Description:In the folder D593/M/2/2/7 amongst mining documents in the Sutherland Papers we found two letters which although not together we feel were linked. What follows is our interpretation of those two letters and how they fit together. For the sake of authenticity we have placed our account in italics, and although only conjecture, we feel it is probably correct. Neither of the letters is dated and only one of them is signed.
In 1812 the trustees of Lane End Church called a meeting to discuss coal seams under land owned by the Diocese. The meeting was held at The Duke of Sutherlands Trenham Hall. As well as the trustees, others in attendance were the Arch Bishop of York, Edward Venables Vernon-Harcourt and his Lordships local mining engineer from Lane End James Burgess.
Sometime during the meeting Burgess was asked to present a business plan for the extraction of coal under Church land in Fenton together with an assessment of the probable profit. Following the meeting the Arch Bishop wrote a personal letter to Burgess asking him to set out in detail a written account of the business plan and to send it under a plain cover to The Arch Bishop of York, at his address of Bishopthorpe, York.
Subsequently Burgess sent the reply but kept a copy and it is this copy that remained in his records. Burgess outlines that under the Church land there are three coal seams as yet untouched. At a depth of 195 yards is the 4 ft thick seam called the Spencroft. Under this at a depth 207 yards is the Great Row which is 7ft thick. At 220 yards is the Cannel Row which is 5ft thick. The plans provide an indication of the various costs in sinking brick lined shafts, the purchase of engines, tools and etc. He also included a estimate of labour costs. Burgess suggested that the initial outlay would be in excess of £5.000.
This expenditure would enable the three seams of coal to be worked, either individually or collectively. Burgess suggested that at a production rate of 150 tons per week the mines would last for 29 years. The coal would be sold locally and make a profit of £34-7s-6d per week. This would have been an extraordinary amount of money at this time.
The following is a resume of the two letters. The pages of the first letter have a gold edge.
The letter is requesting details of strata as described by Burgess to Vernon earlier. Vernon asks for an account of shale and grit etc in feet, and for the reply to be sent under cover directly to the Bishops residence. It was signed by V.Vernon.
Between 1808 and 1847 the Arch Bishop of York was Edward Venables Vernon-Harcourt.
The second correspondence we believe is a copy of the letter sent by Burgess to the Bishop.
Burgess has been asked on behalf of the Trustees of Lane End Church for an assessment of coal seams under land belonging to Lane End Church. The land is described as being near Bourne and Barkers, Fenton.
Burgess sets out in great detail what is in fact a nineteenth century business plan. It was to work three seams of coal namely the Spencroft at 195 yards deep, the Great Row at 207 yards and the Cannel Row at 220 yards deep. The combined thickness of these seams is 16 ft.
A financial assessment of costs suggest that for an outlay of £5400, 150 tons of coal per week could be produced and that on the basis of these figures the mine would last 29 years.
Burgess suggests that for an outlay of £5400 they could produce 150 tons per week and the mine would last for 29 years. The outgoing expenses would be £28-7shillings per week and the sale of the coal £62-2shillings-6d. A profit of £34-7shillings -6d.