Report – Robert Stagg – 24 Jun 1816

General Report of Mines in Alston moor

Midsummer 1816



Rampgill The Cross Vein which raised the chief part of the Ore at the Mine during the last three or four Years has entirely failed at the leading forehead for several Months past & the principal part of the Ore now raising at this Mine is in the higher part of the Sill above the former workings of this Vein & in the pickings of the old Rampgill Vein & there is very little prospect of this Mine producing much Ore for three or four years to come within which period the Level that is driving to unwater the lower part of the Limestone of the Old Vein is expected to reach that part where it is certainly known considerable Mines were left, which could not be wrought for the Water, when there is no doubt this Mine will again become productive & profitable.



Scaleburnmoss The Workings at this Mine are also entirely in old pickings & in parts of the Mine which had been left on first working it & this Mine stands in exactly similar circumstances as the Rampgill old Vein & there is every reason to believe that in 2 or 3 Years it also will again become profitable



Smallcleugh The workings here have been much poorer than usual during the last Year & still continue so, this however is the most valuable & profitable Mine you have in the Alston Moor District at present both in the quality of the Ore which is very excellent and also with respect to quantity; and there does not appear to be any reason to doubt that it will be continuing Mine for Years to come & one that will work to profit.



Middlecleugh This Mine is just opening out anew by a deep Level which has been driving several Years for the purpose of unwatering that part of the Limestone which could not be wrought by the upper Level on account of the Water & there appears to be every reason to hope that in about a Year Mines may be regained here that will be very valuable & in which in fact, appear to be chief dependance we have to look forward to in this District for the next three or four Years.



Middlecleugh Cross  Vein The workings at this Mine are very poor generally, and its future prospects are by no means flattering at the same time it is likely to work with some profit altho but small 



	The Ore Bargains at the several other Mines are chiefly for old pickings, are not expected to produce much Ore & upon the whole the quantity of Ore raised this Year at these Mines, will evidently be far short of the usual Raising in Aston moor, for we do not expect it will reach 6000 Bings.   I have detailed in an accompanying Sheet the intention of the various Dead work trials & have given the best calculation we can make of the time each will require to arrive at its ultimate object; the Court will observe by this detail & the bargain List, that the Number of Men employed in Dead work is very greatly increased, which was rendered absolutely necessary by finding several Leases were uncovered, and liable to forfeiture which could not be maintained in any other manner than by prosecuting the Dead work trials of them: & as the most of them appear to have very fair prospects & had been prosecuted at great expence until they were nearly approaching the objects for which they were originally commenced it would be extremely unwise to discontinue them now, as by thus saving the remaining cost of completing the trials all the heavy expenditure already incurred would be thrown away without a chance of being redeemed whereas, by now continuing them to there several objects, there is every reason to hope that a part at any Rate if not the whole of the past expence may be repaid – although in the interim it will make the concern appear to be very losing one indeed, and the more particularly as to this great increase of Dead work there will also have to be added a very heavy expenditure in putting the whole of this District – both interior & exterior – into that repair which is absolutely necessary to afford any futer [sic] hope of prosecuting these Mines to profit – for it is painful in the extreme to have to Report that it has evidently been the System (and it is acknowledged by Mr Hornsby) for Six or Seven Years back to raise all the Ore possible & to withold every possible expenditure with a view to preserve a favorable appearance for the passing Moment & which by allowing the Levels & waygates to run together & to get intirely out of Repair (which it will now cost a very heavy sum to remedy) & by pushing forward the Ore workings, whenever it could be done before the Levels to increase the quantity of raising, although at an enormous increase of price, and thereby leaving these Levels & waygates to be either pushed forward now at a great addition of expence, or force us to continue prosecuting the Mines to extreme disadvantage, will necessarily cause this District to appear to very great loss for two or three years to come.  It is however my own opinion after the most accurate investigation that I have been able to make & it is also the Opinion of all the District Agents who have viewed these Mines, that if the Court can resolve upon bearing this loss for two or three Years the Mines will then if we have any tolerable fortune get into a State that will afford the strongest grounds to calculate upon them the working to advantage & of repaying the intermediate sacrifice & even of becoming very profitable should there be a prospect of Lead reaching £23 or £24 p[er] Fother, we are however of joint & unanimous opinion that in the mean time the loss will be a very heavy one indeed unless some unexpected good Mine should be met with as we proceed.   At the same time we are all agreed that it will be the Company’s best policy to risk this loss for the chance of the future gain, which it holds out; & in fact there appears no alternative but either to decide upon this or to give up the greatest part of the Leases which could not be done without first putting the various Mines into proper repair which would cost nearly as much as completing the trials without affording any possibility of recompense; & as the objects of the chief part of those Leases have not yet been arrived at (as has been already stated) this measure could not, in our opinion, be decided upon with any propriety, in the present Stage of the various trials.   I have thus detailed to the best of my belief, the exact situation in which this District stands, and it rests with the Court to decide on the future mode of conducting it, and I can only add that entering upon the Superintendance of it in the extremely deranged state in which I have found it, with the consequent certainty of its being a very losing and unsatisfactory concern for a few Years to come, and uncertainty of future advantage which is necessarily attached to all Mining management has given me more painful anxiety than I ever remember experiencing on any other business occasion whatever

      Rob Stagg