Few lists of workers in the coal mines have survived. See our guide to colliery personnel records below. This list is only a brief guide and more details are available in the full catalogue which can be consulted online.

 

Use our Mining Durham’s Hidden Depths database to find information about over 200,000 colliery personnel from the Durham Miners’ Association union records and other sources at The Story.

 

Records of employees of the National Coal Board are held by Iron Mountain Records Management, and DCC’s Durham Miner Project collected information about local mining history.

 

The Durham Mining Museum website contains information about County Durham collieries, including photographs and details of people killed in colliery accidents, and you can find out even more about the coal mining industry on the National Coal Mining Museum website.

 

Records containing personal names and, in some cases, other information relating to coal miners and other colliery workers are listed below. The list is arranged alphabetically by colliery. Records which do not relate to individual collieries are listed at the end of the sequence:

Entries contain:

  1. the colliery name, with the pit, if different, in brackets, followed by the location
  2. name of the colliery company or association which created the records, where applicable
  3. covering dates and the catalogue reference numbers for the records

Search the catalogue to find more details of the records listed in this brief guide.

Colliery personnel records, arranged A-Z by colliery name

A

Addison colliery – Ryton, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1851 – 1886 NCB 1/SC/109-148,248-249,255
1940 – 1949 NCB1/SC/592-599

Andrew’s House colliery – Tanfield, Durham

1777 NCB 1/X/1

B

Beamish colliery – Tanfield, Durham

James Joicey & Co Ltd
1864, 1871     D/X 672/1-2
1925     NCB 7/3/26

Bearpark colliery – Bearpark, Durham

1872 -1984    D/X 696/8/39

Black Boy colliery – Coundon Grange, Durham

1827 – 1833     NCB 1/TH/13

Black Prince colliery – Cornsay, Durham

1889     D/X 498/189,190

Blackhall colliery – Monk Hesleden, Durham

Horden Collieries Ltd
1914 – 1957     NCB 19/2/6/6-9
1927 – 1951     NCB 15/279-314 records relate to an accident

Boldon colliery – Whitburn, Durham

Harton Coal Co Ltd
1923 – 1940     NCB 19/2/5/1-2,5

Bourn Moor colliery – Burnmoor, Durham

1801     D/X 26/4

Bowburn colliery – Quarrington, Durham

no date     D/X 1566/1     records relate to an accident

Brancepeth colliery – Brancepeth, Durham

1896     D/X 446/10     records relate to an accident

Brandon colliery – Brandon & Byshottles, Durham

1966 – 1971     D/DMA 17/11/2,6-9

Burnhope colliery – Greencroft, Durham

U.A. Ritson & Sons
1914 – 1918     D/X 619/2

Burnopfield colliery – Tanfield, Durham

c.1890 – 1965     NCB 3/3-4,7-8

Burradon colliery – Burradon, Northumberland

1860     NCB 1/SC/621, NCB 1/RS/284-285 records relate to an accident

Busty Pit – Holmside, Durham

Holmside & South Moor Collieries Ltd
1926 – 1947     NCB 3/97

Byermoor colliery – Whickham, Durham

1897 – 1967     NCB 3/12/1-2
1955 – 1956     D/X 1049/3-4

C

Castle Eden colliery – Castle Eden, Durham

1938 – 1950     D/X 912/1-3

Catherine colliery – Crawcrook, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1876     NCB 1/SC/250

Chopwell colliery – Chopwell, Durham

1896 – 1966    NCB 3/20,23-52
1912 – 1916, n.d.     D/X 1005/19-21,23,25-26,153,204

Clara Vale colliery – Crawcrook, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1896     NCB 1/SC/251

Cockfield Fell colliery – Cockfield, Durham

1827 – 1833     NCB 1/TH/13

Comb Hill pit – Ryton, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1840 – 1844     NCB 1/SC/149-152

Coxlodge colliery – near Gosforth, Northumberland

1863     NCB 1/RS/464     records relate to an accident

Crawcrook colliery – Crawcrook, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1896     NCB 1/SC/251

c.1914, c.1946     D/X 498/192-193

Crookgate colliery – Burnopfield, Durham

1872 – 1906     D/MRP 115/2

D

Dawdon colliery – Dawdon, Durham

Londonderry Collieries Ltd
1909 – 1957      NCB 4/20-25,27-41     records relate to an accident
1923 – 1935      NCB 4/26
1932 – 1948      D/X 989/1-2     records relate to an accident
no date             D/X 1051/29    records relate to an accident

Deaf Hill colliery – Wingate, Durham

Trimdon Coal Co Ltd
1905 – 1927      NCB 4/195-199    records relate to an accident

Dean & Chapter colliery – Ferryhill, Durham

Dorman Long & Co Ltd
1931 – 1963     D/X 434/1-2

E

Easington colliery – Easington, Durham

Easington Coal Co Ltd
1943 – 1949     NCB 13/74-75
1951     NCB 15/277-278    records relate to an accident

East Hetton colliery – Kelloe, Durham

1897     D/MRP 50/1    records relate to an accident
East Hetton Coal Co Ltd
1929 – 1951     NCB 13/76     records relate to an accident
1937 – 1946     NCB 9/7

East Stanley colliery – Tanfield, Durham

James Joicey & Co Ltd
1925     NCB 7/3/26

Eden colliery – Medomsley, Durham

Consett Iron Company Ltd
1905 – 1955, n.d.     D/DMA 17/26/32-44
1909 – 1911      NCB 15/264     records relate to an accident

Elemore colliery – Pittington, Durham

1829     D/X 36/2
1864 – 1913      D/X 56/1
Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries Ltd
1917 – 1945     NCB 13/183     records relate to an accident
1932 – 1973     NCB 13/184,186

Emma pit – Ryton, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1848 – 1886     NCB 1/SC/153-213,252,255,584

Eppleton colliery – Great Eppleton, Durham

1864 – 1913     D/X 56/1

F

Fellside colliery – Whickham, Durham

John Bowes & Partners Ltd
1935 – 1937     D/St/B1/4/27

Fishburn colliery – Fishburn, Durham

Henry Stobart & Co Ltd
1936 – 1940     NCB 13/90     records relate to an accident

Frankland colliery – Framwellgate, Durham

Lambton Collieries
1865     D/X 248/2

Freehold colliery – Stella, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1852 – 1861     NCB 1/SC/214-221,253

G

Gibside colliery – Whickham, Durham

Bowes-Lyon family, Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne
1782     D/St/E5/21/33

Greenside colliery – Ryton Woodside, Durham

Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries Ltd
1936 – 1966     NCB 3/174-175

H

Hamsterley colliery – near Burnopfield, Lanchester, Durham

1966 – 1968     D/DMA 17/42/3

Handen Hold colliery – Pelton, Durham

James Joicey & Co Ltd
1925     NCB 7/3/26
Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries Ltd
1938 – 1968    NCB 3/137

Harraton colliery – Harraton, Durham

1817     NCB 1/RS/464    records relate to an accident

Hartley colliery – New Hartley, Northumberland

1862     NCB 1/RS/310-311     records relate to an accident

Haswell colliery – Haswell, Durham

c.1840     D/X 830/6

Hetton colliery – Hetton-le-Hole, Durham

1829     D/X 36/2
1864 – 1913    D/X 56/1

Heworth colliery – Heworth, Durham

1874 – 1917    NCB 1/X/63

Horden colliery – Horden, Durham

Horden Collieries Ltd
1970 – 1987    NCB 20/1-2

Hutton colliery (East pit) – Hutton Henry, Durham

Hutton Henry Coal Co Ltd
1932 – 1948    NCB 13/169

Hylton colliery – Hylton, Durham

Wearmouth Coal Co Ltd
1899 – 1958    NCB 15/366-367
1928 – 1958    D/MRP 160/1
1930 – 1946    NCB 13/340,342    records relate to an accident
1945 – 1949    NCB 2/179-181     records relate to an accident
1947 – 1950    NCB 2/182-183

K

Kimblesworth colliery – Kimblesworth, Durham

1880 – 1937    NCB 2/21-22    records relate to an accident

L

Lambton (Cocken pit) – Cocken, Durham

Lambton family, Earls of Durham
1863, 1868    D/X 248/1,5

Lambton colliery – Morton Grange, Durham

Lambton family, Earls of Durham
1868     D/X 248/9

Langley Park colliery – Langley, Durham

Consett Iron Co Ltd
1899 – 1943, n.d.   NCB 13/22,24-25
1911 – 1915    NCB 4/5    records relate to an accident
1915 – 1947    NCB 13/26-50    records relate to an accident

Littletown colliery – Pittington Hallgarth, Durham

Lambton family, Earls of Durham
1866, 1868    D/X 248/3,6,8-9

Lumley colliery – Great Lumley, Durham

1891 – 1897   NCB 2/30    records relate to an accident

M

Mainsforth colliery – Mainsforth, Durham

Dorman, Long & Co Ltd
1928 – 1943    NCB 13/57-66     records relate to an accident
1940 – 1947    NCB 4/44

Marley Hill colliery – Whickham, Durham

Bowes-Lyon family, Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne
1757 – 1813    D/St/B1/2/103-115
John Bowes & Partners Ltd
1900 – 1946    NCB 3/15
1935 – 1937    D/St/B1/4/27

Medomsley colliery – Medomsley, Durham

1923     D/Ph 311/1     records relate to an accident

Montague colliery – Scotswood, Northumberland

1925     D/X 936/1     records relate to an accident

N

New Brancepeth colliery – Brandon & Byshottles, Durham

1933 – 1948     NCB 14/221    records relate to an accident

New Silksworth colliery – Silksworth, Durham

Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry
1895 – 1905    NCB 19/2/8/3-19/2/8/8

Newbottle colliery – Newbottle, Durham

1868     D/X 26/5
1868     D/X 369/11-14

Newbottle colliery (Houghton pit) – Newbottle, Durham

1868, 1899     D/X 369/2-8

North Banks colliery – Whickham, Durham

Bowes-Lyon family, Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne
1724 – 1813, n.d.     D/St/B1/2/42-58,63,67,103-115

O

Oakenshaw colliery – Stockley, Durham

1948 – 1955     D/MRP 99/17

Old Durham colliery – Elvet, Durham

Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry
c.1860     D/Lo/F 477
1870     D/Lo/B 232

Oswald Pit – Holmside, Durham

Holmside & South Moor Collieries Ltd
1926 – 1956     NCB 3/95-96

P

Pelton Fell colliery – Chester-le-Street, Durham

1866     NCB 1/RS/464     records relate to an accident

Pittington colliery – Pittington Hallgarth, Durham

Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry
c.1860     D/Lo/F 477

Pontop colliery – Collierley (detached), Durham

Stanhope & Tyne Railroad Co
1818, 1824     D/X 115/2,6
c.1832 – 1838     NCB 1/JB/2177

Preston colliery – North Shields, Northumberland

U.A. Ritson & Sons
1914 – 1918     D/X 619/2

R

Rainton (Nicholson pit) – East Rainton, Durham

1879     D/X 999/12
1961 – 1965     D/X 982/

Rainton colliery – West Rainton, Durham

Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry
c.1860     D/Lo/F 477
c.1884     D/Lo/B 263

Randolph colliery – Evenwood, Durham

1894-1962     D/X 1267

Ryhope colliery – Ryhope, Durham

Ryhope Coal Co Ltd
1943 – 1961     NCB 19/2/10/1-5

Ryton ? colliery – Ryton, Durham

c.1914, c.1946     D/X 498/192-193

S

Seaham colliery – Seaham, Durham

Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry
1868     D/X 1521/1
1872     D/EBF 96     records relate to an accident
1873     D/Lo/B 268
1878 – 1925, n.d.    D/X 1051/8-14,16,18,29     records relate to an accident
1880     NCB 1/RS/449     records relate to an accident
1880     EP/NS 52    records relate to an accident
1900 – 1901     D/X 1521/2
1908 – 1967     D/X 1051/21-23,25
1912     D/MRP 96/1
1912     D/X 1521/3
1945 – 1954     D/DMA 17/96/12-14

1912 – 1951    D/X 735/1-2

Sherburn colliery – Pittington Hallgarth, Durham

Lambton family, Earls of Durham
1868     D/X 248/9

Sherburn House colliery – Sherburn House, Durham

Lambton family, Earls of Durham
1868     D/X 248/4

Shotton colliery – Shotton, Durham

Horden Collieries Ltd
1877 – 1953     NCB 13/92,93-107
1924 – 1932     NCB 13/129     records relate to an accident

South Garesfield colliery – Tanfield, Durham

South Garesfield Colliery Co Ltd
1922 – 1946     D/St/B1/16/31-38,85

South Hetton colliery – Haswell, Durham

South Hetton Coal Co Ltd
1938 – 1952     NCB 13/242     records relate to an accident
1939 – 1944     NCB 4/144     records relate to an accident

South Moor colliery – Holmside, Durham

South Moor Colliery Co
1910     NCB 3/70

South Pontop colliery – Greencroft, Durham

U.A. Ritson & Sons
1914 – 1918     D/X 619/2

Staindrop, Field House colliery (drift) – Etherley, Durham

1965     D/X 1267/13

Stargate colliery – Ryton, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1873 – 1886     NCB 1/SC/222-246,254

Stella Grand Lease colliery – Stella, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1812 – 1824     NCB 1/SC/528-530,533

T

Tanfield Lea colliery – Tanfield, Durham

James Joicey & Co Ltd
1921, 1925     NCB 7/3/24,26
Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries Ltd
1939 – 1949     NCB 3/159

Thomas pit – Holmside, Durham

Holmside & South Moor Collieries Ltd
1926 – 1951     NCB 3/93-94

Thornley colliery – Shadforth, Durham

Weardale Steel Coal and Coke Co Ltd
1917     D/X 498/186

Thrislington colliery – Thrislington, Durham

Henry Stobart & Co Ltd
1931 – 1952     NCB 13/78,81-82
Dorman, Long & Co Ltd
1953 – 1957     NCB 13/67

Towneley Main colliery – Ryton, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1806     NCB 1/SC/247

Tudhoe colliery – Tudhoe, Durham

1882     NCB 1/RS/458     records relate to an accident

Twizell Burn colliery (drift) – Edmondsley, Durham

James Joicey & Co Ltd
1925     NCB 7/3/26

U

Usworth colliery – Little Usworth, Durham

Washington Coal Co Ltd
1898 – 1944     NCB 1/X/129
1899 – 1914     D/DMA 17/95/94-97    records relate to an accident
1926 – 1964     D/DMA 17/95/32,76,93

W

Waldridge colliery – Waldridge, Durham

Waldridge Coal Co Ltd
1938 – 1940     NCB 15/358-359

Walker colliery – Walker, Northumberland

1862     NCB 1/RS/464     records relate to an accident

Wallsend colliery (G pit) – Wallsend, Northumberland

1835     NCB 1/JB/2347     records relate to an accident

Wardley colliery – Heworth, Durham

Washington Coal Co Ltd
1898 – 1944     NCB 1/X/129

Washington colliery – Washington, Durham

Washington Coal Co Ltd
1898 – 1944     NCB 1/X/129

Washington Glebe colliery – Washington, Durham

Washington Coal Co Ltd
1898 – 1944     NCB 1/X/129
1904 – 1926     D/X 1118/11-22
1908     D/Ph 177/37     records relate to an accident

Waterhouses ? colliery – Brandon & Byshottles, Durham

Pease & Partners Ltd
no date     NCB 13/209

Waterhouses colliery – Brandon & Byshottles, Durham

1913 – 1960     NCB 4/109

Wearmouth colliery – Monkwearmouth, Durham

Wearmouth Coal Co Ltd
1920 – 1956     NCB 13/337     records relate to an accident

Wearmouth colliery (A,B pits) – Monkwearmouth, Durham

Wearmouth Coal Co Ltd
1913 – 1918     NCB 2/197-198     records relate to an accident

West Stanley colliery – Tanfield, Durham

1882     NCB 1/RS/458     records relate to an accident
1909     D/MRP 50/1      records relate to an accident
1909     D/X 95/1     records relate to an accident
1909     D/X 498/198    records relate to an accident

West Towneley colliery – Stella, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1842 – 1844     NCB 1/SC/260

Wheatley Hill colliery – Wingate, Durham

Weardale Iron & Coal Co Ltd
c.1890 – c.1940   D/X 833/1
1903 – 1940    NCB 13/324-334     records relate to an accident

Whitfield [Whitefield] colliery – Ryton, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1812 – 1824     NCB 1/SC/528-530,533

Whitfield [Whitefield] colliery (B pit) – Ryton, Durham

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1806     NCB 1/SC/247

Whittonstall colliery – Shotley Low Quarter, Northumberland

1896 – 1966    NCB 3/20,23-52
1912 – 1916, n.d.    D/X 1005/19-20,23,26,204

Willington colliery – Willington, Durham

Enginemen’s, Boiler Minders’ & Firemen’s Association
1935 – 1963     D/EBF 91/5-15

Wingate Grange colliery – Wingate, Durham

1906     D/X 587/303     records relate to an accident

 

not specified
1937 – 1946     NCB 4/225

Durham Coal Owners’ Association
1903, 1912     NCB 1/CO/86/499,643
1939 – 1944     NCB 1/CO/86/1131-1139,1153,1247-1248,1275

Durham Coal Owners’ Mutual Protection Association
1931 – 1953     D/DCOMPA 76,78-79,81-82,111-113     records relate to an accident

Durham Deputies’ Mutual Aid Association
1911 – 1941     D/DDMA 16-17
1930 – 1937     D/DDMA 18    records relate to an accident

Durham Miners’ Association
1943 – 1944     D/DMA 3/7/1

Durham County Colliery Enginemen’s, Boiler Minders’ & Firemen’s Association
1917, no date     D/EBF 32,96

Harton Coal Co Ltd
1887 – 1954     NCB 1/X/12

James Joicey & Co Ltd
1909 – 1919     NCB 7/3/22
1936 – 1943     NCB 7/7/10-11     records relate to an accident

Lambton Collieries Ltd
1868     D/X 248/7

Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries Ltd
1936 – 1946     NCB 3/131

Londonderry Collieries Ltd
1871 – 1873     D/Lo/B 448

Pease & Partners Ltd
1914 – 1918     D/X 619/1

South Hetton Coal Co Ltd
1900 – 1902     NCB 1/X/55-60

South Pelaw Coal Co Ltd
1945 – 1950     NCB 2/36-39

Stella Coal Co Ltd
1811 – 1855     NCB 1/SC/284-303,564
1851 – 1861     NCB 1/SC/628     records relate to an accident
1851 – 1883    NCB 1/SC/261-269,304-316,348,586,1009
1863     NCB 1/RS/20
1921 – 1939     NCB 1/SC/600-604
no date     NCB 1/SC/562,583
no date     NCB 1/SC/574-578     records relate to an accident

Trimdon Coal Co Ltd 
1932 – 1944     NCB 4/217

Wearmouth Coal Co Ltd
1914 – 1950     NCB 2/142,143-151,278
1926 – 1940     NCB 13/361,370