A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



coal in the township of Greysouthen anterior 

 to 1750. 



Since then many pits have been sunk by 

 various persons, and a large area of coal has 

 been worked, more particularly in the Cannel 

 and Metal Band, south-eastward to the out- 

 crop. The most southerly workings are those 

 that have been made from Allan Pit near to 

 Dean parish boundary, upwards of 2 miles 

 from the confluence of the Marron and Der- 

 went. The most northerly workings in the 

 Cannel and Metal Band have been made from 

 Melgramfitz and other pits up to an upcast 

 east fault of 40 fathoms that runs underneath 

 the village of Greysouthen. 



In 1761 Sir James Lowther was working 

 the Cannel and Metal Band, in Greysouthen, 

 at the depth of 34 fathoms at Reelfitz Pit, 

 east of the Marron. 



In 1766 two small pits, 20 fathoms deep, 

 were being worked, presumably by Mr. John 

 Cookson near the Marron, about half a mile 

 south of Bridgefoot, for the supply of coal to 

 the Clifton furnace. 



In 1783 Mr. Cookson was working Windy 

 Hill or Linefitz Colliery, on the east side of 

 the Marron, in the Cannel and Metal Band. 

 In 1787 Messrs. William Walker & Co. 

 leased the coal under a considerable portion of 

 the township, and carried on an extensive 

 and profitable business for a period of eighty 

 years. 



In 1800 Messrs. John Wilson & Co., in 

 which Mr. J. W. Fletcher was a partner, 

 opened a new colliery in Greysouthen. They 

 obtained, in 1807, at an Assize trial at Car- 

 lisle, 1 6,000 damages from Messrs. William 

 Walker & Co., who, it was proved, had worked 

 a large quantity of coal belonging to Messrs. 

 Wilson & Co., whose colliery they had also 

 damaged by throwing water upon it. 



Messrs. Walker & Co. were then working 

 Agill, Walker and Moss Pits, and Messrs. 

 Wilson & Co. were working Wilson Pit. 



In 1 8 1 6 Messrs. Lysons include amongst the 

 list of collieries ' Greysouthen, belonging to 

 Messrs. Walker, Harris & Co., supposed to 

 have a sale of about 10,000 waggon-loads an- 

 nually.' 1 



In 1829 there were two collieries belong- 

 ing to Messrs. Birbeck and Fletcher and 

 Messrs. Harris & Co. 2 



In 1831 Messrs. Birbeck and Fletcher 

 were working George and Hope Pits, in the 

 Cannel and Metal Band, in the Earl of 

 Egremont's royalty, south of Mayfield, near 

 the boundary of the parish of Dean. 



1 Magna Britannica, iv. p. cxxiv. 



2 History, etc. Cumb. and Westm. 1829, Parson 

 and White, p. 188. 



In 1837 Messrs. Joseph Harris & Co. were 

 working the Cannel and Metal Band at 

 Nepgill, and in 1838 at John Pit, both of 

 which were comprised in the Millbanks Col- 

 liery. 



In 1842 Mr. Harris was still carrying on 

 Millbanks Colliery near Bridgefoot, in Grey- 

 southen, whilst Messrs. Fletcher & Co. were 

 raising coal a little to the south at Mary Pit. 

 The Millbanks Colliery produced about 130 

 waggons, and Mary Pit, 100 waggons per 

 week. 



From 1855 to 1863 Messrs. Fletcher did 

 not work any coal in Greysouthen, but 

 Messrs. Harris & Co. did. In 1860 the 

 latter had one colliery in the Cannel Band, 

 42 fathoms deep, where 70 persons were 

 employed. 3 



In 1 863 Messrs. Isaac and William Fletcher 

 completed Melgramfitz Pit, from which the 

 Ten Quarters Seam and the Cannel and Metal 

 Band were extensively worked until 1886, 

 when the pit was closed. 



Mr. Harris continued working coal at 

 Nepgill Pit until 1874. At this pit, which 

 was sunk to the Cannel and Metal Band, a 

 considerable area of Lickbank Seam was 

 worked to the south through an upthrow 

 fault. 



In 1877 New Banks Pit near Nepgill Pit 

 had been opened out by Messrs. Kenyon and 

 Campbell. It was sunk to the Rattler Band, 

 a depth of 25 fathoms from the surface, and 

 continued at work till 1884. 



Since the closing of Melgramfitz Pit in 

 1886 no coal has been worked in Grey- 

 southen. 



In the township of Winscales, the Curwens 

 worked coal from 1783 to 1806. Coal was 

 again worked in 1873, when the Rev. A. F. 

 Curwen and Messrs. Were and Blair took a 

 lease of the Curwen royalty, and sank a pit 

 at Wythemoor, lo^ fathoms to the Yard Band. 

 After 1875 Mr. Blair, and after 1880 Dr. 

 Richmond, Greenock, carried on the colliery, 

 which was closed in 1886. 



Coal had been found in the parish of Dis- 

 tington early in the seventeenth century. In 

 1614 Mr. John Fearon demised his coal 

 mines at Great Gunnerdine to Mr. George 

 Fletcher, Tallentire ; and in 1615 the 

 court-roll refers to the coals under certain 

 tenements. 



The Christians, Fletchers and Lamplughs 

 were the earliest workers of coal in Disting- 

 ton. 



In 1675 Sir John Lowther acquired the 

 lease of the Fearon coal mines from Mr. 



Whellan, History of Cumberland, p. 298. 



370 



