Durham E-Theses East Durham: mining colonisation and the genesis of the colliery landscape, 1770-1851, Sill, Michael How to cite: Sill, Michael (1982) East Durham: mining colonisation and the genesis of the colliery landscape, 1770-1851,, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/7694/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 M. SILL M.A. EAST DURHAM; MINING COLONISATION AND THE GENESIS OF THE COLLIERY LANDSCAPE, 1770-1851. ABSTRACT OF PH.D THESIS The purpose of this thesis is to explore the spatial outcomes of the extension of coal mining onto the concealed coalfield of east Durham in the first half of the nineteenth century. Here, in contrast to the long-established exposed sections of the North Eastern coalfield, raining was developed suddenly consequent upon the first successful sinkings through the Magnesian Limestone at Hetton-le-Hole between 1820 and 1822. In more detail, the first objective of the work is to reconstruct the agrarian base upon which the colliery landscape was superimposed,, The agrarian base is presented as a cadaster composed of patterns of landownership, landholding, settlements, fields and land-use that provided a spatial matrix within which the process of mining colonisation developed. Subsequently, the following three questions are examined: (i) to what extent did the legal relationships between the east Durham landowners and the colliery companies structure the emergent locational pattern of the colliery landscape in terms of the siting of the mines with their associated surface installations, the colliery settlements and the transport lines? (ii) what was the social structure of these rapidly-developed mining communities? (iii) what effect did the sudden creation of large-scale centres of mining employment have upon patterns of labour mobility? By this means, it is intended to analyse, in terms of a regional case study, the impact of coal mining upon the human geography of east Durham* Because of the nature of these objectives, the work is essentially ideographic rather than nomothetic in concept, empirical rather than theoretical in approach, the overall aim being to present the spatial outcomes of the complex and at times subtle relationships between man, technology and'resource in this small corner of the Industrial Revolutions EAST DURHAM. MINING COLONISATION AND THE GENESIS OF THE COLLIERY LANDSCAPE, I77O-I85I0 MICHAEL SILL M«A= A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, 1982c DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY, UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM TWO VOLUMES: VOLUME ONE The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. ii CONTENTS VOLUME ONE PAGE NOc CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1- 13 CHAPTER 2 East Durham: The Agrarian Base 14- 52 i) Landownership and Tenancy Patterns 15 ii) Farm and Field Patterns 21 iii) Land Use Patterns and Farming 31 Systems CHAPTER 3 The Contexts of Mining Colonisation 53- 90 i) Resource Geology 53 ii) Coal Transport Systems 6k iii) The Economic Context of the Coal 7k Trade 1800-1850 CHAPTER k The Changing Human Geography of East 91=136 Durham 1801-1851 i) Population Growth 92 ii) Demographic Characteristics in 99 East Durham 1801-51 iii) Occupation Structures;Changing 112 Patterns 1801-51 iv) Colliery Settlement Morphology 121 CHAPTER 5 Landownership and the Development of 137-196 Coal Mining 1770-1850= Sources of Information 138 Literature Review 1^2 i) The Involvement of Landowners in the Coal Industry 151 ii) The Colliery Companies and the Local Land Market 159 iii) The Influence of the Landowners upon the Locational Patterns of 180 the Colliery Landscape 1820-50. CHAPTER 6 Social Structures of the Coal Mining Townships, 1851 197-239 Introduction and Literature Review 197 Techniques of Analysis 201 i) Inter-Township Analysis 20k ii) Intra-Township Social Analysis 2*\k iii) Beyond the Mining Community 229 PAGE NO CHAPTER 7 Patterns of Migration 240=296 Introduction and Literature Review 2^0 i) a) Overall Birthplace Origins 256 b) Inter-Township Birthplace ^g-j Analysis ii) a) Intra-Township Birthplace ^2 Analysis b) Hetton Township: Intra Township Birthplace Analysis iii) Birthplace Analysis of Major _g7 Occupation Groups iv) Family Migration Patterns of the 272 Goal Miners v) Contrasting Patterns of Migration 282 1851 and 1871. CHAPTER 8 Conclusions 297-305 iv CONTENTS VOLUME TWO PAGE NO FIGSo Id 7o20 TABLES 2c1 7 = 28 BIBLIOGRAPHY Printed Sources 1 - 9 Unprinted Sources 10 - 14 APPENDIX 1 Methodological Problems 15 - 39 APPENDIX 2 Photographic Record of East Durham 40 - 58 APPENDIX 3 The Resource; The Coal Seams of 59 - 60 the Concealed Coalfield APPENDIX 4 Hetton Coal Company and South Hetton 61 - 66 Colliery Company: Coal Production Details. APPENDIX 5 The Tithe Files 67 - 68 V FIGURES 1.1 The Study Area: Regional Context 1.2 The Study Area? Administrative Units d84o<> 1.3 East Durham: Colliery Sinkings by 1850. 2.1 East Durham: Major Landowners in the mid-lS^Os. 2.2 The Engrossment of the Estate of the Lyon Family, 1776=1826, Hetton-le-Hole. 2.3 Hutton Henry Township: Farm shape, Field Pattern and Location of Settlement, 1838. 2ak Murton Township: Farm shape, Field Pattern and Location of Settlement, 1839* 2.5 Quarrington Township: Farm shape, Field Pattern and Location of Settlement, 1838. 2.6 Thornley Township: Farm shape, Field Pattern and Location of Settlement, l8Vf. 2.7 Enclosures in County Durham 1550-1750. 2.8 Enclosures in County Durham 1751-1870. 2.9 East Durham: Land Use Patterns d840. 2.10 East Durham: Arable Crops 0.18^0. 2.11 East Durham: Drift Deposits 2.12 East Durham: Soil Types. 3*1 Generalised Vertical Section of the Upper Carboniferous Coal Measures. 3.2 Plan of the Hutton Coal Seam in East Durham. 3.3 Plan of the Main Coal Seam in East Durham. 3ok East Durham: Collieries and Rail Links by Mid-Nineteenth Century. 3-5 The Development of the Northumberland and Durham Coalfield. 401 East Durham Townships 1801-21: Population Growth. ka2 East Durham Townships 1831-51: Population Growth. 4.3 East Durham: Occupation Structure 1801. 4.4 East Durham: Occupation Structure 1811. vi 4.5 East Durham: Occupation Structure 1821. 4.6 East Durham: Occupation Structure 183L 4.7 East Durham: Occupation Structure of Males aged over 20 years I83L 4.8 East Durham Sample Villages: Occupation Structure 18$1. 4.9 Hetton-le-Hole: Occupation Structure 1851. 4.10 Murton Village and Murton Colliery 1856. 4.11 Thornley: The Colliery Landscape, 1856. 4.12 Wingates The Colliery Landscape, 1856. 4.13 rietton-le-ttole: Plan of the Rural Village cl825- 4.14 Plan of a Single Cottage at Easington Lane, Hetton-le-Hole. 4.15 Plan of a Double Cottage, Lyons Street, Hetton-le-Hole. 5o1 East Durham: Land Owned and leased by Colliery Companies C.1840. 5.2 East Durham: Colliery Concessions in the Mid-l840s. 5.3 Sketch Map of the Site of Wingate Grange Colliery Villagee 7.1 Birthplaces of the Coal Miner Heads of Households:Hetton^e= Hole, 1851. 7*2 Birthplaces of the Non-Coal Miner Heads of Households! Hetton-le-Hole, 185I0 7.3 Birthplaces of Heads of Households* East Murton, 1851. 7.4 Birthplaces of Heads of Households: South Hetton, 1851. 7o5 Birthplaces of Heads of Households: Shotton, 1851. 7o6 Birthplaces of Heads of Households: Thornley, I85I0 7.7 Birthplaces of Heads of Households: Quarrington, 1851° 7o8 Birthplaces of Heads of Households: Hutton Henry, 185L 7*9 Birthplaces of Heads of Households: Trimdon, 185L 7<>10 Birthplaces of the Children of the Coal Miners: Hetton 185I0 7o11 Birthplaces of the Children of the Coal Miners: East Murton 18510 7o12 Birthplaces of the Children of the Coal Miners* South Hetton 18510 vii 7*13 Birthplaces of the Children of the Coal Miners: Shotton 1851. 7o1^ Birthplaces of the Children of the Coal Miners: Thornley 1851., 7=15 Birthplaces of the Children of the Coal Miners* Quarrington 1851O 7„16 Birthplaces of the Children of the Coal Miners: Hutton Henry 1851O 7„17 Birthplaces of the Children of the Coal Miners: Trimdon 185I0 7„18 East Murton 1851: Migration Traces. 7»19 Shotton Colliery 1851: Migration Traces, 7o20 Trimdon 1851: Migration Traces. viii TABLES 2.1 Landownership amd Tenancy Patterns in East Durham cl840. 2.2 East Durham; Distribution of Farm Sizes, (5 acres +). 2.3 Farm Shape and Location in Nine East Durham Townships. 2.4 East Durham: Enclosures Made or Confirmed by Decree Award of Chancery Court. 2„5 Land Use Patterns in East Durham, d840. 2.6 Yields of Wheat and Oats in East Durham Townships, c.l840. 3»1 East Durham's Collieries and Links to Coal Exporting Ports, 1820-50. 3.2 Colliery Details: East Durham and the North East Coalfield, 18VS. 3»3 Average Numbers Employed. 3.4 Average Output (tons/annum).