Miner's Safety Lamp
The safety lamp shown below was manufactured by Richard Johnson, Clapham & Morris Ltd of Manchester.
This company was founded in c.1814 and it became a public company in 1891. Their works was at Newton Heath, Manchester. It had an office in Dale Street, Manchester, before moving to Lever Street and then to Trafford Park. Initially, there was also an office in Liverpool and with the passage of time offices were opened in other towns. The company manufactured a wide range of wire products as well as tinplate, sheet metal, corrugated iron and brass and bronze founding as well as miners’ safety lamps. There is possibly a connection with Richard Johnson & Nephew Ltd of Bradford, Manchester. The company was still in business in 1961 but in the 1950s it stopped making safety lamps when this side of the business was transferred to the Protector Lamp Company of Eccles.
It also known that W E Teale & Co Ltd of Swinton, Lancashire, provided safety lamps for use at Denton Colliery, each one being supplied with a numbered brass miner's check. William Edward Teale manufactured Mueseler type safety lamps, the design of which originated in Belgium.
Steel rail from an underground mine gallery
The flat-bottomed rail, shown below, rested directly on wooden sleepers to which it was fastened by spikes with offset heads.
It is 6 feet long × 1⅜ inches wide across the flat bottom × 2 inches high. The tread is ¾ inch wide × about ¾ inch high.
There is hole at each end of the rail web and a slot in the centre. The end holes were to enable abutting rails to be fastened together using a fishplate having two bolt holes. The purpose of the central slot is uncertain unless it was for a tie connected to the opposite rail.
Underground rail.
End view showing the profile.
Underground rails.
Rail side elevation and rail side elevation with central slot.
Miner's Lamp Check, No. 56.
Horse Buckle.
This buckle was part of the horse tack used at the colliery.
Certificate for 20 Shares in Denton Colliery Co Ltd, 1913
