FOX, Henry and James, Broadwell area mine owners ? (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Tuesday, September 06, 2016, 17:07 (3001 days ago) @ Jefff

Carl,
I wonder if you've seen this webpage while searching the net, it lists the trustees of Broadwell Memorial Hall, including a "Fox, James William, Broadwell Lane End, 09.01.1920"
http://www.sungreen.co.uk/Broadwell/broadwell_memorial_hall_gsv.html

Presumably James was reasonably well-off to be a Trustee, I wonder if he is the same as the James Fox below, or maybe his father?. Edenwall pit is at Broadwell, it's marked on the old OS maps ?.

"Edenwall Mine.
10 June 1944 Portion re-granted to James Fox and Henry Corin of Broadwell and Fred Bowkett of Cinderford and Lewis Wilce of Ruardean Woodside."
http://lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/CoalEdenwall.html

The Lightmoor site is the definitive site for the history of the Dean mines (pits).
It also mentions another Fox at Bixlade mine, which is also at Broadwell.

"Bixlade mines.
1894 Output Bixslade (Fox) 1,869 tons; Bixslade No. 2 844 tons."
http://lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/CoalBixslade.html

Another great reference site for old mining is the Peak District site. This list of pit-owners in Gloucestershire in 1896 is very helpful, stating;

"Bixslade, "No. 2" pit, at Coalway Lane End, Coleford
Owners Pace and Fox of Broadwell Lane End, Coleford.
Six men mining coal."
http://www.pdmhs.com/docs/default-source/resources/mines-list---1896/south-of-england's...

When viewing the Census forms earlier I recall seeing the PACE name as near neighbours to the FOX household, I think I also saw evidence of marriage between the families.

???

This next man Henry Fox may be from the same family ?. Cinderford Bridge mine is only a few miles east of Broadwell via Speech House. There is also a "Foxes Bridge" very near there, over Cinderford Brook, and a pit of the same name. I was born nearby, and always assumed the name related to the woodland animal, hence "Foxes" not "Fox's", but maybe not .... ???

If these men are your relatives, I'm sure further evidence to their mining would be provided within the more recent Census's, the 1939 Survey, and the Parish Records for them or their children's Baptisms and Marriages.

"Cinderford Bridge mine.
The gale was re-granted on 11 June 1906 to a Henry Fox and nine others. They had originally applied for the re-grant in February 1878 immediately after the forfeiture."
http://lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/CoalCindBridge.html

Finally, a reference to Henry Fox

"Fox's Trenchard mine.
F3 1175
31 January 1910 Application for grant to Henry Fox
23 May 1910 Granted, intended to work by means of a pit
3 June 1910 Henry Fox to Amos Wm. Brown
http://lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/CoalFoxsTrenchard.html

So far I cannot find this pit on a map, Trenchard is the name of a coal seam across a large area, but it seems these mines are both in the Broadwell/Coalway area.

"Smith's Trenchard.
2 May 1945 SMITH'S TRENCHARD No.2
Granted to James William Fox, Henry Richard Corin, both of Broadwell Lane End, Frederick George Bowkett, Cinderford and Sydney Jones, Berry Hill."
http://lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/CoalSmithsTrench.html

Clearly this is the same gentleman I mentioned earlier wrt Broadwell Memorial Hall.
It appears he is definitely one of your ancestors, compare this PR from this site's database to my earlier 1871 Census transcript for Henry and Clara;

Record_ID: 69165
Entry_Number: 292
Year: 1872
Month: Oct
Day: 6
Parents_Surname: FOX
Child_Forenames: James William
Fathers_Forenames: Henry
Mothers_Forenames: Clara
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Coleford Lane End
Occupation: Collier
Officiating_Minister: H L Perry Vicar
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P88 IN 1/2
Page_Number: 37
Parish_Chapel: Clearwell
Soundex: F200

This site's Database shows he married Caroline HIGGS of Broadwell in 1892 (he was a collier resident Broadwell Lane End, a witness was a Henry James Fox), James died in 1946 aged 73.

You can also search the PR database for Records which include James William FOX as the "father". I've found some Baptisms, most show James as a collier living in Barnhill area, plus a 1924 Marriage Record for his son Percy. Percy marries a Mary Louise TAYLOR of Worrall Hill nr Lydbrook. The PR shows her father is Osman John Taylor.
I recognise that name from my own tree, my paternal grandmother was a Lydbrook Taylor, Osman was her cousin. Osman was a Lydbrook collier, like my grandad, like so many Osman died young while in the pit; I've researched him thro the old newspapers etc and he died in an accident in Cannop Colliery, Lydbrook, in 1922, aged 44. So thanks "cousin" Carl, for helping me extend my own tree.

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Have you seen the "Register of Freeminers" database, from the Resources menu ?
Searching the FOX surname gives 23 names, they are virtually all within the general Coleford / Lane End aka Broadwell area.
http://forest-of-dean.net/joomla/index.php/freeminers-register

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For a detailed map of the Forest, showing the mines as of 1894, see
http://lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/Overviewmap.html
Each section can be enlarged by clicking on it. Black spots are coal mines aka pits, brown are iron mines.

For a study of the mines of the Coleford area up until 1850, when the mines were more numerous and smaller, I thoroughly recommend this excellent article which I've only found today after years of similar searches, so thanks again to you Carl !.
http://www.gsia.org.uk/reprints/1980/gi198038.pdf