Merseyside had its fair share of coal mines back in the day, but there’s one that proudly stood for over 160 years that’s since been forgotten by many.
Despite revolutionising the industry and hundreds of local workers risking their lives each day, Neston Collieries in Wirral is unknown to some. The coal mine is mainly remembered by those whose relatives worked there, with generations of families taking on the dangerous job.
Neston Collieries had two lives, the first being in 1759 when it opened, coinciding with the Industrial Revolution. The coal mine operated until 1855 and made history during this time, as it was the first large industrial site in West Cheshire and had the first steam engine in the region.
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Neston Collieries then lay untouched for 20 years before its revival in 1875 where it remained open until 1927. The mine was a major local employer, and at its peak in the 1920s, over 300 men worked there.
Sadly, like many coal mines, Neston Collieries was no stranger to death. At least 42 men and children are known to have died there between its opening in 1759 and its closure in 1927, the youngest being a 9-year-old boy. There were also hundreds of accidents during the mine’s lifetime - it certainly wasn’t a job for the faint-hearted.
The early years
When the coal mine first opened in 1759 it was known as Ness Colliery, and it used impressive underground canals to mine coal under the Dee Estuary. A second mine, Little Neston Colliery, operated yards from Ness Colliery for around 30 years, bringing unwanted competition.
At least 27 men and children died during the Neston Collieries’ first period of life, including Thomas Bartley, 9, who was killed in 1914 when his basket’s rope broke while descending into the mine in Little Neston. He and two others fell 84 yards to the bottom of the pit, and remarkably one of the workers survived, suffering only from a broken thigh. Sadly, Thomas and his other colleague had their skulls “dreadfully fractured”, among other injuries.
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Common causes of death during this period included being killed by falling rocks, killed in a sulphurous explosion in the coal pit, and suffocation. Neston Collieries ceased operation in 1855, before starting its second life 20 years later.
The later years
In 1874, Neston Colliery Company was formed, giving the company the rights to mine the Little Neston Colliery. The coal mining operation which began in 1875 was initially owned by the Neston Colliery Company, but it later changed its name to Wirral Colliery Company. The mine was situated at the bottom of today’s Marshlands Road in Little Neston, the site of the former Little Neston Colliery.
The Neston coal mine even had its own railway line built between the colliery and Parkgate which gave access to other lines. This meant that Neston coal was able to reach the homes, industries and docks on the other side of Wirral where the River Mersey lies. The mine was believed to be producing around 100,000 tons a year in the 1890s, which reduced to 60,000 tons by 1923.
At least 15 men and children are known to have died at Neston Collieries during its second lifetime, with many more injured. 1882 saw tragedy strike for one family, as two brothers, George Shone, 22, and Edward Shone, 19, were killed after a roof fall. The third brother, Thomas Shone, was also involved in the accident but survived. He was said to be in the “most dangerous condition”.
In 1898, a 16-year-old boy was killed in a roof fall, the youngest to die at the coal mine during its later years. The last shift was worked at the Neston Collieries on March 12, 1927, resulting in around 180 job losses. You can find out more about the coal mine and the workers who lost their lives here.
See more photos of the Neston Collieries and its miners in the photo gallery below.
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