Cousin's Engine

27 June 1843  to Isaac Kear, of Breams Eaves, John James and Thomas Beach, both of Whitecroft, to get coal from the Coleford High Delf.

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1 March 1850  Thomas Beach wishing the grant of the Trenchard vein underlying Cousins’ Engine to complete the colliery.

1861  Arrears of rent Gibbons, Harper and Moore, Stourbridge.
At some point after into the hands of Benjamin Gibbons.  After 1878 held by Miss Gibbons, Mrs. Lewis and their mother.

30 June 1897 Drowned out and valueless.

26 February 1898  Surrendered.
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26 February 1898  650 applicants for a re-grant.

26 May 1910  Meeting at the Speech House to grant gale.  Committee of 17 free miners elected.  Two parties after the gale.
It extended over 170 acres.  Four seams:-
 Yorkley 2' 6"  667,500 tons.
 Whittington 2'  534,000 tons.
 Coleford H. D. 5'  1,335,080 tons.
Trenchard 3'  801,000 tons.
    3,337,500 tons.

10 October 1919  Free Miners offered gale to Norchard and Princess Royal.  Crown doubted the advisability of Norchard working the gale.

8 December 1910  Recent heavy floods drowned out all pumps at Norchard and with the death of Mr. Richard Phipps chief owner the future of Norchard is doubtful.

14 July 1911  To grant Cousins’ Engine No.2 on 31 July.

3 November 1911  Negotiations about transfer to Princess Royal Co. in abeyance due to strike at Princess Royal.

30 May 1912  Negotiations between Wallsend Colliery Co. and Princess Royal.

1 August 1913  Dean Forest Mercury  Gale has been sold.  An original deep gale.  Purchased by the Norchard Colliery Co..  Norchard not a large area.  1904 Act to group the 45 gales in the deep together.
£100 handed over to trustees to pay a committee of Free Miners, also to get a royalty of 1d. per ton.  Other deep gales only half of this.  Total royalty expected £15,000
Cousins’ Engine 170 acres, smallest of the deep gales.
Gale granted 31 July 1911.
Lies adjacent to Parkend & New Fancy, Howbeach and Princess Royal.
Norchard propose sinking a couple of shafts immediately, somewhere in the vicinity of Whitecroft railway station.

27 October 1913  Gale to be transferred to Norchard.

31 August 1922  Deed of exchange Howbeach Collieries Ltd. and Park Colliery Co. for parts of Cousins’ Engine No. 2 and Pillowell United gales.

8 December 1943  Held in two parts viz; Park Colliery Co. and Howbeach Collieries Ltd.