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EMPLOYMENT IN THE MINES

This page has the numbers of miners extracted from articles by Geoffrey Warrington and a table showing the names and occupations of a number of people associated with the mines derived from original research.  

ALL MEN (from census)

 

TOTAL

1871

Age: 12 or less

 5

 

51
  13 - 15 4    
  16 or more 42    
  Total 51    
  UNDERGROUND ABOVE GROUND  

1872

38

13

51

1873

Age: 12 or less

6

8-12

1

13 - 15

5

 

 

16 or more

24

18 or more

13

Total

35

Total

14

49

1874

Age: 12 or less

4

8-12

1

13 - 15

8

 

 

16 or more

22

18 or more

13

Total

34

Total

14

48

1875

?

?

?

1876

28

13

41

1877

22

13

35

1878 

0

?

?

Oakes Level was driven by 2 men and 2 boys and it was expected to take 4 to 5 months to drive 36 fathoms. Assuming a 6 day week, this represents a driving rate of about 2 feet a day on average.   Shotholes were normally about 3 feet long but the effective distance driven by one round was probably nearer 2 feet.  With 8 or 9 holes in a heading, this would mean that an average shothole would take about an hour to drill.  If three feet were gained with each round, then the time per hole would be about one and a half hours.

Source: Reports of the Inspectors of Mines and 1871 census

The following list of names was gleaned from the late-19th century censuses (1861 and 1871), baptismal and marriage records for Nether Alderley, the Mining Journal, the Wages Book and other sources such as share certificates.   The column marked "origin" indicates the sources:
    c = census
    b = baptismal records
    m = marriage records
    j = Mining Journal
    w = wages books
    o = other

If anyone recognises these people as ancestors or can add any more names or information, please let us know at AlderleyMines@DerbysCC.org.uk.

The keen reader will observe that this list does not tie up with the numbers above as the list is not claimed to be complete.

FIRST

SURNAME

OCCUPATION

BORN PLACE

BORN COUNTY

BORN YEAR

ORIGIN
William Adshead ?Secretary       o
John Andrew Cu & Pb Miner Stithans Cornwall 1818 c
Samuel Askington   ? Unknown   w
John Bailey Tank Man at Cu Mines Mobberley Cheshire 1828 c
Joseph Bailey Miner Chorley Cheshire 1861 c
William Barker Cu Miner Mottram Cheshire 1821 c
John Barrow Miner (Cu) Knutsford Cheshire 1857 c
John Baston Cu & Pb Miner Kermingham Cheshire 1837 c
William Bate Cu Miner Calstock Cornwall 1834 c
Charles Bennett Cu & Pb Miner Landrake Cornwall 1837 c
Henry Birch Cu Miner St Erth Cornwall 1840 c
John Biscombe   ? Unknown   w
Joseph Biscombe [1861], Pliscombe [1871] Cu Miner Calstock Cornwall 1825 c
James Blackshaw Miner (Cu) Fulshaw Cheshire 1837 c
Solomon Blancy Cu Miner Gwinear Cornwall 1828 c
James Booth Cu & Pb mines Labourer / Cu Labourer Hyde Cheshire 1817 c
John Booth Mine Labourer at Cu & Pb mines Ashover Derbyshire 1847 c
Peter Booth ?? Miner Wilmslow Cheshire 1806 c
William Booth Engine Tenter at Cu & Pb mines Ashover Derbyshire 1845 c
Robert Bower Miner's Labourer Alderley Cheshire 1861 c
Samuel (2) Bower Blacksmith (Cu mines) Toft Cheshire 1836 c
Peter Bower[s] Cu & Pb Miner / Labourer in Cu Mines Prestbury Cheshire 1839 cb
James Bowers Cu & Pb Miner Butley Cheshire 1843 c
Joseph Bowers Cu & Pb Miner Butley Cheshire 1845 c
Samuel Bowers Cu & Pb Miner Butley Cheshire 1851 c
Thomas Bowers Cu & Pb Miner Prestbury Cheshire 1817 cw
John Bracegirdle Cu Mine Labourer Mottram St Andrew Cheshire 1832 cw
Philip Bracegirdle   ? Unknown   w
Colin Bradbury Miner ? Unknown   m
John Bradbury Lab. At Cu mines Ashley Cheshire 1850 c
Abel Bradley Miner (Cu) Wilmslow Cheshire 1837 c
Thomas Bradley Cu miner Wilmslow Cheshire 1830 c
Richard Bradly   ? Unknown   w
Fred(erick) Bruce Lead Miner Wo[o]lwich Kent 1835 cw
John Buckingham Cu Miner St Erth Cornwall 1833 cb
John (jnr) Buckingham Cu Miner ? Devon 1861 c
Wm Buckingham Cu Miner St Erth Cornwall 1856 c
Elijah Burgess Cu Miner Warford Cheshire 1847 c
Robert Burgess   Alderley Cheshire 1817 cw
Thomas Burgess Pb & Cu miner Chorley Cheshire 1829 c
William Burgess Cu mine Labourer / Cu miner Chorley Cheshire 1839 c
William Cann Cu Miner South Shields Durham 1847 cb
John Chynoweth Cu Miner Tavistock Devon 1838 cbw
William Chynoweth Cu Miner Tavistock Devon 1840 c
Richard Coed Miner Northhill Cornwall 1831 c
Thomas Cooper Engine feeder to Cu & Pb works Calo[w] Briggs Derbyshire 1835 c
Joseph Cumberbirch Labourer at copper mines Goostrey Cheshire 1825 c
Thomas Cunliffe Miner / Labourer ? Unknown   b
William Dale Cu Miner Nether Alderley Cheshire 1825 cb
William Davenport Cu & Pb Miner Leek Staffordshire 1811 c
William Davies Cu Miner Kea Parish Cornwall 1840 cbw
David Dooley Cu Miner Wilmslow Cheshire 1846 c
Jonathan Down Manager at Alderley Mines Calstock Cornwall 1824 cbj
Daniel Downs   ? Unknown   w
John Dunstone   ? Unknown   w
Thomas Fielding Lab. At Cu mines Fulshaw Cheshire 1849 c
Joseph Findlow In Cu mines Prestbury Cheshire 1837 c
Edward Gard Director and Chairman       o
James Grange Cu & Pb Miner / Cu Miner Alderley Cheshire 1823 cw
Thomas Green Miner Butley Cheshire 1839 c
William Green [?mine] Labourer Shrewsbury Shropshire 1837 c
James Hague Miner Over Alderley Cheshire 1838 cb
John Hague Cu mine Labourer Alderley Cheshire 1836 cb
Thomas Hague Cu mine Labourer Henbury Cheshire 1811 cb
William Hale Labourer Cu & Pb mines Macclesfield Cheshire 1837 c
William Ham Mine Labourer St Georges Gloucestershire 1843 c
Peter Hambleton Miners Labourer Bollin Fee Cheshire 1821 c
Isaac Hamilton Cu Miner Chorley Cheshire 1803 c
Peter Hamilton   ? Unknown   w
Henry Harvey Cu & Pb Miner Buckfastleigh Devon 1838 c
Henry Hatch Carpenter Plymouth Devon 1838 c
Charles Hatton Cu & Pb Miner Alderley Cheshire 1836 cbw
John Hatton Cu & Pb Miner Alderley Cheshire 1832 cb
William Henderson Chemist ? Scotland 1828 co
Thomas Hidderley ?       o
James Hodge   ? Unknown   w
John Hooper Lead Miner Calstock Cornwall 1835 c
Henry Howarth Labourer at Cu Mine Nether Alderley Cheshire 1858 c
Ephraim Hulme Miner Alderley Cheshire 1835 c
Aaron Jackson Cu & Pb Miner Prestbury Cheshire 1828 c
James Jackson Copper Miner Henbury Cheshire 1838 cb
Robert Jackson Cu & Pb Miner Mary Tavy Devon 1840 c
Thomas Jackson Labourer to Cu & Pb mines Nether Alderley Cheshire 1827 c
Daniel Jarman Miner Over Alderley Cheshire 1846 cb
John Jenkin Cu & Pb Miner Crantock Cornwall 1838 c
James Johns   ? Unknown   w
Wm. Jones   ? Unknown   w
John Kelsall Miner (Cu) Wilmslow Cheshire 1828 c
J Kessel   ? Unknown   w
Thomas Kessel   ? Unknown   w
Samuel Lang Cu Miner Oakhampton Devon 1831 c
John Lawton Labourer at Cu Mines/ Mine Agent (Cu M) Alderley Cheshire 1827 co
George Leamon [1861], Layman [1871] or Leeman Cu & Pb Miner / Mine Agent Throwleigh Devon 1833 co
Samuel Leigh Cu & Pb Miner Henbury Cheshire 1847 c
John Livesey Cu Miner Manchester Lancashire 1845 c
Thomas Manuel Cu Miner St Austell Cornwall 1816 c
John Martin Carpenter St Mary Plympton Devon 1831 c
John Martin Blacksmith Fidston Nottinghamshire 1831 c
John Thos Martin Errand boy in mines Stockport Cheshire 1858 c
Joseph Massey Miner Cu & Pb Alderley Cheshire 1835 cb
Sampson Mayne   ? Unknown   w
James Michell Proprietor Gwennap Cornwall 1796 o
James F Michell Secretary       o
Thomas Milner Cu & Pb Miner Checkley Staffordshire 1840 c
John Moore Cu Miner Wilmslow Cheshire 1848 c
Allen Motham   ? Unknown   w
Allan Mottram Cu Miner Wilmslow Cheshire 1845 c
Thomas Mottram Miner (bapt.) Chorley Cheshire 1833 cb
Samuel Norbury Lab at Cu mines Chorley Cheshire 1837 c
Thomas Norbury Cu Miner / Lab. Gt Warford Cheshire 1828 cb
John Oakes Labourer at copper works Kinderton Cheshire 1824 c
Samuel Oakes Cu & Pb Miner Hough Cheshire 1824 cb
Patrick O'Callaghan Cu Miner ? Ireland 1843 c
Thomas O'Callaghan Cu Miner ? Ireland 1840 c
James Oldham Cu Labourer Nether Alderley Cheshire 1833 c
William Oldham Cu Labourer Nether Alderley Cheshire 1820 c
Stephen Osborne Captain ? Unknown   j
John Owen Miner ? Unknown   b
Kay Owen Miner / labourer on bapt. Alderley Cheshire 1830 cbm
Richard Palin Cu Miner / Miner / labourer on bapt. Coppenhall Cheshire 1827 cb
John Pascoe Agent Cronan Cornwall 1806 cj
John Pearson Copper Miner Knutsford Cheshire 1842 c
John Pearson Cu Mine Labourer Mottram St Andrew Cheshire 1845 c
Joseph Pearson Cu Mine Labourer Mottram St Andrew Cheshire 1840 c
Thomas Pearson Cu Mine Labourer Mottram St Andrew Cheshire 1859 c
Samuel Percival Cu Miner Wilmslow Cheshire 1844 c
Francis Phillips Copper & Lead Mine Agent Mary Tavy Devon 1825 c
Henry Phillips Cu Miner Mary Tavy Devon 1834 c
Phillip Potts Miner, Cu mines Alderley Cheshire 1841 c
John Powel   ? Unknown   w
Isaac Powell Cu mines Labourer Mottram St Andrew Cheshire 1841 c
Charles Edward Procter Chairman in 1865       jo
William Read Cu Miner Gawsworth Cheshire 1837 c
James Ridgway Cu Mine Labourer Nether Alderley Cheshire 1828 c
Joseph Rigby Lead Mines Labourer Wilmslow Cheshire 1846 c
John Ritchards Cu Miner St Erth Cornwall 1838 c
Solomon Ritchards Cu Miner St Erth Cornwall 1807 c
William Ritchards Cu Miner St Erth Cornwall 1843 c
Samuel Rowe Sanders ?Accountant Devonport Devon 1820 o
[Husband of Willmot] Scadden Miner ? Cornwall   c
William Scadden Miner (Cu) Gwinear Cornwall 1836 c
John Semmens   ? Unknown   w
William Semmens   ? Unknown   w
William Serpell Cu & Pb Miner Stockport Cheshire 1843 c
Mr Shenton ?Miner or UG captain       o
Joseph Spear Engine Driver for Mines Bedminster Gloucestershire 1828 c
William Stonehewer Cu Labourer Macclesfield Cheshire 1850 c
John H Stonier Miner (Cu) Chorley Cheshire 1861 c
George Street Miner Gorton Lancashire 1818 c
Daniel Sum[m]erville = Summerfield Cu Miner Alderley Cheshire 1821 c
James Summerfield Labourer in Cu mines / Cu Miner Alderley Cheshire 1825 c
John Sumner Labourer at copper mines Hough Cheshire 1823 c
William Swindells Cu & Pb Miner Butley Cheshire 1812 c
William Taylor Mine Labourer Sheffield Yorkshire 1794 c
Samson Termain Cu & Pb Miner Calstock Cornwall 1834 c
Henry Turkington Cu & Pb Miner ? Ireland 1834 c
Thomas Upton Cu & Pb Miner Mottram St Andrew Cheshire 1825 c
John Waine   ? Unknown   w
John Wainmouth Cu & Pb Miner Callington Cornwall 1825 c
David Walton Cu Miner Alderley Cheshire 1826 cw
Thomas Warne Cu Miner Mary Tavy Devon 1839 c
George Wood Cu & Pb Mine Labourer Macclesfield Cheshire 1821 cw
George (2) Wood Lab at Cu mines Wilmslow Cheshire 1831 c
James Wood Cu Mine Labourer Mottram St Andrew Cheshire 1834 cw
Henry Woodall Cu & Pb Miner Mottram St Andrew Cheshire 1850 c
William Woodall Cu & Pb Miner /  Cu Mine Labourer Hough Cheshire 1818 cw
James Worth Cu Miner Wilmslow Cheshire 1811 c
William Worthington Miner ? Unknown   m
Henry Wright Cu & Pb Miner Prestbury Cheshire 1827 c
James Wright Cu Miner Alderley Cheshire 1849 c
John Wright Cu Miner Alderley Cheshire 1843 c
William Yarwood Cu & Pb Miner Morley Cheshire 1821 c

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