| Administrative History | A colliery at Babbington in the parish of Kimberley, Nottinghmshire, was active from the early 1820s, which belonged to the North family. In 1835 Thomas North went into partnership with Thomas Wakefield and then also with James Morley in 1839, leading to the establishment of the Babbington Coal Company. This led to the development of several mines in the 1840s at Babbington, Greasley, Newthorpe Common, Awsworth, Strelley and Stanton. In 1841-1843 the sinking of deeper shafts at Cinderhill Colliery (also known as Babbington Colliery) 3 miles north of Nottingham led to the establishment of what has been considered the first modern deep mine of the area. Although Wakefield was bankrupted by 1847 and Morley withdrew from the partnership, North carried on as sole proprietor with financial backing from Wright's Bank, and several similar types of collieries to Cinderhill were sunk in the 1850s and 1860s with help from other financial investors. North had over-committed himself and came under increasing pressure from creditors, and he died in January 1868, owing £190,000 to Wright's Bank.
The company was sold by Wright and Company to the Seely family in 1872. At that time the collieries included those of Cinderhill, Babbington, Newcastle, Broxtowe, Nuthall Temple, Kimberley and Bulwell. The company also owned brickworks at Cinderhill. In 1896 the company's collieries consisted of those called Brixtowe, Bulwell, Cinderhill No.1 (re-named Babbington by 1923) and No. 4, Kimberley and Newcastle in Nottinghamshire, and Shady Birchwood and Tibshelf Nos. 1-4 in Derbyshire. The company was incorporated as a limited company in 1925. Members of the Seely family sold their interest to the limited company between 1928 and 1936. In 1938 the Nottinghamshire collieries were taken over by B.A. Collieries Limited. In 1939 the Derbyshire collieries were taken over and closed down by the Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Company. The Babbington Coal Company Limited was liquidated in 26 June 1953 (London Gazette 10 July 1953). |