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 Simon Chapman advises the Archive: “This was the ventilating fan at Lumpsey mine. It was installed in 1925 and made by the Waddle Fan Engineering Co. of Llanelli in South Wales. After working until 1964 it was left to decay until somebody stole it.” Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum, thanks to Simon Chapman for the update.
Julie Riddiough has kindly sent us a set of photographs that she took from the top end of Brotton just last month, in the afternoon of 27th August. This is a view over the golf course to the remains of the Huntcliffe mine, Guibal fan house, beside the railway at the top of the cliff. ”The Huntcliff Ironstone Mine, a drift mine, commenced operations in 1872 by which time ventilation techniques had become more sophisticated. Worked on the pillar and bord system, this mine was one of several to be ventilated by a Guibal fan, named after its Belgian inventor. A vertical shaft was driven down to the mining level at the top of which the fan house was erected. A huge 30 foot ( 9 m) diameter fan powered by a static steam engine drew the foul air up the shaft and then up a specially designed chimney to the open air. Once in operation fresh air would be drawn into the mine through the drift entrances and could be controlled and directed by a series of shutters or doors usually operated by young boys.” Image courtesy of Julie Riddiough; additional information courtesy of ”Coast Alive”.  At Huntcliff again and this time the sidings above the main drift are being dismantled in 1906. Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum and other collections.  As the caption says it’s Huntcliff mine 1906, although the fan was dismantled, the building “Huntcliffe Guibal Fan House” is a scheduled monument; continuing to stand adjacent to the railway line skirting Warsett Hill. It is clearly visible to many as they travel around the area, particularly when passing from Carlin How towards Brotton. Image courtesy of Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum and other collections.  This is a locomotive J39 -0-6-0 no. 1448; pictured being pulled upright after the incident at the trap points at Lumpsey mine near Brotton. Image courtesy of a compilation by Derick Pearson and others.  This is a locomotive J39 -0-6-0 no. 1448; it was the first of a class and almost new when the incident took place, it was derailed at the trap points at Lumpsey mine near Brotton. Raymond Brown provided additional information: “This J39 Loco was not a write off, it went on to be renumbered 64700 under BR ownership and remained in traffic until 1961 (based at Sunderland Shed). It was cut up at the British Railway’s Cowlairs works in August 1961. Additional information courtesy of Ray Brown. Image from a compilation by Derick Pearson and others, thanks to Raymond Brown for the update.
Another photograph relating to the dismantling of Huntcliffe Mines after the closure in 1906. This picture is of the dismantling of the tipping gantry. Maurice Dower tells us: “The man second left on the top of the timber gantry is my great grand-father James Herbert Dower.” Grateful thanks to Simon Chapman for the information and Maurice Dower for the update.  This stern group of lads were the Lumpsey Mine football team, known collectively as ”The Skinshifters”. They appear to have won a trophy – hope it wasn’t a knock-out competition! Can anyone name the team and maybe give us a year and the name of the competition? Image courtesy of the Pem Holliday Collection and others.  The photograph shows the last ”working” day of Huntcliffe Mines, 30th June 1906. The photograph was taken outside the workshops, alas now longer with us. All that remains is the Guibal Fanhouse beside the mineral railway line, towards the cliff edge at the bottom of Warsett Hill. The writing on the door of the wall behind ”Are we downhearted?” is from a song popular at that time, perhaps relevant to the situation! With Simon Chapman’s assistance we can identify some of those present. Back row: ?? , Mr Stephens (later Cashier at Lumpsey Mine), Ralph Clough (engineer-later at Lumpsey Mine), ?? , ?? , ?? , ??. Middle row: Jimmy Dower (partially cut off), ??, ?? , ?? , ?? , ?? , ?? , ?? , ?? , ?? , ?? , William ‘Bill’ Garbutt (baby – who later worked at Kilton Mine, one of the first men to drive a locomotive underground and later Miner’s Lodge Secretary), William ‘Dick Hoss’ Garbutt, Mary Ellen Garbutt, Mr Matson (possibly a Manager). Front row: ?? , ?? , ?? , ?? , ?? , ?? , ?? . Paul Garbutt tells us: ”The baby in the photograph (Bill Garbutt) was my grandfather and this is the only photograph of him as a baby, he went on to work in the local mines and he was one of the main rescuers after the Kilton Mine explosion in May 1954. He never commented on the explosion and his subsequent actions in saving the injured miners, my father remembers that he came home that night and was a bit groggy and not his usual self ( the after effects of the gas explosion presumably ). The Evening Gazette reported on the disaster but my grandfather would not be interviewed, regarding the matter to be not worth discussing. My grandfather was an intensely private man and these few snippets of information are pretty much all we know about him, I just knew him once he was retired from work so never had the opportunity to find out about his employment history. He would never talk about himself much at all and especially not the Kilton Mine incident even though he helped save many of the miners, he was my hero regardless.” Similarly Alan Found tells us:”My grandfather worked at Kilton mine he would have been there in 1954 he never talked about the explosion.” Michael Garbutt adds: ”The baby, Bill (who is 8 month’s old in this picture) was also my grandfather. I know the lady holding him is his mother Martha Ellen Garbutt (nee Lines), both Paul’s and my Great Grandmother. The gentleman behind them is almost certainly our Great Grandfather, also William Garbutt, who was also working down the mine at this time, working with the horses, probably as a drover (he was know as Dick Hoss!). He had been in a serious accident there, around 1902, in which he was made almost totally blind in one eye, which meant he could not work there for a while, and so went up to Handale Farm at Loftus to work, and is actually where his daughter Marian was born. I also have a nice story about this photograph; as when I was talking about it to my great aunt Maud (Marian and she would have been three years old then), she mentioned that she was also there, but was shy and ran behind her mother’s skirt while it was being taken!” Image courtesy of the Pem Holliday Collection and others, thanks to Paul Garbutt, Alan and Michael Garbutt for these details, as well Simon Chapman for his assistance, any further any help would be much appreciated.  Pictured is a shift of miners outside the clock office at Morrison’s Pit. Can anybody name them? Image courtesy of the David Linton Collection, the Pem Holliday Collection, Derick Pearson and others. |
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