The origins of the Chamber Colliery Company can be traced back to c.1750, when James Lees first sank pit shafts in the Oldham Coalfield, but its history is complex. By 1848 it was trading under the firms of William Jones & Company and Joseph Jones Jr & Company. On the 1 June 1848 these partnerships were dissolved when Joseph Jones Jr, John Worthington, Nathan Worthington, John Duncuft Worthington and George Henry Worthington stepped down leaving William Jones, John Lees, James Lees, Joseph Lees, William Booth and Joseph Marsland as partners. The Chamber Colliery Company then continued under the style of William Jones & Company.

On the 19 January 1857 the partnership of William Jones & Company was dissolved and William Jones died later in the year. Joseph Marsland and a John Joseph Jones stepped down at this time but it seems that William Booth had stepped down beforehand. This left John Lees, James Lees and Joseph Lees as the sole partners and the Chamber Colliery Company then continued under the style of John Lees & Brothers.

The comprehension of records is obscure due to there being two William Jones and two Joseph Jones.

Left: Joseph Jones Jr (1756-1845), who was the father of William Jones. He was possibly the most noteworthy for the development the coal mining business.
Right: William Jones (1797-1857), the first Mayor of Oldham (1849/50).

In 1877 the Chamber Colliery Company was incorporated as a limited company under the style of the Chamber Colliery Company Limited (Company No. 11821) and its Registered Office was in Hollinwood. This company was dissolved in 1951, following the nationalisation of Britain's coal industry on the 1 January 1947 (vesting day).

By 1880 the Chamber Colliery Company was working the following collieries in the Oldham Coalfield:

Colliery Location Comments
Alkrington Alkrington,
Middleton		 1879-1897
Chamber* Werneth 1784-1928
Denton Lane Chadderton 1855-1894
Ferney Field Chadderton 1852-1895
Honeywell Lane Oldham Active 1880
Hunt Clough Chadderton 1826-1897
New Earth Lees Active 1880
Oak
(Victoria & Albert Pits)		 Hollinwood 1848-1956
Rhodes Bank Oldham 1841-1885
Stockfield Chadderton 1865-1914
Woodpark Bardsley 1836-1955
*Chamber Colliery (or Chamber Lane Colliery) was on the south side of Chamber Lane (now Chamber Road), Werneth. Nearby were two related shafts. The first was Rise Pit that was about 120 yards distant to the east and the second was Chamber Dam Colliery that was about 560 yards distant to the SSW on the south side of College Avenue.

The Lees family also had other local mining interests including the following:

Colliery Location Comments
Fairbottom Colliery Near Park Bridge 17th century-c.1888
Dock Pit Near Park Bridge 17th century-c.1870
Rocher Colliery Co Ltd Near Park Bridge 18th century-1891
Incorporated in 1873, Company No. 7050
Bardsley Colliery Company Bardsley Diamond and Victoria Pits.
After 1866 worked by John Lees & Brothers.
Date of closure unclear
Werneth Colliery Company Hollinwood John Lees & Brothers worked several
coal mines. Dates of closure unclear