Greasbrough Colliery The Kimberworth Park Public House Little evidence of many Victorian small mines remains, and the reports of inquiries into deaths at those mines add to that evidence. Such a Colliery was the one at Pepper Alley, Kimberworth Park, and knownn as Sellars' Pit. It was owned by Benjamin and Jonathan Sellars, whose family had been mining engineers and agents for the Walker's Iron founders and Coal Owners in the Don and Dearne Valleys. The shaft was sunk to the Parkgate Coal Seam, which was the property of the Earl Fitzwilliam who leased the coal for extraction. The venture may have proved risky for the Sellars, for shortly afterwards in 1853, Samuel Beale made an application to Earl Fitzwilliam to mine the coal at Scholes and this being granted they sank a shaft to the west of the village. As the Sellars drew many of their miners from the Scholes and Thorpe area the possibility of either losing them to the Beales, or raising their wages to keep them added to the difficulties of competition with other collieries.
The Greasbrough Colliery Manager s House Some five years later they were making a loss due to the sinking of the Carrr House Colliery, which was nearer to the coal buyers and adjacent to the Railway. The output of the colliery dropped from 400 to 300 tons per week and the losses increased until they received permission to build coke ovens to burn small coal which had been lost before. At intervals Earl Fitzwilliam's Agent, would visit the pit to take measurements of the coal worked. One such visit took place on Monday the 12th of April 1858, when the pit, not being worked, a party of fifteen, including a Mr Thomas Cooper, the Agent and Messrs Jagger and Bland, descended the downcast shaft at about 10 am and proceeded 200 yards to an upcast shaft where there was a furnace for ventilation. Shortly after Mr. Cooper perceived a smell which told him all was not well. With Mr Rawson, the horseman, they proceeded towards the downcast shaft. The air got worse and all the lights went out but one. They stumbled along until they came to an empty corfe, which some of them climbed into, and others pushed, and hurried along following the rails until reaching the pit bottom. On reaching this they found a fire in the stables, and searched around for water fighting the fire until it was extinguished. The fire, it was discovered, had been caused by someone knocking his pipe out on the ponies bedding or fodder. The others, led by James Cauthorn, then arrived safely. About 1885 the colliery was sold to Mr Thomas Henry Parkin and Mr Ernest Parkin. The Parkins realising the isolation of the colliery decided to lay a Railway to the junction of Wortley Road and Bradgate Road. The Rotherham Advertiser printed one of those Victorian reports which future historianss are pleased to discover: The Greasbrough Colliery has commenced to make a Railroad to the advance of their trade, and to the advantage of the workpeople they employ. It will run for half a mile in a straight line over Common Field close to Common Lane and it will then curve into Fenton Wood, which is much frequented as a resort in the summer, there a deep cutting has been made to where, nearly a century ago, a wagon road passed which was used by Messrs Fenton for their collieries. The line then crosses the fields in the direction of Masbrough and terminates on the very site where thirty years ago the orth Greaves Colliery, belonging to Mr Chambers J. P. and is now a brickyard in the possession of J and G Robinson. The Greasbrough Coal Company have to pay heavy dues for carting to Rotherham, and now hope to sell their coal at the new drops to the advantage of the populace of Rotherham.
The map shows the colliery and the waggonway The area where the Colliery was located was called Remount, possibly named because the waggons were horse drawn on the waggonway and the drivers remounted to take their full loads down to North Greave, from where it was carted by road to the canal in Rotherham. Local papers carried reports of accidents at the colliery: On ovember the 7th 1891, Jamey Henry Walsh, aged 18 years a trammer of Bradgate, the son of George Walsh a Colliery Labourer was riddling slack at 6-45 am when the roof fell on him, he was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries. Riddling slack was at times much disputed, the size of the mesh would go up or down, according to the demand for coal the smaller the mesh the harder the work. On one occasion at Earl Fitzwilliam's Stubbin Colliery reducing the size of the mesh brought the men out on strike. In 1893, there were two fatal accidents. On the 29th of July it was reported that Richard Prescott was killed at the colliery when he fell from a staging into the yard below the screens about 18 feet. There was a fence around the staging but the Management said it had been tampered with. John Sanderson of Wilton Gardens, said he was a Banksman at the pit, and knew the deceased, who was a platelayer. Charles Binns, a carter at the colliery, knew the deceased. Charles Hart also a carter gave evidence. Martha Ann Prescott said her husband was a healthy man. On Wednesday the 15th of ovember, Enoch Bailey of 4 Albert Street, Masbrough was killed when the roof fell on him. Arthur Bailey aged 15 years was a trammer for him about three weeks and previously had been a trammer for three years at Treeton. Sam Worth, brother-inlaw of the deceased worked with him.
Harry Sellers said he was working in the next place to him. Walter Hollingsworth, a packer, said he had warned the deceased that the roof was unsafe. The clod about two feet thick fell, the deceased said Get me out when he was buried, but he died on the way to the pit bottom. In 1898 there occurred what was most probably the most serious accident in the collieries history, when four men were seriously injured. On a Tuesday, about noon on the 6th of September, a gas explosion occurred. The pit which is 40 yards deep was regarded as a safe one, and naked lights were allowed underground. Lately new work had opened up, running direct from the shaft, and this is where the explosion took place. There were about 60 men in the pit at the time. The injured men were working at the face in the new workings, when a part of the roof fell, and the escape of gas was so great that an immediate explosion took place. The injured men were Fred Uttley aged 30 years, Tom Booth aged 31 years, both colliers of Old Engine, and both married. John Snowball aged 25 years of Harold Croft and Fred Parkin aged 19 years, a trammer of the Colliery Yard. They made their own way to the pit bottom and were conveyed to Rotherham Hospital by spring cart, suffering from serious burns to the upper body and head. All are progressing favourably. On September the 17 th it was reported that Fred Uttley of Old Engine Yard, had died at the hospital, he had burns to his legs, arms, body, head and face. At the inquest J. F. Beacher, Manager represented the Company. The Coroner said "The Mines Inspector would be able to tell what caused the accident if the place had not been interfered with". Mr Beacher said, "It certainly had not" On September the 26th another death, John Henry Snowball has passed away. At the inquest on the men who died from burns. Mr H. H. Wilson, Inspector of Mines, Mr Hickmott for the Company, Mr Gichard for the relatives of the deceased. Mrs Uttley said she had been told her husband had been taken to hospital with burns. She went to see him, he was burnt all over. He said no one was to blame. He died on the 12 th of September. Walter Hollingsworth, Shot-firer, said he went to where Uttley worked, Tom Booth was there; he had drilled the shot holes. He stemmed it and charged with 10 ounces of powder and then fired it in the normal way. Question. With a naked light? Answer. Yes, when the explosion occurred he was three quarters of a mile away. He had a safety lamp, the deceased worked with naked lights. He had examined the place where the explosion occurred the next day and considered the gas had accumulated where the coal had been dropped. The Coroner recorded death from burns received in the explosion at Greasbrough Colliery. In January 1899, Annie Uttley the widow of Fred Uttley with five children was awarded 210. There was not enough to invest between the children and was advised that she should buy a business. In March, at the County Count, Annie Snowball, widow of 20 Harold Croft Greasbrough, claimed 150 compensation as the legal representation of her son, John Henry Snowball, aged 26 years a trammer who had died on the 18th of September last from burns and shock sustained while following his employment at Greasbrough Colliery. His average earnings for 51 weeks was l-4-2d per week. Mrs Snowball was partially dependent on her son for support. For the respondents, Mr. Hickmott said there was an issue as to the amount of money she had received from her son. She had stated 24 shillinqs was the sum, but when she went to the colliery office she had voluntarily informed an official that he had cost her 10/- a week and that she had been in the
habit of taking 12/6, but unfortunately for the last few weeks she had received nothing from him. The Arbitrator in commenting on the evidence, thought that he must hold that Mrs Snowball stated the true condition of matters when she had the interview with M Beacher and Mr Parkin immediately after the death of her son. He decided the 25 paid into the Court by the colliery which they claimed was sufficient to meet the claim of the applicant was enough. On the 14th of ovember 1905, a Tuesday Morning, occurred what appears to have been the last fatal accident at the colliery. It was investigated on Thursday the 16 th at The Effingham Arms, Bradgate, when an Inquiry was held by Mr Dossey Wightman with a Jury of which the Foreman was Mr Henry Hall of Kimberworth Manor House. The deceased was Mr. George Watford, miner of 18 High Street, Bradgate, aged 27 years. Mr. J Mellors, His Majesties Inspector of Mines was present, and there also attended on behalf of the owners of the mine, Mr Ernest Parkin and Mr G. F. Beacher the Manager. The evidence showed that after two props had been removed in the place where the deceased was working he commenced to get the clod down. About half a ton of material fell upon the upper part of his body. He was released as speedily as possible but was so badly injured that death took place a few minutes afterwards. A verdict of accidental death was returned. The Coroner remarking that everything appeared to have been in order as far as the props were concerned. Mr. Beacher on behalf of the colliery company expressed sympathy with the relatives of the deceased. Very unusual were the circumstances surrounding the death of a young miner named Edward Vernon, son of Mrs Florence Vernon, Scholes, whose remains were taken from a coal cutting machine in the Greasbro' Colliery, where he was employed, the body being literally cut to pieces. An inquest was held on Saturday noon by the Deputy District Coroner (Mr J. Kenyon Parker), at the Bay Horse Inn, Scholes. Mrs Vernon, mother of the deceased, gave evidence of identification. Mr Hattersley, a workman, said he was working near to the deceased when the accident occurred, but how the poor fellow got caught in the machine he had not the remotest idea. After one or two questions had been asked by Mr J. Barker, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased met his death in an accidental manner. The explosion at Greasbrough Colliery, reported in last week's Advertiser, has resulted in the death of one of the four men injured. On Monday night, Fred Utley, aged 30 years, of Greasbrough Old Engine Yard, died in Rotherham Hospital. The poor fellow was severely burnt around the face, legs, arms and body. In 1909 the colliery was closed and the plant dismantled. Earl Fitzwilliam had refused to lease any more mining under his land in that area and 150 men and boys were thrown out of work. It also meant a reduction in the value of the rates because it was one of the few pits which were assessed for payment of rates. The Company had offices in High Street and carried on their business as Merchants and Factors with interests in other collieries. The highest number of men to work there appears to be 250, probably due to coal being sold at Masbrough, and the colliery being at its most profitable. Local memory says at the end of the lease of Parkgate Coal an entry was made into another seam, but it was found to have been partially worked. Wooden shovels and picks of deer
antlers were hound, the roof of the tunnel was pointed as in a Church and the word went around that the monks had been there before them. Some could remember the little green engine which took the coal down to Wortley Road and pulled the empties back up to the colliery, huffing and puffing up the incline to enter Fenton Wood and cross Greasbrough Common. At the pit the engines were removed and the headgear and chimney demolished. The engine house was used as a barn and during the First World War it was used as a collection point for horses, becoming known as "The Remount". Until the building of the Kimberworth Park Estate it was occupied as a small holding. In 1913 the old Workings were opened up by the Mangham family of Thorpe, who erected a headgear over the old cupola shaft on the south side of Scholes Lane, and this provided employment for about fifty men working the Parkgate Coal on Sellars Western boundary, this being in operation for about twenty years. In 1947 the National Coal Board planned to fill in the shafts at Sellars Pit but before doing so they explored the possibility of the Thorncliffe Seam being under the workings, the depth of the shaft was measured and it was ascertained the Thorncliffe Seam had not been worked, this was worked from the Roughwood Colliery and the shafts at Sellars filled in. Until the building of the Hook Line and Sinker Public House, the remains of the engine beds and engine house floor could be seen, but is now landscaped and covered by the car park. I feel sure Sellars, or The Pepper Alley, or The Remount would have been a more appropriate name. The Colliery Officials houses still stand and recently have been renovated. The spoil heap is a recreation ground and on the opposite side of the road to the Hook Line and Sinker by the footpath. An observant eye can make out the position of the filled in upcast shaft where Mr. Cooper perceived that all was not well. Greasbrough Colliery
A two way tunnel on the Colliery waggonway waggonwa Coffin Plantation behind the Colliery workings