Markham MAIN Yorkshire MAIN Hatfield MAIN

[Donnywolf]

I cant believe that having lived in FILO land for 28 years and in this area for all my life - and being an inquisitive git it was only last Sunday passing Carlton Main Brickworks at Grimethorpe that I thought ... shit why MAIN ?

I had never questioned anyone to find out why MAIN and there were lots of people I could have asked who had connections to many many Pits !

So what does the average man in the street do these days - Yep Google it - but as you can probably guess I am not convinced about the validity of the answer that seems to be the most common one i.e. it was the MAIN shaft in that locality

Over to you guys - put me out of my misery and I can go to the Site of the former Barnsley Main tomorrow in a settled frame of mind !

[coventryrover]

Main does mea the site of the main shaft to access seams in the vicinity.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I always thought the suffix \"Main\" was to differentiate the new (i.e. chucked up) mining village from the original (farming/market) village.

Mind, this comes from nowt more than observing Denaby Main and Old Denaby.

[Donnywolf]

coventryrover wrote:

Main does mea the site of the main shaft to access seams in the vicinity.

This is exactly why I have a problem with the definition on Google

Hatfield Main (Stainy) is the main shaft for access to seams in the area - but where are the secondary access shafts ? Thorne is \"close by\" and is not a Main BUT Markham is not that far and IS a Main !

Also there must be clusters of Mains - Wath Manvers Hickleton ?

The jury is still out

[coventryrover]

It could mean that the main seam outcrops in the area

[Donnywolf]

Almost right I feel CovRov !

Just found this on Google :

The South Yorkshire coal reserves consist of both an exposed coalfield where seams outcrop at the surface and are consequently more accessible, and a concealed coalfield where the carboniferous strata (in South Yorkshire the ‘Coal Measures Sandstones’) are overlain by later geological deposits of Permian and Triassic limestone and sandstone. The shallower depth of the most productive seams in the exposed coalfield (most notably the Main or Barnsley Bed seam from which many collieries gained part of their name) meant that mining was concentrated to the west of the county until the late 19th century

DW

[Dagenham Rover]

So they are near enough saying the pits with \"Main \" are named so because they were originally mining the Barnsley seam.
So some of our place names come from the Dingles..........cobblers to that one for a theory  

[Donnywolf]

AH .... but you are near enough saying that they are saying Barnsley is the pits  



However back to the subject itself ... if it IS true that MAIN means sitting on the main seam (in this case the Barnsley seam) there must be lots of main seams (if you see what I mean) as this name is all over the Mining industry in Scotland Wales and each part of the UK. I think I spotted some in Canada and OZ

[Donnywolf]

I must be desperate as I am now offering alternatives to my own questions !

Before Nationalisation Collieries were in a large number of private Companies so could it be that Hatfield was the MAIN Colliery owned by a Company and they had others in the area of around the country

I offer this view because the Barnsley Seam thing does not really hold up as Edlington Main renamed Yorkshire Main is also on the Barnsley Seam (as well as two others)

[Filo]

Hatfield also mined the High Hazel seam and I think at one time the Dunsil seam

[Dagenham Rover]

And I'm sure Yorkshire Main also mined the the Dunsil seam (as well as the Barnsley Seam)

[Donnywolf]

++++ UPDATE ++++

I have continued to try to get an answer to this question and even considered NOT going to Barnsley to free up more time - (yeah right)

I have been in touch with Dave Douglas who those Stainyites on here and Miners from our locality will need no introduction to

He has sent me this reply which I am happy to share

...interesting question and there is no definative answer. Locally the miners will tell you its called 'Main' if you worked the Barnsley, but there are Main's as you say in pits where the Barnsley either has another name, or is thin, or isnt there. In Northumbria there is a 'Main' seam, the High Main, the Low Main, etc but again this isnt a Yorkshire seam, we dont know comrade, simple as that.  Did you see my current book ? Lots about Hatfield and Staini, and some of the characters doubtless you'l ken fine.


You can find all his Books on here if interested
http://www.minersadvice.co.uk/hatfieldmain.htm

[Filo]

Apparently there are 19 different seams of coal beneath Stainy, of which only 4 were mined, the Barnsley, High Hazel, Dunsil and Kent



http://www.minersadvice.co.uk/hatfieldmain.htm

[Filo]

DONNYWOLF wrote:

I have been in touch with Dave Douglas who those Stainyites on here and Miners from our locality will need no introduction to

Alternatively known as Danny the Red  

[BobG]

Now that is a cracking site Filo. I@ve just spent an hour reading parts of it while I should have been preparing for an interview - you git I can see me spending a lot more time deling in there. Thanks!

BobG

[Dagenham Rover]

Here's another for you to browse Bob

http://www.freewebs.com/yorkshiremain/

[BobG]

I have - and I will! Thanks Dagenham.

BobG

[Donnywolf]

Bob

Search on Google for \"Main Colliery\" exact phrase and you will get enough material to last you till the next Ice age

Unfortunately none of it explains my original question. Hope you find it for me !