Lead and Coal Mining in Barnoldswick:

[Stanley]

Lead and Coal Mining in Barnoldswick:
Agreement in Four Parts

1st January 1753: YAS Archives: MD335 series: single sheet/4 x A3

Between:
Thomas Lister esq. of Gisburn Park, Yorkshire
Danson Roundell of Marton, Yorkshire
William Bulcock gent of Barcroft, Lancashire
John Cockshutt gent of Park, Barnoldswick


Thomas Lister owns Dye House Farm in Barnoldswick tenanted by Widow Broughton.

Danson Roundell owns Higher Park Farm in Barnoldswick and a certain other farm and tenements there called Old Shops in the possession of Edmund Starkie as tenant.

William Bulcock owns Hey Farm in Barnoldswick with Henry Croasdale as tenant.

John Cockshutt has Lower Park Farm and Jackson's Tenement and lands called Lower Shaw Carrs in Barnoldswick in his own possession.

All four men severally and mutually agree to form a mutual bond of 130 shares between them whereby they will all combine within the profits of any sinking, digging for and getting of lead ore or coal on any of the above named farms, tenements and closes variously held by them whereby this will be in the interest of the majority amongst them.

Where coal and mineral workings are undertaken on any individual's land then the majority shall have the right of passage for themselves over said lands and also for their workers, agents, horses, carriages and customers during the term of 30 years for such of them as shall dig for, search for, get, smelt and carry away lead or coal out of or away from the said tenements etc. And to carry on such pits, drains, soughs, leats, sluices and other works for getting ore or coal without let or hindrance.

Lister is to have 10 parts (shares)
Roundell 40 parts
Bulcock 40 parts
Cockshutt 40 parts

Any damage caused by such works is to be recompensed by the others upon agreement or failing that by decision of John Parker esq, Richard Hebor esq, Samuel Swire esq, Bannister Walton esq, Robert Parker esq, James Foulds esq. and Robert Jackson gent.

Agreement witnessed by:
Robert Hartley
Jno. Barcroft
Barbara Baldwin.

J A Clayton
Barrowford
November 2009

[Stanley]

We often forget that the 18th C mania for mining happened in Barlick as well but I have only found one mention of any activity, a vague report of an attempt to mine silver at Higher Park.

[Tizer]

I guess that would have been mining for lead and then smelting out the silver from the lead. Incidentally, I found this google version of `Pliny the Elder on Science and Technology' by John F. Healy, 1999:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Hz6D ... &q&f=false
As with all these Google versions they get around copyright by only presenting some of the pages, but there is still interesting information in it.

[Stanley]

There was some outcrop coal as well, hence Coal Pit Lane on Gisburn side of Whitemoor. One interesting thing I came across was a regulation by the Manorial Court that large wheeled vehicles were prohibited from using the roads onto the moors during the wet six months of the year because of damage to the roads. Question is, what were they carrying? Lots of peat I suspect and stone. Possibly lime and some coal as well. Certainly more activity than we have direct evidence for.

[Stanley]

Useful evidence so bumped again.