Pluckpenny

Begun 1737  Pluck Penny in Nailbridge

1839 (2) MJ p 113 Upper and Lower Pluckpenny Levels, Ruardean for sale.

1841  William Todd, of Chase Cottage, near Ross, claiming through Free Miners.
Coal in the Hill Delf vein commencing at Pluckpenny Low Level mouth.

F3 490
25 January 1889  T.B. Brain registered owner.  Not worked for 5 years?

16 February 1889  Letter from Brain:  William Wilce of Ruardean spent nearly £40 in 1884 and 86 in opening a pit and driving out a heading.  Brain lent the necessary tackle.  Money lost, did not find any coal to work.  Some short time before that Beriah Meek of Ruardean Hill sunk a pit on another property - did not find coal.  Owners of Speedwell the adjoining colliery had illegally driven a rise road from their level to Ruardean Hill Pit, using it as an air pit.  Also for the further development of this property I have obtained a deed from the GWR and they have undertaken to make a bridge over their Whimsey Branch Railway  to enable me to communicate with the level mouth of the Pluckpenny Works.
Wm. Wilce commenced work February 1884 and stopped September 1886.  Sunk pit 21 yards 2 feet.  Cost £21 13s. 4d.  Drove road 12 yards £4 16s. 0d., walling and timber £2 8s. 0d.  Drove road in another direction 16 yards £6 8s. 0d., walling and timber £2 0s. 0d.  Hauling water £1 10s. 0d.  [plan of workings in file]

28 March 1889  T. Bennett Brain not yet paid for land taken by Goodrich Langham for their railway siding.

February 1892  Coal raised through Speedwell out of Pluckpenny.  Negotiations between Messrs. Searle and Brain re purchase by one or other.

27 August 1897  Messrs. Searle, Maindee, Newport, to give up Speedwell and Pluckpenny.

26 January 1898  Now agreed to sell gales to another party.  Trafalgar Colliery Co. occupying buildings.  Land transferred to Trafalgar in 1897.  Paid £250 to owner for sidings etc.  Gales surrendered.

27 July 1918  Committee for re-grant.

17 August 1918  Offer to purchase.

16 January 1919  Granted.

17 January 1919  Conveyed to the Forest Syndicate Ltd.

17 January 1923  To be surrendered.

16 November 1925  Committee for re-grant.