Cornwall Kernow
|
Cornwall Kernow
|
King Edward mine and mining museum Treslothan Church Memorial Records USEFUL LINKS |
Brief history: Wheal Gine (Polgine) was producing copper in the 1790's. Production ceased in the 1820's, but started again in 1835, when the mine was reopened. Condurrow Mine, close by, near Beacon, had closed in 1830. A mine named Old Tye ,to the south of that ,was active by 1844 - the same year that Condurrow started up again. In 1845 Baroness Grenville granted a lease to a company called Wheal Grenville. Five years later the name of Old Tye was changed to South Condurrow. Marshall's engine house (on right side of road as Troon is entered from Beacon) belonged to South Condurrow Mines. South Condurrow was closed in 1896, and shortly after the mine was presented to Camborne School of Mines. It was renamed King Edward after the accession of Edward VII. Wheal Grenville struggled on. A new management committee was appointed in 1876, chaired by R.W. Goold. Captain T. Hodge was appointed manager. North Shaft (renamed Goold's Shaft) broke into the Great Flat Lode in 1878. By 1894, production had increased to the highest ever. Condurrow (which in its time was also known as Great Condurrow, Condurrow United and Pendarves United) was too far north to benefit from this. In 1906, Wheal Grenville became part of Grenville United Mines, along with South Condurrow and part of West Wheal Frances. In September 1914, the Directors submitted the Balance Sheet at 30th June 1914 (for the previous six months). It states that "the loss reduces the credit balance to £5,815 1s 5d" The returns of Black Tin were just over 291 tons, which sold for £26,867 10s 2d. (The two Cornish stamps crushed 21,483 tons of tin stuff). Miners employed underground numbered 330. The Directors' Report goes on to state -"In view of the present formidable European situation your Directors will husband all liquid resources and reduce outgoings to the lowest level consistent with good mining." Many of the skilled workforce fought in the World War. The price of tin slumped after the war. The mine could not continue - it closed in 1921.
I have the Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss account for June 1914. ALL THE PAGES CAN BE SEEN >> The following photograph, taken in February 1910, shows Thomas John Thomas (1876 - 1914) underground in Goold's Shaft. Born in Breage, he later lived in Polgine House, Troon. The photograph was presented to this website by his grandson, Noel E. Thomas.
290 fathom level Goold's Shaft, Wheal Grenville, February 1910. Thomas John Thomas is operating a Holman rockdrill. The machine is being used to drill a blast hole. Thomas John is operating a feed screw which advances the machine along a cradle clamped to the upright jack-bar thus pushing the drill steel into the hole. The man on the right is holding a hammer with which he would hit the drill steel if it started to jam. This is a posed photograph. If the machine had been working, the mist from the exhaust would have made photography impossible. Note the candle stuck onto the wall just above the hole being drilled. (T.B.) NEW STAMPS. WHEAL GRENVILLE, C 1904 This engine house can still be seen, near Polgine estate.
OLD STAMPS, WHEAL GRENVILLE, C 1904 This engine house now longer exists. It stood behind the garage on the Troon road. If you look very carefully, you can just see the little chapel in the cemetery in the background.
GOOLD'S ENGINE HOUSE. (Mostly demolished) Has anyone got a photograph of this engine house when it was intact?
Photo Links:
|
