents in this account. There were many more.

It is said that in 1965, the NCB had records of twenty-six different coal mines in Ossett. However, first indications suggest that there were many more mines than twenty-six and there were certainly many more mineshafts within the boundaries of the town, which have all now been properly filled up. The old colliery workings at Low Laithes came to national prominence in March 1973 when it was found that a build-up of water in the old workings at the abandoned 19th century pits caused the terrible disaster at Lofthouse Colliery when seven men lost their lives from a huge inrush of water and sludge. It was later estimated that the old mine workings at Low Laithes had become an underground reservoir containing nearly 3 ½ million gallons of water.

Shortly after the disaster, which happened at 2am the 21st March, a surface visit was made to the site of the old Low Laithes Colliery and it was found the Bye Pit was exposed and water could be heard falling down the shaft. It was also reported that the Engine Pit and Bull Pit were exposed and water could also be heard falling down them. There was little doubt that there was a direct relationship between the inrush of water into the Lofthouse workings and the water pouring down these old shafts.

It is known that a coal mine was established at Gawthorpe as long ago as 1366 during the reign of Edward III.

Above: Westfield Colliery circa 1880. Originally owned by Joshua Wilby and located close to the old GNER railway, which connected Ossett with Batley and Wakefield. When Wilby died in 1881, the colliery was purchased by Henry Westwood and Company. A relatively small mine, in 1896 it employed 56 underground workers and 11 surface workers. The manager was Mr. J. Simpkin and the under-manager, Mr. J. Wilkinson.

Smithson's New Park Colliery, Low Laithes
In 1743, James Fenton leased land to extract coal belonging to the Earl of Cardigan in the area surrounding Bushy Beck, near Low Laithes in the townships of Ossett-cum-Gawthorpe, Alverthorpe and West Ardsley. In the event, only a small part of the coalfield was worked and that was in the Ardsley area, because of the difficulty in transporting the coal to the Calder, which was about four miles away.

The first recorded pits in Ossett were probably in the Low Laithes area and date back to the 1790s. Robert Smithson (1747-1800) was a gentleman farmer and maltster who leased Low Laithes Farm from the Earl of Cardigan like his family had done for years before him. Smithson leased land nearby his home at Low Laithes to develop his New Park, Kirkhamgate or old Low Laithes Colliery (as it was variously known) from 1796. In 1798, he and his Wakefield associate, cloth merchant John Charnock (1752-1811), opened their version of New Park colliery and 'Smithson's Tram Road' connecting it with the Calder and Hebble Navigation at Thornes Wharfe, Wakefield. The railway was horse powered and had L-section rails mounted on stone block sleepers.

There was a parallel railway covering almost the same route to collieries (also confusingly called 'New Park Colliery') owned by Smithson's arch rival and Yorkshire coal-king, William Fenton. Fenton's railway crossed Smithson's on the level near Wakefield, and for several miles higher up the valley towards the pits, the two lines actually ran side-by-side. Fenton's railway was powered by bullocks rather than horses.

Robert Smithson died in 1800, and it is said that his early death was partly as a result of the bitter business rivalry with William Fenton, which continued after his death. For a few years, Smithson's collieries and tramway were run by a consortium of trustees headed by Smithson's well-to-do cousin William Smithson (1750-1830) of Ledston Hall and later Heath; his own brother Joshua Smithson and his brother-in-law Thomas Preston of Halifax. In 1818, Robert Smithson's farm and malt business (valued then at £8,906) was bequeathed to his son, also Robert. A three-quarter share in Smithson's collieries and tramway (and the debts due to them) was passed to Smithson's youngest son Joshua Smithson (1791-1867) who continued with the coal business under difficult circumstances until he failed financially in 1850.

During the early years, the relatively small numbers of colliers working in Smithson's pits can be illustrated in the case of Ossett-cum-Gawthorpe by the use of the poor rate assessments as a basis for rating of the number of colliery face workers. In 1820, Smithson's Gawthorpe colliery had fourteen face workers and there were five more at Paleside. By 1823, this had risen to eighteen at Gawthorpe and seven at Paleside.

In 1833, there was a prolonged strike at Smithson's colliery in Ossett. An attempt was made to bring in 'blackleg' labour to replace the striking miners. Joshua Smithson described the plan as a "complete turn-out of colliers". The 'blackleg' labour force was provided with houses and even bedding. Many of the men brought their wives and families to the area. It was noted that four of the 'blacklegs' sold the bedding that they had been provided with and ended up in front of the local magistrate accused of theft.

At the Bye Pit at Low Laithes, Ossett, records show that in 1844, four coal miners, who were aged between 60 and 70 years, earned on average, a weekly wage of £1-1s-3d each. However, at Bye Pit No. 5, seventeen colliers earned up to £1-5s-6d for an eight hour day. For this, they had to fill twenty corves (coal wagons) a day with coal. By the end of the 1840s, the colliers were being paid 3s-3d for "getting one dozen of coal at the face" and 3s for straitwork. Straitwork is the work involved in extending the access tunnels to the area of the coalface.

Fatal Colliery Explosion at Low Laithes - December 3rd 1859
Smithson's colliery had a low fatality rate, although in 1859 when the Low Laithes colliery business had been bought by Benjamin Roberts, there was a fatal accident at Bull Pit and this was recorded as follows:

"Mr. Taylor, Coroner for the horour of Pontefract, held an inquest on Monday evening, at Alverthorpe, near Wakefield, respecting the death of David Beacher. On the 28th November 1859. Beacher and another man, named Brown, were working together at a bank in the Bull Pit of the Low Laithes Colliery, belonging to Mr. Benjamin Roberts, under the direction of John Noble, the steward. Noble told the men to get the coal until they got to the old works ; but he gave no orders about lamps, and they worked with naked candles. Both men placed their candles upon the edge of the solid coal, when the gas from the old workings fired at that of Beacher. The two men were badly burned but Beacher most severely. A third person, a burrier, was also burned. Beacher died from his injuries on Saturday morning last. Verdict - Accidentally burned."

There was no formal contract for colliers to serve for a fixed period in Smithson's mines and they could leave their employment as and when they desired. Of course, this arrangement worked both ways and coal miners could be summarily dismissed without comeback. These were the days before Unions were established.

Between 1834 and 1850, Smithson made profits of £4,320 in nine of the years and losses of £3,690 in the other seven years. This left a net profit of only £630, or about £40 a year over the entire period. Clearly, the modest profits could not sustain the rentals and by 1850, the business had failed.

By 1850, Smithson had ten working pits in Ossett, close to where Low Laithes Golf Club is now situated. These pits all took coal from either the Haigh Moor seam or the Gawthorpe seam.

Ossett Coal Mines
The first 1:10,560 large scale OS map of Ossett was published in 1851 and from that map, it is possible to identify most of Smithson's pits at Low Laithes. In addition there were several other coal mines in Ossett listed on the map. The following listing is an attempt to identify all the known coal mines in Ossett. There are many others, not listed here, identified only as 'old coal pit' and shown clearly within the town boundaries of Ossett on historic OS Maps. Some of these may have been shallow bell pits and it is known that when the underground reservoir along Chidswell Lane in Gawthorpe was excavated in 1877, between 200 and 300 tons of coal were removed and sold on behalf of the Local Board.

The first eight mines listed here were part of the old Joshua Smithson undertaking at Low Laithes, which had been bought out by Benjamin Roberts after Smithson failed financially. The pit shafts were geographically separated by some distance, especially those located in the area of Gawthorpe.

1. Engine Pit(No. 1), Low Laithes - 35 yards to the Haigh Moor seam, owned by J. Roberts from 1850.

2. Bye Pit(No. 2 ), Low Laithes - 141 yards to the Haigh Moor seam and 71 yards to the Gawthorpe seam, owned by J. Roberts from 1850.

3. Barron's Pit (No. 6), Low Laithes - 120 yards to the Haigh Moor seam and 50 yards to the Gawthorpe seam, owned by J. Roberts from 1850.

4. Barron's Pit (No. 4 ), Low Laithes - 55 yards to the Gawthorpe seam, owned by J. Roberts from 1850.

5. Bull Pit (No. 7), Low Laithes - 140 yards to the Haigh Moor seam, owned by J. Roberts from 1850.

6. Lower Park Farm, Gawthorpe - 120 yards to the Haigh Moor seam, owned by J. Roberts from 1850.

7. Lodge Hill, Gawthorpe (Nos. 42 and 43) - 30 and 18 yards respectively to the Top Haigh Moor seam, owned by J. Roberts from 1850.

8. New Lodge Colliery, Gawthorpe - possibly Lodge Hill. Gawthorpe, owned between 1855-1889 by George and John Haigh - probably New Lodge. In the 'Ossett Observer' 24th November 1888, the following piece was printed concerning a colliery strike and it gives us an idea of the size of the colliery and the attitude of the owners to their workforce:

"The miners employed at Messrs G & J Haigh's Gawthorpe Colliery, about 30 in number, recently went on strike for a 10% advance in wages. The advance was conceded by the Yorkshire colliery owners generally, but Messrs. Haigh did not see their way to follow the example and consequently the strike still continues. Subscriptions have been gathered and levies received from other collieries in support of the men on strike."

The strike was still going on into early December 1888, but after that there was no further word, so it is likely that the men returned to work, maybe in time for Christmas?

9. Wheatley's Colliery, Shepherd Hill, Flushdyke. This colliery and possibly nearby Lights Colliery was owned by Charles Wheatley (1813-1900). Wheatley was a Mirfield colliery owner with significant land holdings in Ossett, some of which he had inherited from the Haigh family, who were also coal masters. In 1851, Wheatley had 110 men and 140 boys working in his coal mines. The Ossett colliery at Shepherd Hill was likely to be a relatively small undertaking and may even have been a day hole, which was simply a drift mine dug into the side of a hill. The colliery is likely to have closed down in the 1850s and was not working in1869. Wheatley was by then operating the Hagg Wood and Whitley Wood day holes in Dewsbury; the Bradley and Helm coal mines in Huddersfield and the Ledgard Bridge and Calder Day Holes at Mirfield. The latter mine, with an entrance on the bank of the canal close to Greenwood Lock, was driven into the hillside below Sands House, Wheatley's opulent Mirfield residence. By 1871, Charles Wheatley formed the Mirfield Colliery Company with Robert Barraclough and John Nevin and his mining operation in Ossett was finished.

10. Mount Pleasant Colliery, Shepherd Hill, Flushdyke.

11. Love Lane Colliery, Love Lane, Pildacre.

12. Greaves Colliery, off Bridle Lane, Gawthorpe. Owned between 1855-1872 by Wilson and Co. but called Gawthorpe and was probably Greaves Colliery, which was owned by Joshua Greaves prior to 1855, finally closed 1872.

13. Streetside Colliery, behind the Red Lion Public House, Dewsbury Road.

14. Old Roundwood Colliery, John Oldroyd Greaves founded the Old Roundwood colliery in 1851 in the name of Terry, Dawson and Greaves and the first mine was was opened 1853 in an area where coal had been mined for centuries. A small, older pit that had been partially worked many years earlier was first opened up. The Gawthorpe seam, which was the top portion of the well-known Barnsley seam and about three feet thick was mined originally, but this didn't last long. In 1860, new shafts were sunk to the levels of the top and low Haigh Moor seams at 140 and 150 yards respectively. These shafts were of 9 feet and 10 feet in diameter. Dawson fell out of the original partnership and the business continued as Terry, Greaves and Co. until 1908 when a limited company was founded.

John Greaves and his son Percy Greaves were both qualified mining engineers and John Greaves was also a railway engineer. As a result of John Greaves' knowledge of the railways, from 1862, the colliery had its own branch line connection to the GNR (later LNER) railway near Low Laithes. Percy Greaves took charge of the colliery on the death of his father in 1888 and in 1889 was responsible for the sinking of the new upcast shaft to a depth of 200 yards to the Silkstone seam. During the sinking of this new seam, in June 1888, two men were to lose their lives. The 'Ossett Observer' dated June 23rd 1888 gives the following account:

"On Wednesday last a shocking fatality occurred at Roundwood Colliery, Wakefield Road on the boundary of Ossett. At present the Haigh Moor seam of coal is being worked, at a depth of 160 yards from the surface; but the proprietors of the colliery, Messrs. Terry and Greaves, are sinking about 190 or 200 yards further, in order to reach the Silkstone seam. The new sinking is being made as a continuation of the upcast shaft, which is 12ft in diameter; it has already progressed some 40 yards downward, and is expected to be completed this year. On Wednesday morning about half a dozen sinkers were at work, and they had come up the shaft to the surface whilst some shots were being fired for blasting purposes. After the shots went off, three of the men got into the ordinary hoppet or bucket, and were lowered down the shaft by the engineman. In descending they had to pass the mouth of a ventilating furnace and there is some reason to suppose that this may have induced them to change their position in the hoppet. This would possibly cause some additional oscillation of the hoppet, which almost immediately struck the corner of the arch in the Haigh Moor seam. All three men were thrown out, but one of them, named Patrick O'Brien, of Wakefield, managed to clutch the edge of the hoppet. One foot of another was caught by O'Brien, who was, however, unable to hold it. Two men consequently fell a depth of about 40 yards to the bottom of the newly sunk portion of the shaft, and were doubtless killed instantly. O'Brien, however, reached the bottom in safety. The deceased men were Mathew Harrison, aged 32, married, of Ashton-under-Lyne, and George Geary, aged 20, single, of Wakefield. Harrison had only commenced working at the colliery the previous day."

By 1896, the manager of Roundwood was Mr. F. Flint, and the under-manager was Mr. H. Farrant. There were 619 underground workers and 129 surface workers. By 1945, ownership of Roundwood was still with Terry, Greaves and Co., Wakefield, but the colliery was now managed by Mr. H.H. Burton with two under-managers. Mr. H. Newell and Mr. J. Morley. There were now 521 underground workers and 120 surface workers. Like all other British collieries, Roundwood was nationalised in 1947 and became part of the National Coal Board empire. Old Roundwood colliery was finally closed in April 1966.

Above: Picture of Old Roundwood Colliery from the early 1900s. The building on the right-hand side of the picture is a brickworks. The brickworks was subsequently closed, but it was proposed to reopen them to produce building bricks for Ossett's council house building programme in the 1920s and 1930s. In the event, this never happened and bricks were sourced elsewhere.

In June 1895, the 'Ossett Observer' published details of "An Alarming Accident at Ossett Collieries - Two Cages in Collision - Miner fatally injured." The account, reproduced below gives a good insight into the working conditions at Old Roundwood:

"On Thursday morning, an accident of a serious and unusual nature occurred at the Ossett Roundwood Collieries (Messrs. Terry, Greaves and Co.) There are three seams of coal, worked by means of three separate shafts. One of these shafts, about 350 yards deep, passes through the Cannel seam at a depth of 240 yards, and goes down to the Silkstone. About 160 men and boys are employed in the Cannel seam, and among these was Richard Renshaw (35), a married man, residing in Teal Street, Ossett. Renshaw was a hanger-on in the Silkstone seam, and about quarter past six o'clock in the morning, he was ascending in one of the cages, a two-decker, to the Silkstone "landing". The cages are guided by "thimbles" working on wire conductors of 1.5 inches in diameter. Through some unexplained cause, the ascending cage came into contact with the brickwork at the side of the shaft, and almost immediately afterwards collided with the descending cage. Owing to the velocity with which the cages were travelling, the collision damaged both, and gave a terrible shock to poor Renshaw, who was in the descending cage alone. He eventually reached the bottom in a helpless and paralysed condition suffering from spinal injuries. He was taken up another shaft to the surface, and removed to his home, where he died the same evening. Work in the Cannel seam had to be suspended for two days."

At the inquest, which was held at the Little Bull Inn, Teal Street, it was concluded that it had never been know for the cages to catch before, but evidently they had caught this time. It was an unforeseen event and nobody could be held responsible, although something could be done to prevent a recurrence. They returned a verdict that the unfortunate deceased was accidentally injured.

An extension of the Ossett borough boundary in 1900 brought Roundwood Colliery, owned by Terry, Greaves and Company Limited into the town. Mining ceased at this pit in April 1966.

Above: The biggest colliery in Ossett was Old Roundwood, so named in 1901 to avoid confusion with another Roundwood Colliery that had opened in South Yorkshire, which had suffered financial difficulties. Roundwood was opened in 1853 and finally closed in 1966. The colliery was owned between 1855 -1865 by Terry & Co. then between 1866 -1966 by Terry, Greaves & Co. In 1896, Roundwood had 619 underground workers and 129 surface workers and attracted workers from all parts of the area surrounding Wakefield. Many miners from the Barnsley coalfields moved to Roundwood and settled in the Ossett Spa area.

Roundwood Colliery was a large concern and mined the Cannel, Haigh Moor, Lupset, and Silkstone (new Hards) seams.

15. Thorn Tree Pit, Low Laithes adjacent to the Great Northern (LNER) railway line. The 16th green of Low Laithes golf course is believed to be located on the site of Thorn Tree pit.

16. Dewsbury Lane, Ossett, probably Streetside above was opened before 1856 and closed 1877. Owned between 1856-1870 by W. Hallas and between 1862-1876 by W. Gartside.

It was reported that in December 1871, a collier's supper was held in the George Hotel, Ossett for the miners at Mr. Gartside's colliery, which is likely to have been Dewsbury Lane (Streetside) colliery. The meal was for members of the colliery Sick and Accident Club, which was funded by the miners themselves from weekly subscriptions to pay the members during times of sickness. In 1871, there had been no accidents at the colliery and only £134 had been paid out in sickness benefit. The managers of the colliery, Messrs. T. Westwood and J. Wilkinson were praised by the men for their work at the colliery. Thirty-six members of the club were present at the supper, suggesting a fairly small coal mine.

17. Ossett, owned by Messrs Haigh - but as yet unidentified.

18. Crownlands Colliery, Ossett - possibly the site of Northfield Colliery, which was owned by Westwood and Co.

19. West Field, Ossett, owned by Joshua Wilby when it was opened in 1863. The colliery closed in 1908. In 1896, the owner was Westwood and Co., Ossett. Manager: J. Simpkin, Under-Manager: J. Wilkinson. In 1896 there were 56 underground workers and 11 surface workers. West Field colliery mined the Beeston, Middleton and Haigh Moor seams.

20. Healey Lane, Ossett, owned by Hinchcliffe, Kilner and Co., when it was opened 1876. The colliery closed in 1899. By 1896 the owners were Wilby and Mortimer, Ossett. Manager J. Wilby, but no under-manager. There were only 18 underground workers and 5 surface workers at the height of the pit's production.

21. Ox Close, Ossett, Ossett was owned in 1880 by the Flockton Coal Co. Limited. Ox Close opened in 1873 and closed in 1881. The pit was sunk between 1873 and 1878. The owners between 1873-1875 were Whitworth and Co. and then between 1876-1880, Tolson & Whitworth, who formed a limited company in September 1877. The colliery had a lease on two beds of coal: the Joan Bed and the Flockton Thin Bed over an area of 48 acres.

The pit was not yet operational in 1877 as this excerpt taken from the 'Ossett Observer' on the 11th August 1877 reporting an accident to a miner shows:

"On Tuesday evening last, shortly after 5 o'clock, a rather serious accident occurred at the new coal pit being opened out by Messrs. Whitworth & Co. in Runting Lane. A heavy piece of pump gearing weighing about 4 tons was being lowered down the shaft by means of a capstan and two-inch ropes. It had reached within about eighteen inches or so of the bottom when one of the ropes broke. Two men who were at the bottom fortunately got out of the way. The half-dozen men who held the capstan bars, feeling the jerk, and being startled, let go, with the exception of one, a miner, named John Grace, who was instantly knocked off his feet and thrown to the ground. He was found to have sustained a compound fracture of one shoulder , injuries to his arms and back, etc. On his removal to his house at Ossett Common in a cab he was attended by Mr. J.G. Wiseman, surgeon, and is, as we hear, progressing as well as can be expected. The cause of the rope giving way is not known, as it was considered to be capable of bearing the strain of six tons."

Ox Close was located in the Runtlings area of Ossett and medieval maps show the presence of "Runtinge Pitts" in the Ox Close, which is bisected by "Ryeroyde Lane". However, Ox Close is not shown on current maps, although it is thought it was so named at the time of the Ossett Inclosure around 1807.

22. Lights Colliery, Ossett was located north-east of the old Lights Bridge, which was near the location of the present Two Brewers public house and is shown on the 1851 1:10,560 OS Map. Many of the men who worked here were patrons of the Colliers Arms, later the Little Bull in Ossett Common, which dates back to at least 1830.

23. Park Lane, Ossett was opened in 1862 and closed 1885. Owners between 1862-1874 were Cliffe and Co. then between 1876-1885, G & J Haigh. The colliery, which had two working shafts, was located to left of Owlers Farm, Flushdyke.

24. Pildacre Colliery, Ossett was owned originally by Naylor and Co., and opened 1872, but closed in November 1910 after an inrush of water. By 1896 owners were John Naylor and Co., Ossett. Manager: S. Broadbent and Under-Manager: J. Mann. There were 232 underground workers and 25 surface workers in 1896. Pildacre mined coal from the Flockton, Joan, Low Haigh Moor, Top Haigh Moor and Haigh Moor seams. The 'Ossett Observer' for the 25th February 1893 carried the following report about Pildacre Colliery:

"Messrs. John Naylor and Co. Ltd. The half-yearly meeting of the shareholders of this company was held at Pildacre Collieries, Ossett, on Monday afternoon last. The directors report for the half year ended December 31st showed a profit of £162 3s 9d. The Chairman, Mr. Edwin Mitchell J.P. in moving the adoption of the report, said that the directors had continued the policy of developing and improving the efficiency of the colliery plant and workings, and were now in a position to produce about 1,500 tons of coal per week from the Joan and Flockton beds. Since the beginning of August last they had incurred considerable expense in opening out the Cannel seam at Pildacre, which was of a very fine quality and satisfactory thickness; next winter they hoped to send out a respectable quantity of Cannel, the price of which was much higher than black coal. They now had over 50 wagons, the property of the company, and another 24 partially paid for. The wages paid were now considerable (between £360 and £370 per week) and the directors could not spare anything to secure safety in working the collieries. A man's life was of more consequence than a dividend. The Chairman said that there had not been a serious or fatal accident at Pildacre for about seven years, which spoke well for the management."

25. New Low Laithes, owned by the Low Laithes Colliery Co. Ltd was first opened in 1892 using enlarged earlier shafts, possibly from the old New Lodge collieries and was discontinued in May 1927. In 1894 the site was shared with a brickworks. The colliery was owned in 1896 by the Low Laithes Coal Co., Manager: A.B. Blakeley, Under-Manager: C Copley. There were 155 underground workers and 43 surface workers in 1896. The owners in May 1927 were W. and E. H. Middlebrook. Two shafts at New Low Laithes mined the Silkstone, Beeston, Haigh Moor, Flockton and Cannel seams. After the colliery was closed, the site became the Doric Kerbworks, producing concrete kerb stones for road construction.

26. Northfield, Ossett opened in 1896 and closed in 1917. The colliery was owned in 1896 by C. Newsome, and in 1899 by Shaw's Linfit Lane Coal Co. By 1917, Northfield was owned by the Northfield Colliery Co. Ltd. It is possible that Northfield and Crownlands Colliery are the same sites.

27. Shaw Cross, Owl Lane on the Ossett - Dewsbury border, was owned by C. B. Crawshaw and Warburton and first opened in 1903 and closed in 1968. In 1896, the manager was G.F. Blacher and the under-manager was P. Winstanley. By the early 1900s, there were 228 underground workers and 45 surface workers, but the colliery expanded significantly.

Above: Shaw Cross Colliery as seen from Owl Lane, Ossett. The pit baths were on the opposite side of Owl Lane.

28. Storrs Hill, Ossett, was owned by W. Wilcock and was opened in 1901 and closed in 1908. The pit was not working between 1904-1908.

29. Longlands, Ossett was first opened in 1910 and abandoned in May 1923. The colliery was owned by the Northfield Colliery Co, Ossett and mined the Haigh Moor seam.

30. Greatfield Colliery, was opened in 1913 and closed September 1954. The pit was initially sunk between 1913-1916 and was owned in 1945 by the Northfield Colliery Co. Ltd., Ossett with manager: A.W. Thompson and no under manager. In 1945 there were 49 underground workers and 11 surface workers. In 1947, the colliery was nationalised and came under NCB ownership.

Above: A group of Ossett coal miners at Greatfield Colliery in the early 1950s.

31. Whinny Moor, is listed as an Ossett pit, although geographically it is more likely to be considered as being located in Wakefield. The colliery was first opened in 1869 and abandoned in June 1913. The owners between 1869-1873 were Hargreaves, Naylor and Co. In 1896, the colliery was owned by John Naylor and Co., Ossett and the manager was S. Broadbent with the under-manager being J. Hudson. There were 37 underground workers and 7 surface workers.

Collieries adjacent to Ossett
Many Ossett and Gawthorpe men worked at the pits just outside the town boundaries and the nearest four pits are as follows:

1. Chickenley Heath, Dewsbury, was owned in 1880 and 1896 by the Chickenley Heath Coal Co. 1896 Dewsbury. In 1896, the manager was Mr. A.B. Blakeley and the under-manager was Mr. M. Rayner. There were 122 underground workers and 12 surface workers at this time.

2. Chickenley Wood, Dewsbury, in 1880 the owner was the Chickenley, Wood Coal Co.

3. Chidswell, Dewsbury, In 1880 and 1896, the owners were C. Crawshaw and Warburton, Dewsbury. The manager in 1896 was Mr. G.F. Blacher and the under-manager was Mr. P. Winstanley with 248 underground workers and 17 surface workers. Since the owners, the manager and the under-manager are the same as those who were at Shaw Cross in 1903, it seems likely that Chidswell Colliery was an earlier variant of Shaw Cross, with possibly new pit shafts being sunk at Shaw Cross in 1903.

4. Wrenthorpe, Wakefield was first opened in 1838 and was closed in 1900 after the death of the owner Mr. W.T. Marriott. In 1896 the manager was Mr. T.W. Embleton and the under-manager was Mr. W. Wood. There were 103 underground workers and 35 surface workers. In 1905, the colliery was bought by the Low Laithes Colliery Co. Ltd, who were operating their pit at Gawthorpe. It was re-opened in 1907, and was used as part of the principal Low Laithes colliery. There was a branch line to the nearby main Leeds-London railway. Wrenthorpe closed in 1927 at the same time as New Low Laithes Colliery.

Above: Wrenthorpe Colliery complete with an Upholsters Shop. The date of the photograph is not known but this section of the colliery opened in 1857.

As an example of the prevailing conditions, there was a report in the 'Ossett Observer' in June 1912 of a pit deputy being killed at Wrenthorpe pit, part of the Low Laithes Colliery:

"William Henry Hayes (56), colliery deputy of Dewsbury Road, Ossett met his death as a result of an accident in the Wrenthorpe part of Low Laithes colliery. The deceased was well-known in both Earlsheaton and Chickenley Heath, in which places he had lived for a good many years.

Ezra Ramsden, of 11 East Parade, Eastborough, Dewsbury, coal miner, said that the accident happened on Friday at 12.30 p.m. In a few more minutes he would have finished the job of filling up a "gob." There had been a fall of roof three or four days before in the Silkstone seam, and deceased, who was assisting to remove the dirt, was working about half a yard from the witness. Suddenly, a stone fell down on the deceased, who was sitting on his right foot and leg and was in the act of using his shovel. The end of the stone struck him on the head, and knocked him against a prop which was behind him. He was still upright when witness pulled him out. The stone was not on him. He said "Pull me out Ezra" and he (witness) said "Tha is out." There was no bleeding, but deceased appeared helpless. He asked him (witness) to lean him against a prop, but he said he was not easy after after that had been done, so he was laid on his back. Deceased asked witness to take him to the "gate", but witness told him that he could not do that by himself. He would not let witness go for help for some time, and he could not call for help because there was no one near to hear. Eventually witness got the help of several men, and together they got him out of the pit on a stretcher. He was quite helpless all the time. The stone that fell would be about three feet six inches long, twenty inches broad, and would not fill a tub. One end hardly fell fourteen inches, because it "reared." The roof was a yard high.

Tamar Hayes, of Pickersgill Street, Dewsbury Road, Ossett, widow of the deceased said that her husband was an old servant of the company and had worked at Wrenthorpe for about five years. He left home at about 4.15 a.m. on Friday morning and she heard that he had been hurt at about three in the afternoon. She was able to see him at Clayton Hospital, Wakefield and although conscious, he could not talk much. She was there when he died on Saturday afternoon.

Dr. Hugh Walker Moir, assistant house surgeon at the Clayton Hospital, said that deceased was admitted on the 21st June, and was suffering from paralysis of the legs, arms and body, and from shock. He was quite conscious and quite helpless. The case was hopeless from the commencement. He rallied from the shock, but gradually sank and died at 12.15 on the following day. The cause of death was fracture of the fourth vertebra of the spine.

Mr. D.A. West, the manager of Wrenthorpe colliery, said that the deceased had been at Wrenthorpe for three years and had worked for the company for forty-five years. He had never worked anywhere else. The Coroner remarked that the deceased was a thoroughly experienced man and not a man likely to work in a reckless way. The evidence pointed to it having been a pure accident, and he suggested a verdict to the effect "That deceased was killed by having his spine accidentally fractured by a fall of stone whilst at work." The jury agreed.

The 1893 Ossett Coal Strike
In 1893, the price that mine owners could get for their coal dropped significantly. Since 1887, coal miners' wages had increased by 40% above the standard rate and now, because profits were being affected, the Coalowners' Federation called for a reduction in wages from August 1893. The mine owners wanted to pay only 15% above the standard rate, i.e. an effective reduction in wages of 25%. When the Coalowners' Federation presented their revised pay offer to the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, not surprisingly, the proposal was turned down flat and the Miners' Federation then asked its members to withdraw their labour from the end of July 1893. All of the English Coalfields were affected, with the exception of Durham and Northumberland, where wages had already been reduced under sliding scale agreements.

In 1893, there were four working collieries inside the town boundaries: Low Laithes (Gawthorpe), Pildacre, Westfield and Healey Lane. Just outside the Ossett boundary, but always regarded as an Ossett coalmine, was Roundwood Colliery, which was easily the biggest of the local pits, and on record as employing 619 underground workers, with another 129 surface workers (1896 figures). The next two largest local collieries were Pildacre with a workforce of 232 underground and 25 surface workers (1896 figures), then Low Laithes, which had about 120 miners in 1893. Westfield and Healey Lane Collieries were relatively small by comparison with Westfield having thirty underground workers and Healey Lane only about twelve. Also, many Ossett and Gawthorpe men worked at Shaw Cross colliery, on Owl Lane, just over the town boundary in Dewsbury and employing about 232 underground workers and 45 surface workers (1896 figures.) Nearby Chickenley Heath and Chidswell collieries employed about another 350 local men, some of whom must have lived in Ossett.

Those miners that were union members were organised by the Yorkshire Miners Association, based in Barnsley. Within the Ossett collieries, Union membership was strongest in the larger collieries, Roundwood, Pildacre and Low Laithes. Work had ceased at Low Laithes and Roundwood by the end of July in line with the recommendation made by the Miners Federation, and at Pildacre soon afterwards. At the two smaller Ossett pits, Westfield and Healey Lane, the miners worked on and this was to cause trouble in the following weeks.

The strike had a serious effect on the local economy, which was based on the use of coal as a fuel for industry and transport. On Saturday, 12th August, the Great Northern Railway cancelled the majority of its passenger trains, from the following Monday, which ran between Ossett, Leeds, Wakefield and Bradford. The "Ossett Observer" noted that the short notice that was given had caused the maximum inconvenience to travellers. Worse was to come, and further cancellations followed in September.

Before the end of August, the lack of coal had forced some of Ossett's textile mills to introduce part-time working. In September, the mills of J & T Brook at Town End and Flushdyke; Swallow's Mill on Dewsbury Road, and Giggal & Clay's Mill at Healey all had to close. The Ossett Gas Company was also affected by the lack of coal and in November, it increased the price of gas from 2s 9d to 3s 0d per 1,000 cubic feet because of the rise in coal prices.

Local millowners tried to keep their businesses going by buying coal from the Durham coalfield and some paid up to triple the normal price. Unfortunately, the coal deliveries were delayed because the North-Eastern Railway was unable to cope with the increase in demand for coal from the still operational Durham and Northumberland coalfields. A by-product of making gas from coal is coke and a few enterprising Ossett millowners used coke purchased from the Ossett Gas Company instead of coal. Unfortunately, by the end of August all the coke stocks had been used up.

Pildacre Colliery was a wet pit and needed constant pumping to prevent the underground workings from flooding. Pildacre's manager, Mr. S. Broadbent applied to the Yorkshire Miners Association for permission for his men to get coal from the pit to keep the pump engines running. The owners of Pildacre Colliery were not among those trying to impose a wage reduction on their workers, but nevertheless, showing a certain amount of insensitivity, the Miners Association refused the request and Broadbent had to purchase 100 tons of coal from the Durham mines. Pildacre was potentially the worst affected of all the Ossett mines because of the flooding, but conditions deteriorated in all the other local collieries during the strike.

Ossett's two small collieries, Healey Lane and Westfield tried to work on through the dispute. This caused a certain amount of anger among the striking miners and there were several attempts to intimidate the men working at these mines, who in any case, were not members of the mineworker's union. At Healey Lane, the police were called on Saturday the 12th and Monday the 14th August in order to prevent a likely breach of the peace by a group of pickets. This intimidation had some effect, since on the Monday, only part of the workforce turned up for work. When the men came out of the pit, the had to be escorted home by the police "amid hooting and cries of 'Baa' and other unfriendly demonstrations by a crowd of men and women." As a result, the men did not return to work on the Tuesday. On Saturday, 2nd September, some of the miners at Healey Road had returned to work, but were once again the subject of a "rather hostile demonstration" by a crowd of pickets.

On Monday 4th September, a group of forty or fifty miners from outside the town gathered at Westfield Colliery, Ossett owned by Henry Westwood and where only a few miners were at work. Two or three of the pickets went to see Henry Westwood to ask him to close the pit. Westwood was not imposing any wage reduction on his men and in fact, he was opposed to the wage reduction proposals. Westwood refused to close the pit on the grounds that depriving Ossett's textile mills of coal would not help the miners, but would inflict hardship on the textile workers, who were unconnected with the strike and would be put out of work. This did not meet the approval of the pickets and one of them suggested that they "should fetch the blacklegs out of the pit and throw the corves down the shaft." Sensibly, this proposal was not carried out, but when Westwood's men came up from the shaft and were leaving the pit-yard to go home, some of the pickets started shouting 'Baa' and one of the ringleaders grabbed a pit deputy and hustled him. Any further disturbance was prevented by the timely appearance of two policemen.

Riot at Chidswell
On Thursday 7th September 1893 at the height of the coal miners strike, it was reported in the Ossett Observer that a serious encounter took place at Chidswell on the Ossett boundary "a mob of between 2 and 3,000 men was marching in the direction of Ossett. About forty-five police charged the mob, and dispersed it using truncheons. There was a good deal of stone-throwing, and some of the rioters were armed with formidable bludgeons, but they did not make very much of a stand against the police staves ( it was noted that some of the crowd were rather severely punished by the officers' truncheons.) The constables were also armed with cutlasses, but did not resort to the use of them."

Westfield Colliery in Ossett was the true objective of the Chidswell rioters, but Henry Westwood, the owner of Westfield Colliery had learned of the planned attack earlier in the day and had withdrawn his men from the pit. Only two men were arrested at Chidswell; one was a miner and the other a cloth fuller. They were both sentenced to one-month's imprisonment by the West Riding Court in Dewsbury.

Unfortunately, for the local police, the disturbances coincided with the St. Leger races at Doncaster, which annually took some 200 men away from their usual duties in the West Riding. When Ossett came under threat, there was only one policeman in the town. Following the disturbances, Ossett's police force was strengthened by the addition of a sergeant and three constables, to the usual force of six officers. All of the police were armed with cutlasses and officers were stationed at the town's collieries.

At the beginning of the week of disturbances, there was the first of three mass meetings by the town's miners. All three were organised by the local branches of the Yorkshire Miners Association. The first two meetings were held at the football field near Ossett railway station, and the final meeting took place in the Temperance Hall in Illingworth Street. At the first meeting, which was held on the evening of Monday 4th September, a resolution expressing continued support for the strike was passed by the 800 to 1,000 men present. Although one of the speakers, Mr G.R. Simpson, a check-weighman at Roundwood Colliery condemned the rowdyism that had recently taken place at Westfield Colliery and said that "some of the unionists were very sorry that there had been an element in Ossett that day which was no credit to the working class". Another of the speakers, the Reverend B. Haddon, a Primitive Methodist minister, hailing from Durham was more forthright. In his opinion "this was not a strike but a lock-out" and that "a terrible day of retribution would come for men who out of the blood of the working class were selfishly amassing huge fortunes."

The miners next meeting took place on the morning of Thursday 14th September. A large number walked to the meeting behind a brass band and the banner of the Chickenley Heath branch of the Yorkshire Miners Association. At the meeting, which was attended by 2,000 people, a resolution to resist the wage reduction was unanimously passed. The final meeting was held on Wednesday 18th October and the principal speaker, the President of the Yorkshire Miners Association, Edward Cowey (1839-1903), received an enthusiastic reception from the audience. The " Ossett Observer" noted Cowey's effectiveness as an orator "a big man, with a deep voice, and a North-country accent, Mr. Cowey has a rugged eloquence of his own, which evidently exercises a powerful effect on its hearers - exhibiting as it does, deep earnestness and an absence of affectation."

Relief Funds
By the time that Cowey visited Ossett, some of the miners' families were suffering hardship. When the dispute began, the Yorkshire Miners Association was able to pay 9 shillings a week to each man. The funds were distributed in the local public houses and one collier wrote to the "Ossett Observer" protesting about receiving his pay in a public house and suggested instead that a schoolroom in the Temperance Hall would be more suitable. In the third week of September 1893, the Association's fund ran out. The last strike pay, amounting to 7 shillings a week for each man, was issued on Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd September.

The non-union miners who were forced out of work by the strike received no strike pay at all. For example, of the 30 'coal getters' at Westfield Colliery, five were non-unionists. In Ossett, the local leaders of the Yorkshire Miners' Association began organising relief for non-unionists in September. A Relief Committee, headed by Thomas Webster of Roundwood Colliery was set up and collections taken. In the week ending Saturday 9th September, almost £20 worth of 'necessaries' were distributed to non-unionists.

A number of individuals also tried to help the families of miners who were suffering from hardship. Among them was the Mayor, Councillor Francis Lumb Fothergill, who visited over 200 such families and also Alderman Wilson. Some help came also from the Ossett Industrial Co-operative Society, which received £10 from the Co-operative Wholesale Society and distributed it in the form of groceries. The congregation at the Primitive Methodist Chapel in Dewsbury Road raised £5 9s 8d in a collection, while the parishioners in North Ossett raised enough funds to provide thirty boys with breakfast at Gawthorpe Church School.

A meeting for those groups interested in helping provide relief for the miners was called in the Temperance Hall on Wednesday 11th October 1893 and this resulted in the formation of a Relief Sub-Committee of the Borough Council and the opening of a subscription list. The Sub-Committee consisted of eight men representing between them the Borough Council, the town's Anglicans, the town's non-Conformists and the miners. By Saturday, 14th October, the Sub-Committee had raised £48 1s 6d. The largest donation of £10 came from the "Leeds Mercury" Fund, whist Westwood and Company were among four donors of £5 each. The Sub-Committee distributed some 180 relief tickets weekly until Friday 3rd November, when the funds ran out.

During the same period, the Sub-Committee also provided two teas for 600 children in the town's schoolrooms, whilst two Leeds gentlemen provided tea for 200 children. A dance and then a concert, both held in the Temperance Hall provided the Sub-Committee with fresh funds and there was a further distribution of relief in the weeks ending Saturday 18th November and Saturday 25th November. Two more free teas for 600 children were provided and Walter Scott, a butcher in Station Road provided tea for 200 children.

By the 25th November, the strike had finally come to an end. It lasted so long because neither side was willing to compromise. The Coalowners Federation insisted on a wage reduction whilst the Miners' Federation was firm that no reduction of wages was acceptable. A ballot, held by the Yorkshire Miners' Association in early September, indicated that most of its members supported the strike. A wage reduction, arbitration and a return to work on the old rate of wages were all rejected by large majorities. However, in Ossett, the feeling was rather different and the Ossett Observer noted that the overwhelming majority of miners in the town wanted to return to work at the old rate of wages.

Back to Work
The attitude of the Yorkshire miners changed as their strike fund ran out later in the month. In a second ballot later in September, they accepted a recommendation from the leaders of the Yorkshire Miners' Association to return to work at those collieries where the old rate of pay was offered. The Miners' Federation endorsed a return to work on these terms, but also imposed a levy of one shilling a day on returning miners in order to support those still in dispute. Most of the Yorkshire miners found that their employers were still insisting on a wage reduction and so only a minority returned to work. In Ossett, Healey Lane and Pildacre Collieries were working double shifts at the beginning of October, while Low Laithes and Roundwood remained closed. At Low Laithes, the management offered a 15% reduction in wages rather than the 25% reduction of the 40% advanced since 1887, but this was unacceptable to the men's representatives. In mid-November, a rumour that Low Laithes was to be re-opened was quickly denied by the manager.

The dispute was finally brought to an end by the Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone, who appointed the Foreign Secretary, Lord Rosebery as a mediator between the two sides. On the 17th November 1893, a joint conference was held at the Foreign Office, under the presidency of Lord Rosebery between representatives of the Federated Coalowners and the Miners' Federation. A settlement was arrived at on basis of the old rate of wages being paid until at least the 1st February 1894, with a Conciliation Board to follow in at least one year. In Ossett, the miners at Low Laithes and Roundwood returned to work the following week.

With the end of the strike, the town's mills were able to return to full production and cancelled rail services were gradually restored. Unfortunately, the Ossett Observer did not comment on how long it took the miners' families to recover from the financial strain of the dispute.

1893 Ossett Coal Strike - adapted from an essay by David Scriven.

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