| Administrative History | The mineral rights for what would become Markham Colliery were taken out by the Staveley Coal and Iron Company from the Duke of Devonshire and B. H. G. Arkwright. Four shafts were sunk between 1882 and more followed in 1887. In 1910 a further shaft was sunk for ventilation. All the shafts worked as separate units with separate workforces, but did share the same pit yard. Palterton Colliery was also absorbed into Markham in 1918, and turned into a ventilation shaft in 1919 as it didn’t produce much coal. It was also used for underground haulage. In 1938 an underground coal dust explosion happened just as a night shift started. The accident killed 79 and injured 40.
The colliery was transferred into the control of the National Coal Board in 1947 as a result of the nationalisation of the coal industry. In 1973 a descending cage carrying miners failed to stop and crashed to the pit bottom. The ascending cage crashed into the roof of the winding engine house. The accident killed 13 men died at the scene and 5 died in hospital afterwards. Another 12 men, including a rescue worker, were seriously injured. Ireland Colliery at Staveley was later absorbed into the Markham complex to become Markham No. 5 in 1975. Markham became the largest colliery in the North Derbyshire area. The site was eventually closed in 1994. |