Report – Robert Stagg – 24 Jun 1816

Detail of the Obje[c]ts of the Alston moor dead works

Bargains Midsummer 1816



      Rampgill

Thomas Hewerson &c are driving South in the Limestone in the Cross Vein that was so productive a Year ago, but which has lately become poor, in order to prove it further forward, as it is entirely whole to the end of the Boundary & is an object that cannot, with any propriety, be discontinued in the present stage of the trial, altho’ it is not requisite to hold the Lease.

       Matt[he]w Thompson &c are sinking a Sump thro’ the great Limestone into the low Level forehead for Air & to try the Sills above the low Level, which are expected to produce Ore – the object of the low Level into which this Sump is sinking is to draw that part of the Limestone in the Rampgill Veins which could not be got to by the former workings on account of Water & it is universally believed that very considerable quantities of Ore will be raised in three or four Years thro’ the medium of this Level, & in the interim, it is expected that Ore will be got as it proceeds, after sinking the Sump, which will be completed in 6 or 8 Months, which will more than repay the expence of driving the Level. This Level must of necessity be continued as it is one of the leading hopes of relieving the Nenthead Mines.

      Joseph Wallace &c are driving the Level forehead Southward, & are intended to continue it about 7 or 8 fathoms further & then to rise 6 or 7 fathoms into the great Limestone which is absolutely necessary to Air the drift, driving up by Tho[ma]s Hewitson &C & the Mine generally, this it is expected will be accomplished in about 4 or 5 Months.

      Emanuel Matris [Nattras] &c are opening out a Level which had been allowed to run together & which has thrown the Water upon Col[onel] Beaumonts Mines at Colecleugh thereby subjecting  the Company to an Action for damages, which the Col[onel]s Agents have lately been threatening, it is also necessary to be opened for the more advantageous picking of the upper Sills.  It is expected to be completed in about a Year.



Scaleburnmoss. John Walker &c are cutting up a piece hard ground to bring the Water from the bottom of the Limestone in which it is said a good deal of Ore was left further East & it is also necessary to enable us to work this Mine generally to more advantage we expect to get it effected in about 6 Months.



Old Carrs. Geo[rge] Robinson &c have already cut part of the Carrs Vein & are continuing to cut through her, which will require 4 or 5 fathoms driving & may probably be accomplished in 2

Months & it is expected this Vein will then produce Ore that will more than pay the expence of its further trial



Longcleugh. Rob[ert] Dickenson &c are sinking a Sump in the Level in this Vein for the joint purposes of Airing the Level & of opening out the Sills above it where Ore is expected to be raised. This Sump will require half a Year or more to be completed.



Smallcleugh. Matt[he]w Hall &c are driving a deep Level southward in order to relieve the Middlecleugh Sun vein & 2nd Sun Vein.  This Level will reach the Sun Vein in 10 or 11 fathoms driving which will be effected in less than a quarter of a Year & some workings will then be opened, but nothing very extraordinary is expected from this Vein.  In driving 40 or 50 fathoms further it will cut the Middlecleugh 2nd Sun vein where it is expected good Mines will be obtained in the bottom part of the Limestone.  We calculate that this Level will arrive at the last of its objects in about a Year & our chief hope of raising Ore to employ Nenthead Mill for the next 2 or 3 Years rests on the Mines that we expect to open out by this & the Middlecleugh Level it also covers the following Leases (Viz) Smallcleugh & Veins Longcleugh East End, MiddleCleugh 1st Sun Vein, Middlecleugh Middlecleugh 1st Sun Vein East, Middlecleugh 2nd Sun Vein & Middlecleugh 2nd Sun Vein East. Ant[hony] Brown &c are cutting Cross for the discovery of more flats eastward, by which there is considerable expectation of opening out more extensive Mines & which we expect to prove in 5 or 6 Months.



Middlecleugh.  Geo[rge] Herrington &c are driving another branch of the Smallcleugh deep Level to relieve a part of the Limestone in Middlecleugh Vein & at the end of about40 or 50 fathoms driving from the dip of the Sills it is expected this Level will be in the bottom of the Limestone & may then be calculated to raise Ore in the driving, besides completely unwatering the Limestone, on which a good deal of Ore is said to be left, a few workings have already been opened by it, & others will be opened in driving up the 40 or 50 fathoms above noted, this dead part of the Level it is calculated  may be 3 quarters of a Year in getting up.



Middlecleugh Cross Vein. J[oh]n Vipond &c are driving through a piece of ground in this Vein, which is absolutely necessary to Air the Mine & enable as to work it to advantage, we calculate upon completing it in a Quarter of a Year  & expect to raise some Ore as it proceeds.



Blackashgill. J[oh]n Elliott &c are driving the Levels, which is necessary to preserve the Lease & also to continue the trial, which is considered promising as severa[l] Strings have left a parallel Vein about 20 or 30 fathoms before this Level & will join there the Vein that is to try which circumstance affords strong grounds  for hoping that this Vein may be enriched when these strings intersect it & should this be the case a lasting & valuable Mine may be the result as the Vein is entirely untouched for several hundred fathoms in this liberty.



Hangingshaw Crop Vein Hugh Readshaw &c are driving a Level to prove the Vein & relieve the Soles under the old Workings & as there are 70 or 80 fathoms of whole ground in which it is said a good deal of Ore is left, it is hoped that Ore may shortly be raised at any rate this trial is absolutely necessary at present to cover the Lease.



Broombury & Scaleburnmoss Cross Vein. Edward Robson &c are driving a very deep Level in the Scaleburnmoss Crop Vein, in order to unwater the lower parts of the great Limestone & the Quarry Hazell in all the Scaleburn & Rampgill Veins & it will be several Years before every object of this Level can be accomplished, but it is expected that Ore may be got in about a Year in the prosecuting of this Level, that will pay the expence of it, & at any rate as this is a trial that embraces several objects & maintains several Leases it cannot be discontinued.



Gudamgill Moss. Rob[ert] Pearson &c are driving a Level in this Vein to open out the old workings where it is said a great deal of Ore is left, & also to get before them to try the Sills that are left whole to the end of the Boundary.  It is expected that Ore will shortly be obtained at this Mine, & as the trial is deemed promissing this Level must go on otherwise the Lease will be forfeited.



Loveladyshield. J[ohn] Dickenson &c are driving a drift, to cut several untried Veins. One is expected to be cut in 30 0r 40 fathoms driving, another in about 30 or 40 fathoms further and about 28 or 30 fathoms further still it is expected a third will be cut & then different objects of this level cannot be arrived at in less than 2 Years, but the trial is judged to be very promising & as a general Grant is presented by it it cannot be discontinued.



Longholehead. Thomas Archer &c are driving a Level for a more convenient way to work the Longholehead & Browngill Veins in the upper Sills, in any whole ground that has been left & it will cut the first Vein in about 6 or 8 Months, after which Ore may be expected to be raised, should the trial be successful, it also covers the Longholehead & Browngill Lease



Bentyfield. Thomas Cain &c are driving a Level to relieve the Vein from Water in order to work the low part of the great Limestone & to get to the fore end of the old workings, which is the chief object of the Trial & at which it is expected to arrive in about 40 fathoms further driving, in the mean time it is opening out pickings that are working to profit which will enable us to accomplish the general & leading objects of the Trial at a slight expence & we expect to arrive at them in about a Year.



Browngill & Thortergill. Jos[ep]h Hall &c are driving a Level to relieve the under part of the Limestone in the Browngill & Browngill Sun Veins also to cut the Thortergill Crop Vein which is there entirely whole & unexpected & in about 40 fathoms further driving what we expect to accomplish within a Year & it is hoped that Ore will be raised. This Level cannot be allowed to stand as it covers the Thortergill Cross Vein Lease.



Garrigillburn Old Groves Cross Vein. W[illia]m Parmley &c are driving in the Limestone in this Vein & at the end of about 30 fathoms it is expected a fair running Vein (Hundybridge Vein) will intersect her, where there is the strongest reason to hope that Ore will be got to advantage as it is the character of this Vein to be productive when in[ter]sected by any fair running Vein & we calculate upon arriving at this Vein in less than half a year when we trust the dead weight of this trial will cease.  A small Company are working this Cross Vein to advantage within a few yards of the extremity of the Company’s boundary which gives us additional reason to hope for success in the further prosecution of this trial, which must proceed as the Lease will become forfeited without it.



Crossgill. James Dickenson &c are driving a Level to try this Vein in the Scar Limestone which has been very productive in an adjacent liberty, it will require to be driven 80 fathoms to complete the trial, which we hope to effect in about a Year, the Lease is cover’d by this trial.



Tynebottom Sun Vein. Jos[eph] Wandlace &c are driving a Level to make a further trial of the Flatts in this Vein & also to try the Windshaw bridge Cross Vein at the point of intersection with this Vein; The Windshawbridge Cross Vein Lease is covered by this Level which must therefore proceed.  The objects of this Trialare expected to be arrived at in a few Months.



Thortergillsyke &c. Jno Archer &c are reopening a level which has been allowed to run together: this Level is required to be kept & left open, it also affords the most advantageous means of working the low Sills of the Browngill & Longholehead Veins & it is allowed by the whole of the Agents, to be the most effectual & advantageous mode of working these extensive Veins & as it also covers the Leases of Thortergill & Thortergill syke which have long been liable to forfeiture. I have employed the above partnership to open it out, which I the more readily determined upon, as it must of necessity be opened some time & the longer it remains unopened the more expensive it will be to accomplish it, it is therefore the decided Interest of the Company to have it done immediately on the ground of saving only, independant of the advantages which we promise ourselves from it in the more advantageous further working of the Mines recited.  We do not expect to complete it in less time than 2 Years nor at an expence below £six or £500



Caplecleugh Cross Vein. Robe[ert] Black &c are driving a low Level to try this & several other Veins, & it will take, according to the best calculation we can make about four Years to arrive at the Cross Vein after which the Level will be driven in the Cross Vein until it arrive at the remaining objects, but after it reaches the Cross Vein, it is confidently expected that Ore will be got that will be very valuable as it proceeds towards the other Veins.  This will be one of the longest & most expensive trials in this district, for it cannot be completed in less than 10 or 12 Years & will cost at least £2000 – before it reaches the first Vein & consequently before there is a chance of raising any Ore, but on the other hand the objects of it are also of the greatest magnitude, for the most confident expectation is entertained by all the district Agents & the Workmen in general, that it will open out an extensive & advantageous Mining field at a future day & that it is in fact your chief dependance as a Mining Company in the Alstonmoor district.  This level covers the following Leases (Viz) Cowslits, Cowhill, Caplecleugh Cross Vein, Caplecleugh, Caplecleugh North Vein Hangingshaw West End & Caplecleugh Sun Vein, each of which Veins it will eventually open out & of course it requires to be pushed with 

the greatest vigour.

      Rob[ert] Stagg