In message <003201be8d00$809de360$757ae8c3@gateway-desktop>, Ian Clark
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>I am interested in any mine workings worked by a Jones family (Richard, 2
>Edwards and a John) who lived in Wrockwardine, a village close to Wellington
>in Shropshire. In the Oct 1820 Quarter Sessions Records there is a brief
>report on an altercation between them and a crowd of miners from other local
>pits (John Rowley, Thomas Jarvis, William Poole, Allen Pickering, Edward
>Pooler, Robert Hodson), with the latter 6 bound over to keep the peace in
>recognizances of £20.
While they might have lived at Wrockwardine (on the West side of
Wellington), if they worked for the Lilleshall Company it is possible
(dare I say more likely!) that they lived at Wrockwardine Wood (an area
East of Wellington, between Oakengates and Donnington). Some of the
early (1820's) Lilleshall Co. mines were in this area.
The mines were often referred to as 'pits' and it was common for mines
in the Coalbrookdale Coalfield to work: coal, ironstone, red & white
clay from different levels all within the same mine.
>A more serious charge of conspiracy against the 6 was dropped, but implies
>that the Jones were "chartermen, colliers, miners workmen & labourers
>employed by Viscount Granville [and others]carrying on trade as Lilleshall
>Company".
The Lilleshall Co. was a very large organisation and was one of the
major employers in the Wellington-Lilleshall area (now swamped by the
'New Town' of Telford). The company was formed in 1802, taking over the
workings of an earlier partnership between the Marquis of Stafford and
the Gilbert brothers. (Sir William Leveson had a blast furnace on his
land in Lilleshall Parish in 1591 - this land became part of the
Lilleshall Co. estates. Many small pits were also worked under lease on
the Leveson-Gowers land up to the formation of the Partnership)
It was a multi-industry concern operating numerous mines (at least 40 by
1871) - working coal, ironstone, limestone, brick and fireclay, as well
as brickworks, ironworks, blast furnaces and engine manufactories etc..
(It made all the engines it used at its mines, and works including mine-
ventilation fans.)
Chartermasters:
These were effectivly the subcontractors that worked the mines for the
owners. It was the Chartermaster who employed the miners, provided
horses, tubs, tools and timber for underground use. The Chartermaster
would contract with the owner to raise a given quantity of minerals at
an agreed price, a proportion of the proceeds if coal was to be mined
for sale, or a fixed sum if the minerals were for the owners ironworks.
A lot of the Shropshire Chartermasters were often only on monthly
contracts - but they had to put capital into the mine to develop the
underground workings!
Granville Colliery, near Lilleshall was the last mine in Shropshire to
work under the Chartermaster system, when Mr. Cooper the last
Chartermaster retired in 1913, although the mine did not close until
1978.
>From your comment above about them being Chartermen I suspect that they
were ordinary miners working for a Chartermaster (a Chartermaster was
unlikely to be caught 'brawling'). Other terms for minerworkers in
Shropshire are: doggy (chartermaster deputy), Pikemen & holers (pre 1800
separate jobs, pikemen were considered to be highly skilled),
turnsman/turners or bandsman/getters-out, and pitchers.
>Can you help me to identify this Jones mine (one reference is to a "pit")?
>Was it coal or iron or lead? Where was it? What sources might provide
>further information? Is the Lilleshall Company documented anywhere?
The Shropshire County Record Office holds collections of papers relating
to the activities of the Lilleshall Co. notably: the Sutherland
Collection which contains amongst other things plans of the Lilleshall
Co. lands (~1807), also the Lilleshall Estate Records.
The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Library also contains some papers and
details relating to the Lilleshall Co.
Good sources of information about the Lilleshall Co. would be:
The Lilleshall Company Ltd, a history 1764-1964 by W.K.V.Gale &
C.R.Nicholls,
The Industrial Revolution in Shropshire, by Barry Trinder
Both are out of print, but reference libraries are likely to have
copies.
Family Names:
If you start looking into the Lilleshall Co. the family names and titles
can be confusing so here is a brief summary:
1675-1709 John Leveson Gower - created Baron Gower of Stittenham, 1703
-1754 John Leveson Gower - 2nd Baron Gower, made Viscount Trentham
(near Stoke-on-Trent) and Earl Gower, 1746 (he used the latter
title)
1721-1803 Granville Leveson Gower - 2nd Earl G. made 1st Marquis of
Stafford 1786.
1758-1833 George Granville Leveson Gower - 2nd Marquis, married Countess
of Sutherland (1785), created Duke of Sutherland.
1773-1846 Granville Leveson Gower - created 1st Earl Granville in 1833
1815-1891 Granville Leveson Gower - 2nd Earl Granville
1872-1939 Granville George Leveson Gower - 3rd Earl G.
The family carries on, but this covers the main period of mining that
you might be interested in.
Finally: It was common for whole generations of miners to work for the
same company, and the Leveson-Gowers and the Lilelshall Co. were no
exception to this. The only other thing I should point out is that Jones
is rather a common name in the area, and I have seen quite a few
references to miners called 'Jones'!
Hope this is of some help - I expect others on the list will be able to
add more details.
Kelvin Lake
Shropshire Caving & Mining Club ^o^
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