Old Prosperous Level, Gateup Gill
Introduction
In November 1811 Thomas Dickinson and Henry Watson took a 21-year lease on the Groove Gill Vein from Gateup Up Gill to the Grassington boundary. The duty as set for one tenth of the leead, and 1d per load for any coal extracted. Old Prosperous Level was driven, but did not prove profitable. Groove Gill Vein was found to be wide, but poor in ore, and only one ton of lead was extracted between 1814 and 1816. A 27 cm-thick coal seam was encountered on Beast Level, marked with a thick black line on the survey, which was also exploited. The venture was not successful, with the coal seam being more productive than the lead veins. By 1816 Dickinson and Watson had abandoned their lease, and a new one was granted by the Barmaster to the next set of adventurers.
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Lease
The following is the agreement as in the Barmaster's book:
HEBDEN. October 21. 1811.
Memorandum of Agreement that Joseph Chamberlain Barmaster & Agent for the Lords and Landowners of Hebden in the County of York do hereby Grant to Thos. Dickinson Henery Walton and all their Other partners all the Lines of Lead or Veins of Lead Ore and Coal on Hebden Moor in the County of York aforesaid Bounded as follows viz 5 Meers on the South Side of Grove Gill Vein and all the ground laying to the North side of the said Grove Gill Vein to the Extent of Hebden Boundary and on the West side by the Boundary of Grassington Manor and in the East by the Manor of Appletreewick or Gateup Gill for the Term of Twenty one years on Condition of No Receiving One Tenth Duty in Lead and One Penny per Load for Coal and other Conditions as usual in Granting Leases of Mines and also to grant them liberty for making such roads as are necessary for Carrying away the said Coal and Lead or other materials as are necessary for the said Mines at the expense of the said Mr Dickinson Henry Walton and their Other partners. AND FURTHER that an Account of the Quantity of Coal which is got in the proceeding month shall be Delivered in on the first Monday of the Month following and the time of payment to be on the first Monday in January and the first Monday in July in each year and further to keep and continue in possession of the House which the said parties has erected there AND FURTER that when fifty tons of Lead has been got by the said parties that a Smelt Mill shall be erected at the expense of the Lords and Land Owners of the said Township the Lessees to give three days notice to the Bar Master for throwing out the Lead.
Thomas Dickinson
Henry Watson
Joseph Constantine
Bar Master.
Map of Old Providence Mine
This is a cross-section of Old Prosperous Level in Gate Up Gill - part of the Hebden mining liberty. It dates from about 1856 when the Hebden Moor Mining Company were establishing what they had inherited from previous lease holders. The entrance is at NGR SE 0550 6657 at an altitude of about 350 metres, in the corner between the beck and an enclosure wall.
