Appendix 1: East Lothian Collieries during Nationalisation – i.e. from 1947
It should be noted that a slight confusion arises when looking at the records for this period. The East Lothian pits were organised by the National Coal Board into two groups with offices at Wallyford and Ormiston. However, the Wallyford group took in Carberry Colliery, which lay just outside the county boundary and into Midlothian. The Ormiston group included the mines of Castle, Oxenford No 3 and Cowdenfoot, which were also in Midlothian.
| Colliery | Sinking | Production Start | Production Cease | Abandoned | Employed – underground | Employed – Surface | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellyford | Apr 1949 | Jan 1954 | Nov 1961 | Dec 1962 | 180 | 155 | Latterly used as an airway mine |
| Bankton | Pre-vesting | Production — Pumping | ceased pre Pit only | vesting | 3 | 34 | Pumping ceased May 1962 |
| Fleets | 1866 | Mar 1959 | Jan 1961 | 710 | 144 | Latterly a pumping station. 2 shafts 240′, 502′ | |
| Glencairn | 1936 | 1948 | Jan 1962 | Dec 1962 | 50 | 15 | Transferred to NCB in 1948. 2 mines |
| Limeylands | 1895 | Jan 1954 | 231 | 66 | 2 shafts 150′ | ||
| Meadowmill | Feb 1952 | June 1953 | June 1960 | Dec 1962 | 107 | 13 | |
| Prestongrange | 1830 | Dec 1962 | Aug 1963 | 570 | 130 | 3 shafts 546′; 738′; 378′ | |
| Prestonlinks | 1899 | Feb 1964 | Mar 1964 | 660 | 160 | 2 shafts; 396′; 378′ | |
| Tynemount & Oxenford No 3 | 1924 | Jan 1952 | Dec 1962 | 244 | 74 | Latterly a pumping station. 1 shaft; 300′; 1 mine | |
| Winton | May 1949 | Mar 1950 | Apr 1962 | Dec 1962 | 70 | 15 | 2 surface mines |
The following small mines operated under Licence from the NCB.
| Colliery | Licensee | Opened | Closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chancellorsville | Gunn/Beattie | July 1971 | May 1979 | |
| Glencairn | Glencairn Coal Co. | 1936 | March 1948 | Licence terminated; taken over by NCB |
| Penkaet | Alex Gordon | Pre-vesting | August 1965 | |
| Policies | D Beattie | August 1983 | July 1987 | Mine located in Buccleuch Estate, Dalkeith. |
Appendix 2: East Lothian Collieries in 1914
Extracted from ‘List of Mines Under the Coal Mines Act, in the Scotland Division, during the year 1914.The initial letters attached to the word ‘Coal’ in the column ‘ Minerals Worked’ indicates the kind of Coal produced, viz C – Coking; G – Gas; H – Household; M – Manufacturing; S – Steam.
| Owner & Postal Address | Name of Mine | Situation | Persons Employed – Underground | Persons Employed – Surface | Minerals Worked | Remarks (Seams worked etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bankpark Coal Co. Tranent | Bankpark | Tranent | 106 | 17 | Coal H&S | Tranent, 4′, lower 4′, Jewel, 3′. Splint Seam abandoned 31 Oct 1913 |
| Edinburgh Collieries Co. Ltd. Wallyford, Musselburgh | Bankton | Tranent | 294 | 60 | Coal H, M, & S | Splint, 3′, 4′, Jewel |
| Ditto | Elphinstone | Tranent | 260 | 70 | Coal H, M & S | 3′, 4′, 5′, Splint. Howden Pit discontinued |
| Ditto | Bellyford | Tranent | 38 | 24 | 4′, 5′ | |
| Ditto | Preston Links | Tranent | 532 | 153 | Coal H, M & S | Great Seam, 4′, 5′, Jewel |
| Ormiston Coal Co. Ltd. Ormiston | Limeylands | Ormiston | 161 | 54 | Coal H, M & S | 5′, 4′ |
| Ditto | Meadow | Ormiston | 35 | 10 | Coal H, M & S | Splint, 4′. Parrot abandoned 16 Sept 1914 |
| Summerlee Iron Co. Ltd. Coatbridge | Prestongrange | Prestonpans | 756 | 161 | Coal H, M & S & Fireclay | Beggar, jewel, Clay, 5′, No 1 Diamond, 3′ |
| Udston Colliery Co. Ltd. 75 Bothwell Street, Glasg | Penston Nos 1 & 2 Pits | Macmerry | 88 | 21 | Coal H, M & S | Upper Diamond. J. Gavin |
| Ditto | St Germains | Macmerry | 224 | 85 | Coal H, M & S | 4′, Upper Diamond |
| White & Co. Ormiston | Tyneside | Ormiston | 45 | 9 | Coal H, M & S | Upper Diamond, Lower Diamond |
| Woodhall Coal Co. Ltd | Pencaitland | Pencaitland | 190 | 39 | Coal H, M & S | Diamond, Jewel, Gas. Great Seam abandoned 23 Nov 1911 |
Appendix 3: East Lothian Collieries in 1874
In 1872 the owners of mines were required by law to keep records of their operations and submit these to the HM Inspectorate of Mines. The following data is extracted from the 1874 HMI Annual List of Mines.
| Owner | Name of Colliery | Parish | Name of Pit or Mine | Persons Employed Underground | Persons Employed on Surface | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deans & Moore | Penston | Gladsmuir | 102 | 12 | 2 shafts 162′; 84′ | |
| Ditto | Elphinstone Tower | Tranent | 115 | 9 | 1 shaft 120′ 1 mine | |
| Ditto | Pencaitland | Pencaitland | Valley | 91 | 17 | 2 shafts 130′ |
| Durie & Nisbet | Elphinstone | Tranent | Fleets Catherine | 67 62 | 21 10 | 2 shafts 216′ 2 shafts 144′; 37′ |
| Grieve J & C | Prestonlinks | Prestonpans | Prestonlinks | 15 23 | 9 | Great Seam. 2 shafts 400′ Fireclay 240′ |
| Prestongrange Iron & Coal Co. Ltd. | Prestongrange | Prestonpans | No. 2 Dolphingston Birslie | 79 15 25 | 9 3 4 | 2 shafts 432′; 360′ |
| Snowdowe & Co. | Tranent | Tranent | Ormiston Road Carlaverock | 44 59 | 13 16 | 2 shafts 105′; 78′ |
| White, Elizabeth | Ormiston Hall | Ormiston | No. 2 | 35 | 4 | 2 shafts 123′; 81′ |
| Whitelaw, John | Fountainhall | Pencaitland | Nos. 3 & 4 | 27 | 4 | 2 shafts 58′; 68′ |
The list also showed that Deans & Moore worked ironstone at Penston Mine, Gladsmuir. The two shafts’ depths are given as 30′ and 18′ and that implies a separate shallow operation.
It is also of interest to note that the report shows the Coltness Iron Co. as having a haematite (iron ore) mine at Garleton near Haddington at that time.