| Administrative History | The company of Messrs Barnes came into existence in 1846, when the original mineral rights were leased by the Duke of Devonshire under land at Grassmoor recently acquired by the Barnes family. Alfed Barnes was the main protagonist of the company, although it had been his father who had made the initial purchase of land and advised his son to investigate the utilisation of its coal resources. In 1879 the company's name was changed to Grassmoor Colliery Company and then changed again in 1881to A.E. Barnes. In 1884, the Barnes family decided to form the limited company of Grassmoor Colliery Company, rather than to carry on using the family name. Despite the loss of the family name in the company, the family were still heavily involved in its running: all but one of the subscribers to the company were from the Barnes family, the other subscriber being a cashier for it.
The company was often plagued with financial problems. The first of these times occured in 1896, when it meant that half of the miners then employed had to be laid off. During World War 1, the company became known for its punishment of miners who were absent without permission at a time when there were problems with labour shortages.By 1928, the company faced liquidation when the Barnes family went bankrupt. A new company with the same name was established to take over, with no further involvement by the Barnes family.
The colliery was transferred to the National Coal Board as a result of the nationalisation of the coal industry in 1947. |