INDUSTRIES 



the production of coal from Cumberland mines 

 had been kept. In that year the publication 

 of mineral statistics by Mr. Robert Hunt, of 

 the Mining Record Office, was commenced. 



Since 1872 the Home Office has issued 

 annual Blue Books, which give more reliable 

 statistics than Mr. Hunt's figures, which were 

 little better than approximations compiled 

 from voluntary returns and estimates. 



In 1854 the output of coal for Cumber- 

 land was 887,000 tons. In 1873 it had 

 risen to 1,747,064 tons, but dropped to 

 1,102,267 tons the following year. In 1877 

 it had recovered to 1,515,783 tons, but fell 

 away the ensuing year to 1,388,283 tons. 

 Then it advanced, with slight relapses in 1882 

 and 1884, up to 1,796,594 tons in 1887. 

 After then the output declined until 1892, 

 when it was only 1,424,749 tons. Next 

 year saw a marked improvement, and in 1894 

 the production reached 2,058,867 tons, which 

 was the 'record' quantity until 1898, when 

 2,061,878 tons were produced. In 1901, 

 2,108,360 tons were raised. 



Employees. In 1854 the number was 

 3,579 ; in 1884, 6,480 ; in 1899, 7,897 ; 

 and in 1901, 8,884. 



Exports. Before 1836 coals were sold by 

 measure sometimes by chaldron but generally 

 by waggon. Over measure was prevented by 

 a ' streaker,' placed at a certain height above 

 the railway. Originally the waggon contained 

 2 tons, but the contents were increased, as 

 time went on, to 42, 44, 45 and eventually to 

 50 cwt. On account of the uncertain size 

 of the waggon, the measure in which up to 

 1836 the exports was invariably expressed, 

 there is considerable difficulty in determining 

 the weights at different periods and places. 



In 1765 M. Jars said that it was alleged 

 that the collieries at Whitehaven, Working- 

 ton, Harrington and Maryport produced each 

 day 1,000 tons of 14 cwt. each. 



Assuming that such a rate of export was 

 maintained for 250 days throughout the year, 

 the total quantity of coal shipped at the four 

 ports must have been 175,000 tons. 



Hutchinson gives the exports for 12 years, 

 1781 to 1792, in waggons. Assuming the 

 waggons to have each contained 2 tons of coal, 

 the quantities exported in 1781, 1788 and 

 1792 were : 



221,456 309,090 269,424 



From 1792 no complete account can be 

 given of the coal shipments at each of the 

 Cumberland ports, excepting Whitehaven. 



During Mr. Bateman's absence from the 

 management of the Whitehaven Collieries 

 the Whitehaven exports had dwindled to 

 90,628 tons in 1802 ; but, on his return in 

 1803, they at once bounded up to 153,728 

 tons. They kept to about that figure until 

 1808, when 201,766 tons were shipped, and 

 after several fluctuations reached 220,386 tons 

 in 1814. Between 1814 and 1831 the 

 Whitehaven coal shipments never exceeded 

 200,000 tons per annum. 



In 1831 and 1839 the coals shipped were : 

 1831 



Tons 



204.543 

 66,298 



78,080 



Whitehaven 

 Maryport 

 Workington , 

 Harrington , 



1839 



Tons 



230,287 



61,741 

 47,692 



363,154 



In 1855 and 1865 the coal exports (Har- 

 rington not given) were : 



1855 1865 



Tons Tons 



Whitehaven . 212,665 I 4^>43 



Maryport . . 286,106 466,701 



Workington . 112,426 146,506 



611,197 761,250 



In 1867, 476,162 tons of coal were ex- 

 ported from Maryport, the largest quantity 

 that has ever been shipped in one year from 

 any port in Cumberland. 



In 1873 the Whitehaven shipments, owing 

 to a strike, sank to 89,434 tons the lowest 

 quantity recorded since 1781. 



The following figures, taken from mineral 

 statistics issued by the Home Office, show 

 the fluctuations in Cumberland coal exports 

 up to 1901 : 



Workington 

 & Harrington Total 

 Tons Tons 



82,824 458,219 



106,141 575,773 



114,127 603,695 



1885, 

 I8 97 . 

 1901 



Whitehaven Maryport 



Tons Tons 



183,599 191,796 



300,442* 169,190 



253,401 236,167 



1 The greatest shipment of coal at Whitehaven. 



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