Egremont Miscellanea - 3

EGREMONT'S WORK PLACES 

Serious mining operations got underway in the Egremont district in 1825 when a Welsh mining company started underground operations on Bigrigg moor. Between 1830 an 1918 mining operations greatly expanded in this area including at Woodend, Gutterby and Moor Row. In the area to the south of Egremont mining started in the period after 1880 at Gillfoot Park, Wyndham, Falcon & Oregill - Ullcoats started operations in 1897, Ullbank and Florence mines started shortly afterwards and finally Windscales came on stream in 1907. The mines in the Egremont area were producing over 1 million tons of ore each year - particularly during the 1914-18 war. After the war demand for iron & steel fell away and the Egremont mines started to close; Ullbank in 1919, Townhead in 1923 and Oregill in 1924. The last mines, Florence, Ullcoats & Beckermet, closed in 1980 but a small group of local men re-opened Florence in 1981 to produce small quantities of high grade haematite ore for use in jewellery and pigments. It is still working along with its mining museum and underground guided tours for the visitors.

Until late into the 19th century it was not usual to keep animals over winter as crops to feed the stock were not harvested during the summer. Add to this a town with a weekly market and where meat was butchered before sale, then it was likely to have a tanyard to deal with & turn a profit from the left over animal skins.
The towns tanneries were operated on land under lease from the lord of the Manor -------------

The first recorded tan-yard was built at Bookwell in 1710 and run by one Isaac Pearson. This tannery, operated as Tarn bank, and had more than family owner. At one stage it was run by two Sherwen brothers and they gave way to the renowned Moses Porter (1787-1864) a member of the Eskdale family.

The second was built & run by the Nicholson farming family of Bigrigg, their tan-yard was at Bookwell and run in the first instance by Thomas Nicholson (D:1757) the son of the founder. This tan-yard is said to have closed in 1911. 1750 saw the third tannery at Bridge end opened by William Benson of Egremont, a Benson of the Old Hall family, when he died in 1753 operations were continued by his wife Barbara. Eventually the business transferred to a Henry Mossop (1785-1866) of Haile & his eldest son Nicholas (B:1827) whose families ran it until its closure some time after 1866

The fourth tannery was run by the Egremont Towerson family but when the towns mining operations were reaching their height they started to undermine the yard buildings and it was forced to close.

In 1850 many of the inhabitants were employed in the manufacture of linen, thread, and paper, and in the tanning and dressing of leather, there being five tanneries in the town and neighbourhood.   There was also in the parish, extensive ironstone mines, belonging to the Messrs. Ainsworth and Lindow; the ore was shipped at Whitehaven chiefly for the iron foundries at Cardiff and Newport, in Wales. Large quantities of limestone were mined and burned there, and there were quarries of red freestone [sandstone] in the parish

Mining in Egremont parish in 1901 was carried out by:

1. The Wyndham Mining Co.Ltd.
2. Bain James & Co.
3. Cammell Charles Co.Ltd.
4. T.H.Dalzell
5. Gillfoot Park Mining Co.
6. Leconfield Mines.
7. S.& J.Lindow of Cleator
8. Moss Bay Haematite Iron & Steel Co.Ltd.
9. Pallaflat Iron Co.Ltd.
10.Postlethwaite Mines
11.Southern Haematite Co.Ltd.

In 1910 Egremont had two water corn mills, a tannery or skin yard and several iron ore mines that gave employment to the majority of the population.

THE COMMERCE of EGREMONT in 1847

Academies (Day).                                                              Grocers & Tea dealer    
Gibson    Esther.                                                                Birkett    Joseph. (& ironmonger)
Railton    Robert.                                                               Chambers    Gardner.
Ritbiade    Thomas.                                                           Dougan    William (& ironmonger)
Russell    Thomas.                                                             Mason    Hy. & Son (& draper.)
Russell    Thos.                                                                  Mossop    Isaac (and baker.)
                                                                                          Rook    William (& tallow chandler)
Inns & Taverns            Stable    Mary
Black Bull                    John Mossop            
Blue Bell                     James Atkinson.                          Joiners    
Cat                               Wm. Corbett                                Gardner    Joseph.
George 4th                 Wm. Spark.                                   Gates    Henry.
Globe                          Joseph. Roberts                           Jenkinson    William
Horse & Groom          Joseph Rodger                            Mann    Isaac
Indian King                 Thomas Mossop.                          Park    Isaac
King's Arms                 John Benn                                   Thompson    John (& ironmonger)
Red Lion                      John Sewell                                 Thompson    William.
Ship Launch                William Geldart.            
Ship                             John Fisher                                  Lime Burners.    
Three Tuns                  Richard Chorley.                         Banks    Isaac
Wheat Sheaf               Ann Nicholson                            Gunson    John
White Swan                Joseph Sewell            
                                                                                         Linen & Woolen Drapers.    
Blacksmiths.                                                                    Liviston    Mary.
Dixon    Henry.                                                                 Mason    Henry. & Son (& grocer)
Biggins    Francis                                                            Williams    Geo. Roberts.
Roberts    John        
Steel    John.                                                                    Shopkeepers & Flour Dealers.    
Tidyman    Thomas                                                         Eilbeck    Sarah.
                                                                                         Fisher    Henry.
Boot, Shoe and Clog Makers.                                        Holmes    Hannah.
Allason    Isaac.                                                               Irwin    John.
Allason    Richard.                                                           Nicholson    Isaac.
Bragg    Henry                                                                 Nicholson    John.
Cameron    Thomas.                                                       Shepherd    Eleanor (& baker.)
Coward    Michael.                                                         Tideyman    William.
Cowen    Joseph.                                                           Tyson    John.
Mather    William                                                             Wilson    Robert.
Matthews    Thomas.            
Nicholson    Isaac.                                                          Stonemasons.    
Noble    Thomas.                                                            Ashley   Thomas. (& quarry owner)
Sewell    Abel.                                                                 Dickinson    John
Stable    Ritson                                                                Eilbeck    Wm. (and quarry owner)
                                                                                        Ray    Joseph. (& quarry owner)
Corn Millers                                                                    Selkirk    Grayston.
Cooke    Henry            
Douglas    James.                                                           Surgeons.    
Steel    George                                                               Armstrong.     William.M.D.    
Turner    John                                                                 Lawson    Jonathon. .(& George.)
                                                                                        Reeves    William.

Farmers.            
Ashburner    Wm. - Haggat end                                     Tailors.    
Banks    Isaac                                                                  Head    Jonathan.
Bragg    John                                                                  Minican    George.
Caddy    Henry                                                                Nicholson    Jacob.
Dixon    Anthony                                                             Stable    John
Fisher    James                                                               Thompson    George.
Forsyth    Alex. - Marlborough.                                      Tyson    Joseph. (& bacon curer.)
Geldart    Wm. - Orgill.            
Gunson    John                                                               Tanners.    
Hilton    John                                                            Downes    Edward (skin.& fell-monger)
Iredale    John                                                              Fletcher     George of Green dykes
Jackson    Jas. - Pallar flat.                                           Mossop    Henry of Black beck.
Johnson    Wm. - Orgill.                                                Newby    Wm. (currier only.)
Lindow    John                                                              Porter    Moses
Lindow    Samuel. - Gutterby gate                               Sherwen    Wm. & John.
Mc.Clellan    Sarah. - Bleach green            
Middleton    Matt. - Blackling.            
Mossop    Ann            
Nelson    Thomas - Catgill hall.            
Robinson    Thomas - Wood end.            
Robley    Thomas - How bank.            
Rook    Wm. - Ashley grove.            
Spedding    Isaac            
Tolson    Joseph            
Usher    Hannah            
Ward    John            
Watson    John            

Place Names for the Parish of Egremont in 1851:

Hamlets of Bigrigg and Woodend

Residences:
Bookwell, Brewery Lane, Castle Lane, Church Lane, Croft end, Domain Street, Hatter Lane, Main Street, Moor row, Old Bridge, Woodgaite, Ashley grove, Bankend, Beck green, Blackling, Catgill Hall, Cherry cottage, Croft end, Gilfoot, Gilfoot cottage, Gilfoot lodge, Gill, Globe Hotel, Green dykes, Gutterby, Hagget end, High mill house, High Pallaflatt, Howbank, Indian King, Lancaster cottage, Langhorn, Marlborough, Nell head, Orefit house, Orepit house, Orgill farm, Pallaflatt, Park house, Picker how, Rectory, Rose castle, Shaw, Snellings, Southam, Springfield, Syke house, Watson hill, Whangs, Woodend, Woodend Mill.

Egremont Town had the following Inns or Taverns to service a population of 2048 persons:
The Black Bull, Blue Bell, Cat, George IV, Globe, Horse & Groom, Indian King, Kings Arms, Red Lion, Ship Launch, Ship, Three Tuns, Wheatsheaf and the White Swan

A total of 14 hostelries or one for every 146 man, woman and child in the town.

Nev.Ramsden December 2013