Bilson

see also Crump Meadow.

Ralph Anstis Industrial Teague´s
George Teague held Bilson, in 1810 leased it to the Bullo Pill Co. who developed it.  After his death ´large portions´ of it were sold to Edward Protheroe for ´large sums of money´.
Bullo Pill Co. entered into an agreement with Moses Teague to work a colliery for them, probably Bilson, and lent him £200.
 

NRO  BUD/32
c1833  Bilston (sic) Colliery belonging to Edwd. Protheroe Esq.
This Colliery is drained by a powerful Steam Engine - the Engine Pit is sunk through the Smith Coal, and Rocky Coal to the High Delf, at a depth of 130 yards.
The engine delivers a 14 inch pump to the surface, and works 15 hours a day - no difference in the quantity of Water, in Winter and Summer.
There are 4 Coal Pits, including the Engine Pit in this Colliery - but two are now only working called the Winning Pits - they are about 130 yards in depth.
These Pits are both working in the High Delf Coal - it is worked by Stall and Pillar - the Stalls are 16 yards wide, and the Pillars 5.
The Coals are conveyed from the Stalls in Hods, which sometimes have Wheels, and are sometimes on Sledges - at present they are worked on Wheels, and carry about 4 Cwt.
On Sledges they could only carry 2 Cwt.
A Hod road goes up every Stall, to its full length, without any transverse communications.
Working about 100 Tons a day at present.
The Water Level from the Engine runs nearly N & So.  The North Level is extended about 100 yards to the N. from the Engine, and about 400 or 500 yards to the South.
The breadth obtained by this Engine seems to be about 200 yards - it is cut off on the Land Side by Messrs. Bennet, Montague & Co., and by Messrs. Church & Meek´s Gales.
There is no limit to the distance the Level may go, as there is no Gale before it.
The vein rises from 2 to 4 Inches a yard.
The High-delf Coal is interstratified and divided into four parts - the following is its Section.
 


ft in
Tops 0 71/2
List 0 2
Handfulls 0 5
List 0 2
Middles 1 6
Dirt or Clod 0 5
Foot Coal 1 0

31/2

The Coals are Shipped by the public Railway at Bullopill about 6 miles from the Colliery.  All the Coals are sent by this Railway at present; but part of the Coals are occasionally sent to Bishops Wood about three Miles from the Colliery.  The Coals might also be sent by the Railway to Lidney - but the distance 12 miles is to great - the Coals are not therefore ever sent to Lidney.
I am informed that the best Coals were sold, on board Ships at Bullopil for 14/- per Ton and the Rubbles at 10/-.  But the prices have lately been reduced and now only sell for 11/- and 8/- per Ton.

1841  The said Edward Protheroe, (as claiming through or under Free Miners,) to Bilson Upper; to Bilson Lower; to Cut Out from Bilson Deep Pit; to Spendall; to Beddis Pit; to Broadmoor Engine; to the Winning Pit; and the Prospect Pit connected with Lower Bilson; to Crump Meadow Engine; to Crump’s Resolution; to Crump’s Elevation Engine Pit; to Crump’s Regulation; to Gainall Deep Engine.
Bilson Colliery, including Bilson Upper and Lower, Cut Out from Bilson Deep Pit, Spendall, Beddis Pit, Broadmoor Engine, the Winning Pit; and the Prospect Pit  Gales.
Coal in the Churchway Highdelf, Rockey, Lowrey, and all other veins above the Churchway.

1837 MJ (2) p 146  “As two men were descending a coal pit in Bilson Colliery, Forest of Dean, an unforeseen accident in the steam engine caused the flywheel to break, which entirely disengaged from the machinery, the barrel, or drum-shaft, on which a large flat rope worked.  This taking place the two poor men began to descend at a fearful rate, and in few seconds reached the bottom of the shaft or pit, a depth of 510 feet!  Mr Aaron Gould, who has the sole management of the colliery, was on the ground immediately after the accident happened, and being informed that two men were dashed to pieces, started off to the next pit (Prospect) to descend and ascertain what had become of them.  To his astonishment, he saw them just landing from the cart or skip, apparently unhurt.  It is impossibly to describe the feeling of surprise, gratitude, and thankfulness that flashed across his mind at so remarkable a deliverance.  On making inquiry, he found that Kear had escaped entirely unhurt and, Morgan with only slight contusion of the knee.  It appears their preservation may be partly attributed to a plan adopted by Mr Gould a few years ago, of having a circular platform, nearly equal to the diameter of the shaft attached to the end of the rope, which works regularly up and down, with the coal carts on it, and is kept in direction by the guidance rods.  On this platform, without a cart the men descended and owing to the elasticity of the compressed air, the shock at the bottom was comparatively light: the poor men having the presence of mind rolled instantly into the gateway and escaped being crushed to death by the large quantity of rope and other material which followed in quick succession”.

Ralph Anstis Industrial Teague’s
In 1841 of the 700 employed 240 were under eighteen and of those forty were under thirteen.
They worked on a twelve hour night shift at Bilson.

F3 286
Bilson: Aaron Goold & Co.
1841 33,259 tons
1842 49,329
1843 31,528
1844 34,944
1845 47,431
1846 39,985

1881 Insole & Bunning
Cornish Beam Condensing 60", 7 feet stoke, 7 feet in pit.  60 years old.  8 strokes per minute.
Lifts;  1 bucket 50 }  141/2  inch diameter
 1 bucket 60 } 160 yards 141/2  inch diameter
 1 bucket 50 }  141/2  inch diameter
392 gallons per minute.
3 plain flat-ended boilers 10 p.s.i. 2 30' x 10', 1 28' x 9'.

F3 564
15 September 1885  Lydney & Crump Meadow now registered owners of the Bilson & Crump Meadow Collieries Co. Ltd.

8 November 1884  Wishing to work barriers with Bilson in Churchway High Delf.  Lydney & Crump Meadow.

1885  Outputs: to June 30 5,380 tons; to December 31 5,276 tons; Total 10,656 tons.

1887  Joseph Hale manager

22 February 1889  Leasing extra land at Bilson - grazing for invalid pit horses.

1 April 1890  We are anxious to reduce our heavy cost for pumping.  We have at present three establishments for raising water - one at Crump Meadow, one at Bilson and one at Churchway.  We wish to concentrate our pumping power at one point and for this purpose we propose erecting an engine at Crump Meadow Deep Pit capable of raising 600 gallons of water per minute.
 
 

Photographs of Bilson Colliery are rare. These two give a glimpse of the pumping engine house, known as 'OldToms'. In the left hand view the town of Cinderford can be seen straggling up the hillside beyond. The road clearly seen is Station Street.

F3 565
12 June 1890  Reference application of the Lydney & Crump Meadow Collieries Co. to remove the barriers in the Churchway, Rockey, Starkey, Lowery and Twenty Inches seams which divide the Crump Meadow from the Bilson and the Bilson from Churchway & Nelson - no objection provided pumping machinery capable of dealing with 600 gallons per minute be erected.  Wayleave of 1d per ton on all coal up the Crump Meadow Pit.
It was intended to erect one of Messrs Hawthorne Davey & Co’s Horizontal Compound Differential Condensing Engines, cylinders 30 inches and 50 inches, 6 feet stroke.  Two plunger pumps, 12 inches diameter to lift 600 gallons per minute.
- our present method of winding water in tanks at Crump Meadow inadequate.

30 September 1890
1898  Saw mill at Bilson.

NRO  BUD/32
c1833 Montague & Cos. Bilston (sic) Colliery
The Engine Pit is sunk through the 20 Inch Vein, then several small Veins, to the Lowery Vein at a depth of 70 yards.
Are only working the 20 Inch, and the Lowery Vein, which 2’ 4” thick - the latter is the best quality of Coal.
Have about 300 to 400 yards of Breast, on the old Land Level.  Can go North about 1000 yards to Bennetts’ works.
To the South the Coal is much troubled and rises at the rate of 4 inches per yard.
Work by Stalls, and get nearly all the Coal.
Little of the Small Coal is left underground, as the Co. make it into Coke for the use of their Iron Furnaces.
They leave a barrier of Coal against the old hollows on the Land Side to keep the Water out - yet it weeps through the Barrier.
Mr. Protheroe draws the water by his Engine by agreement from this Colliery.
Have three working Pits; Viz;
 The Prospect 100 yards deep
 The Lingster   70
 The Bennet   50
The Coals are raised by Steam Engines at all these Pits - together they are raising about 130 Tons a day.