Central Snailbeach Mine
Location - 3 miles south of
Minsterley (NGR SJ369016)
Minerals - Lead
Working Life - Known working life :
1860-1875
History 1 (“Central Snailbeach Lead Mine", Nigel
Chapman, SCMC Journal No.2)
The workings at this mine were not extensive and were drained to a depth
of 150ft by a 640 yard long drainage adit. It is therefore likely that the
engine here was horizontal and used for winding rather than pumping. This is
also borne out by the fact that the engine house was sited well back from the
shaft.
A prospectus of 1864 shows a completely different setup from that of the
present remains, with the shaft and engine house in a different location. These
must have been altered very soon after, to be replaced by the later shaft and
engine house. This mine is the only one in the district which still possesses
its boiler in situ. It is a 71/2ft diameter twin tube
The fame of the rich veins and profits being made from the Snailbeach
Lead Mine inspired others to study the area for similar profitable mines. One
of the obvious places to "fossick" was the continuation of the
Snailbeach veins out of the mining sett being worked. It seems surprising that
it took until 1860 for operations to commence to locate these veins. Probably
previous prospecting has left little trace while the evidence of the
Over the summer of 1860, a number of local miners formed a private
company and "Costeaned" on a sett to the west of the Snailbeach Mine.
This was on the supposed continuation of the Snailbeach Main Vein and it was
intended to locate and work this vein. During the course of these operations,
several veins were found and explored for lead ore. It was noted at the time
that none of the adjoining or nearby mines on the west side of the Stiperstones
Hills had failed to produce lead ore.
During May 1861, John Job wrote a letter to the Mining Journal
concerning activities on the sett. Having admitted being interested in the
adventure, he continued by mentioning that the Snailbeach Main Lode probably
traversed the whole sett from one end to the other. Several veins had been
located underground with their horizontal and vertical planes converging
towards each other. Work on the area had consisted of locating the best sites
for several levels to be driven from the west towards Snailbeach, the Crows
Nest Level (NGR SJ366017) being started about 400 yards to the south of
Wagbeach Adit.
John Job, while believing in the ultimate productiveness of the veins,
suggested the need to prove them at depth. It appeared that the existing
enterprise of J Powell & Co were of limited means and unable to find the
necessary capital. They thus hoped to set up a limited liability company to
raise the finance for the venture. By now it becomes apparent that John Job's
letter was a form of publicity to interest local industrialists in the proposed
company.
Central Snailbeach Lead Mining
Company
Events moved forward with the publication on July 20th 1861 of a
prospectus for the Central Snailbeach Lead Mining Company, to consist of a
capital of £10,000 divided into shares of £1 each. The adventurers held a
tack-note of 295 acres and had obtained the services of Messrs Phillips &
Darlington Mining Engineers to report on the mines. With this favourable report
and lithographic plans of the sett showing the veins (real and supposed),the
proposers looked for funds.
Mr Edward Davies, manager of the Bretchell Colliery near Shrewsbury,
wrote following an underground visit about a "strong vein" with a
northern underlie and heading west cut in Crows Nest Level "proving beyond
all doubt that it was the Snailbeach Main Lode". This brought a letter
from Captain James Richards of the West Tankerville Mine to refute the claim.
Then in September John Evans and David Davies, two of the managers at Snailbeach,
wrote to contradict Captain Richards' statements. They went on to point out
"that the 'Strong Vein' in the Crows Nest Level of Central Snailbeach is
none other than the main lode of this mine". This was a superb statement
for the proposed company plus the publicity engendered by the argument.
The new company was incorporated on February 1st 1862 with Job Taylor of
Dudley as Chairman and Edward Henry Lowe of
With over 3,100 shares subscribed for, the company set to work with the
sinking of
With operations progressing favourably, the reports cease until a
quarterly meeting held in the
Following the quarterly meeting, an extraordinary meeting was held to
consider raising the capital of the company to £40,000 to permit the shaft to
be deepened and to obtain a larger area of land to work. The shareholders
present were unanimous in their approval.
A prospectus for the increased capital was issued during August 1864 and
with it were sent several photographs of the area and the mine. These show the
preset beam engine house and the tall square chimney with a wooden headframe
over the shaft. This would suggest the construction of the building during
1863-64. The buildings also suggest more colliery practice such as would have
been current on the South Staffs Coalfield. The winder could have been supplied
from the Dudley area, while the use of the square chimney is typical of the
The company now consisted of the following directors :-
Job Taylor of Dudley (Chairman)
Edward Lowe of Shrewsbury
George Joseph England of Dudley
Rev Thompson Stoneham of Ketley
William Pearson of Stourbridge
Thomas Proctor of Moat Hall, Shrewsbury.
Of these people, Job Taylor was a partner in Bennett & Taylor,
coalmasters of Oldbury, Worcestershire, and lived at Portway Hall, Oldbury. He
was to be involved in the Mid Wales Lead Mining Company and at this time was
Mayor of Dudley. William Pearson was a partner in J & W Pearson & Company,
colliery owners and brick makers of Stourbridge, Staffordshire, making his
fortune in these trades. He may also have been involved in an ironworks at
A further meeting was held on December 24th 1864, when the confidence of
the shareholders in the mine meant that over 50% of the shares were subscribed
for.
1865
Operations continued on the shaft sinking with the aid of the steam
winder, while the pump attached to the engine kept the water from flooding the
shaft. Information regarding the mine during this year is unfortunately sketchy
but work continued in order to find the Main Lode and produce the elusive
profits so much demanded by the shareholders. One major news item for the year
was the appointment of John Kitto, late of the Great Laxey Mines on the
At a shareholders meeting in the following year, it was noted that the
mine had a number of shareholders on the Isle of Man. It would appear that this
was as a result of Kitto's influence encouraging investment in the mine. He
reported to the shareholders that to date £11,000 had been expended on the
machinery and excavations and he believed that the remaining £5,000 would be
well and profitably spent on the mine. The workings of the Snailbeach Mine were
only 150 fathoms from the
1866
Captain Kitto was at the mine early in January 1866 to report on the
No.1 Lode, which he found to have much improved. He went on to encourage the
shareholders by mentioning the number of staunch supporters of the mine in the
Isle of Man. The 12th ordinary meeting was held at the
John Kitto reported that the 124 yard level in the No.1 Lode had been
driven about 16 fathoms east and west and produced lead ore of poor value. Work
on the No.2 Lode was still in the shale and required much further driving
before lead could be expected. Operations had ceased while the shaft was sunk a
further 15 fathoms. The shaftsmen had recently extended the pumps to the 124
yard level and were putting in a ladderway to the same depth. He hoped to be
able to sink the shaft down to 154 yards depth in five months.
The company was stated to have assets of £4,200.4s.7d over its
liabilities and the shareholders seem to have been satisfied with progress.
Sinking of the shaft continued over the next few months with periodic progress
reports from John Kitto. He was always optimistic that riches were just around
the corner, shafts should be sunk deeper or levels driven further with profits
just out of sight. By the beginning of December, the shaft was down to the 82
fathom level and the driving of two crosscuts commenced. The shaftsmen were
busy putting in a kibbleway and lengthening the pumping lift to clear the
water. Once this was complete, the shaft sinking resumed while a team of miners
drove a crosscut to find the South Lode.
1867
Captain Frank Evans of Holywell, Flintshire was asked to visit the mine
and present a report for the general meeting towards the end of January. At the
time, the shaft sinking had reached a depth of 164 yards and a level had been
driven 5 fathoms to the south towards the No.1 Lode and the Main Lode. 11/2
tons of lead ore per fathom was being raised from the level in a promising
gangue with better results expected. Captain Evans suggested that continuing
the level would intersect the Main Lode, proving its ore content and supplying
profits. It was also decided to continue sinking the shaft to a depth of 200
yards and to drive off a level to test the lode at depth. For reasons of
economy, this project was shelved.
By the general meeting held at the
Four veins of lead were believed to cross the sett but more important
was that the shale beds found under the Hogstow estate terminated against the
range of hills. The miners had realised that lead ore was not going to be found
in the shales and hoped that the Hill Sett would reverse the cash flow of the company.
In the meantime, an outlay of £4,000 was required to develop the new area. Both
reports suggested driving the south heading from the Engine Shaft at
1868
At the general meeting, John Kitto reported that, in the 164 yard level
to the west of the shaft, the lode was increasing in size, while the underlie
had changed from north to the south. This underlie change brought the lode to
an angle similar to the Snailbeach Main Lode and improved their chances of
being in the correct lode. The shale had almost disappeared from the level,
while the lode was now 4ft wide with spots of good lead ore. John Kitto was
quick to point out the similarities to Snailbeach and the profits paid over the
last 80 years from a lode found in similar circumstances.
The level being driven from the Central Snailbeach Engine Shaft was
stated to be only 40 yards from the south boundary of the old sett and
advancing at a rate of about 6 yards per month. All this expense was draining
the bank account so, at the half yearly meeting on January 31st, appeals were
made for shares to be bought. Of the original 8,000, only 2,422 had been taken
and Edward Davies was asking shareholders to take up the rest. As an incentive,
it was mentioned that the lode was now 5ft wide, worth about 11/2 tons per
fathom, and the value was improving.
The share issue was slowly taken up by the existing shareholders and the
shortage of money brought operations almost to a stop, only the New Hill Level
was continued. John Kitto protested loudly until operations were recommenced on
the shaft sinking below the 164 yard level and the level itself pushed forward.
By the middle of April, the shaft had been sunk 12 yards below the 164 yard
level, while the level was in a lode of 4ft width but of poor lead values.
These two activities continued for the next few months up to the half
yearly meeting held in
1869
Mining operations seem to have continued using the available bank
balance until the next half yearly meeting in
Over the next couple of months, the directors had the new shares
registered and called an extraordinary meeting to confirm the launch to the
shareholders. This meeting took place on June 12th in the
During 1869, Job Taylor was Mayor of Dudley, Chairman of
Operations at the Hill Sett had drained the bank to the point of no
return, meaning that liquidation was the only course left to the company. This
was not to be the end, however, as a large number of the shareholders were keen
to continue operations. The outcome was that the directors were empowered to
liquidate in favour of a new company. Called the New Central Snailbeach Mining
Company, it was registered on November 30th 1869. The directors proceeded to
offer 8,000 shares to shareholders in the old company but it took appeals and a
discovery of lead ore before the shares were taken up.
1870
Early in the new year, John Kitto produced his usual optimistic report
with details of the location of the Snailbeach Main Lode at
At this period, operations seem to have ceased on the continued sinking
at
At Mytton Dingle, the shaft was sunk using a horse gin until heavy
feeders of water stopped work. A level was driven to cut the shaft at a depth
of 14 yards and a portable traction engine was bought to wind and pump the
shaft.
1871
At the general meeting held on March 31st at the London Tavern, Job
Taylor as Chairman mentioned a credit of £2,639.12s.0d belonging to the
company. He noted that the directors consisted of H M Wainwright, R Hilhouse,
Henry Rotten and Job Taylor. The office of the company was now at 3,
At
At Mytton Dingle, the shaft had been sunk to a depth of 44 yards and a
level driven on the lode for 8 fathoms. Two large stones of lead ore were
produced at the meeting to show the quality of the ore at the mine. A large
part of the company's capital had been spent proving the lodes here, with great
hopes of developing a profitable mine.
1872
Mining continued along similar lines into this year. Work at Central Snailbeach
was now concentrated on driving the 164 yard level because the extensive
workings of the previous company would enable a quicker intersection of the
South Lode. Problems were being experienced with the sale of shares in the
company. To finance mining, a further 3,000 shares entitled to a return of 10%
dividend from the profits before any other shares were launched. Such a scheme
was a sign of a company in trouble and few were prepared to risk their money.
By the general meeting on September 14th, over 1,000 shares still
remained to be sold. Also, for the first time Job Taylor was missing and R
Hilhouse took the chair. At this point, with the directors imploring the
shareholders to sink more money into the concern, the reports end. It appears
that somewhere towards the end of 1872 the company finally foundered, with
little to show for years of work and several fortunes expended. In particular,
Job Taylor had made a fortune out of coal mines at Oldbury, Staffs only to lose
a large part of it in lead mining.
History 2 ("The
This is a brief account of one of the speculative failures among the
mining ventures which arose in the south-west
The bulk of the story concerns how the two later companies succeeded in
extracting more and more money out of their shareholders but utterly in vain.
The majority of the facts are from the Company Registration documents but the
construction placed on them is entirely mine and is presented as an honest
attempt to make sense (and interesting reading) out of bald data. I invite
readers to separate the events and dates from the narrative and judge for
themselves. One simple question you could ask yourselves is: what reason could
a person have for wanting to start up a company in order to buy the one they
already have control of?
Early Days
This mine in the district of Upper and Nether Heath (a part of Worthen)
occupied land which was originally part of Hogstow Hall Farm, property of the
Joint Lordship of Lloyd and Tankerville. The sett was being mined in the early
1850s, when some pipes of ore were being worked successfully by a private company.
Central Snailbeach Mining Company Ltd
Under a lease made with John Arthur Lloyd, this venture took over the
sett in a supposed bid to find a westward extension of the rich Snailbeach
Vein. The company was registered in February 1862. Chief among the promoters
were Job Taylor, a coal owner from Dudley, and Edward Henry Lowe of
J Powell & Co continued in occupation until at least 1863 and meanwhile
the new company was planning its takeover. To finance the work, they initially
authorised shared capital of £10,000 to be raised but, by 1864, only a little
over a quarter of this sum had been pulled in. In July 1864, an Extraordinary
General Meeting with Job Taylor in the Chair resolved to increase the capital
to £40,000 and, in the same year, they published a shares prospectus which
included photographs of the surface works. New spoil heaps are visible in these
and, since Job Taylor took command as Chief Agent in 1864, there is no doubt
that the work had started in earnest that year.
Time wore on and the money ran away with itself. Mining engineer John
Kitto from Llandidloes replaced Job Taylor as Chief Agent in 1867. There was no
lead to be found as yet and the Company was desperate for some revenue. The
lease on
By February 1868, a total of about £16,300 in share capital had been
raised, although calls for over £18,000 had been made. While legally obliged to
pay up when a call was properly authorised, there was an understandable lack of
enthusiasm among shareholders when there was nothing to show for 5 years of
throwing money down a worthless pit. Workings at Central had reached a depth of
164 yards by this time and the calls for money continued. As well as opening up
the Hill Sett, the partners still believed strongly enough in the Central mine
that they were prepared to re-equip it for further trials. In about 1870, share
brokers Liscombe & Co of Liverpool confirmed that
The company's registered office was that of Samuel Harley Kough, a
solicitor of Swan Hill,
New Central Snailbeach Mining Company Ltd
By 1869, a group of principal figures in the Central Snailbeach Mining
Company had seen an opportunity to improve things for themselves, if not for
the general run of shareholders. In a written agreement, a new partnership
including Job Taylor, Lowe and Thompson proposed to purchase all the assets of
the Central Snailbeach Mining Co Ltd, including any minerals and the two mining
leases currently in force. There was no fixed price mentioned however. The plan
was to liquidate the old company and two liquidators were appointed at the same
time, these being Thompson and a coalmaster named William Pearson. Their
handwritten agreement and the new company's statement were both registered on
30th November 1869.
The old company was never properly wound up. No record exists (as there
should) of an Extraordinary General Meeting being held to put forward any
proposal for dissolution, let alone any offer of cash being made to its
shareholders to buy up the shares. In fact, in the period February 1868 to
November 1870, the old company was still making calls on its shares as
described earlier, while at the same time plans were being made to steal the
operation from the majority of helpless shareholders.
The newly registered partners must have known that, as they stood, the
workings had no real value and the only worth of the operation was the sale
value of the mining equipment (if indeed the terms of the lease allowed the
lessees to sell it). If the old company's debts approached that figure, the
shares would have been worthless and the takeover bid no doubt played on this
idea. Thompson held the Company Secretary's post for both companies and
shamelessly assumed the role of Liquidator, which effectively meant that,
unless challenged, he could keep the financial details close to his chest. There
is no record of any official liquidation ever taking place and the Central
Snailbeach Mining Co Ltd was finally dissolved by the Companies Registrar in
1882, some 5 years after the New Central Snailbeach Mining Co Ltd had held its
own final Extraordinary General Meeting and agreed to quit.
Liscombe & Co apparently believed that the New Central Snailbeach
was the correct name for the Hill Sett, rather than simply the name of the
operating company. Their report, from the same publication as the earlier quotation,
gives a neat description.
"NEW
Adjoins central Snailbeach, and belongs to the same proprietary. The
sett contains a large amount of ground, stretching from the base to the ridge
of the Stiperstones hills, and, being pierced by a deep gouge, can readily be
opened up by deep adit levels. In a level now driven a good course of ore has
been cut, and is being sunk upon".
The output of New Central Snailbeach Mine in 1871-72 is said to have
been 626 tons of lead ore. This is highly unlikely to have been raised from
Part of OS County Series Shropshire sheet XLVIII 5, 1st Edition 1881.
The shaft and an indication of the headgear and the surrounding spoilheap are
obvious. Of the group of mine buildings directly north of the shaft, the small
unshaded square is the chimney and the unshaded part in line with the shaft is
the winding engine house. Plot 620 contains the Mine Agent's house. The New
Central Snailbeach Company's last chief agent was Enoch Parry. He retained the
house after the company folded and, in the 1880s, part of it became Central
Stores when Enoch retired from mining and became a retailer. To the right of the
Cross Guns Inn is the terminus of the Snailbeach District Railway. Snailbeach
Mine is about half a mile to the north-east.
Surface Remains
The most prominent remains are in the form of a three storey Mytton
Shale and brick built beam engine house. The engine beam was mounted on the
south wall with a large flywheel slot (now a window) at ground level. At this
point would once have been the winding spool with a "Rattle Chain" on
it. Pumping was also done by this engine with a crank operating a flat rod to a
quadrant on the shaft edge. Internally, the ground floor still retains two
wooden beams the full length of the room that once supported the cylinder. To
the east is placed the
In the bank nearby a short stone arched tunnel can be found. This is
believed to have drawn air from the shaft into the chimney, forming a primitive
ventilation for the mine. The entrance to Deep Level has collapsed, as well as
two ventilation shafts on the line. An open adit to the north-east is
approximately 100 yards long and ends at an inclined winze about 20ft deep. A
supposed adit to the south at Blackhole could not be found in 1959 and has not
been searched for since, although a clump of trees can be seen from the road
south of the farm.
To the east of the road and about 400yds up Crowsnest Dingle, there is a
collapsed adit with a filled shaft just above. What appear to be arched adits
in the farm opposite and on the right of the track further up the main valley
are only potato stores. About 200 yards north up the side of the valley is an
open adit in a large tip. This goes for 40yds to a right-angled bend, then a
further 60yds to a winze. On the other side of the winze, the adit continues
for 100yds to a blockage. The winze, which is 50ft deep, leads to an adit
heading for a short distance in both directions, parallel to the adit above.