Introduction & Notes

This brief work history of William Thompson (my gggGrandfather) was written by him as an old man. His older brother John wrote their father's Memoir and was obviously the better writer. This brief account does however give a better account of the coke making and corving business they were engaged in, as well as how the developing coke trade changed their business. The original is held by Nancy Smith (see the Genealogy for details) - I copied this from a transcript held by Ted Rogers. If you have a modern browser, set to show my preferences rather than yours (or Microsofts!) you will see the following text in hand-written script - as close to the original as I could get.

Alex Rogers

London
02 Dec 98

G.B Forster Esq., has honoured me by making a 20 peck corf for the Model Exhibition which I trust will give satisfaction to the gentlemen interested therein.

It is about 52 years since I made the last 20 peck corf. At that time wood tubs superseded corves. My father John Thompson having been corver at the Newbottle Colliery in the county of Durham over 30 years he having four sons he made three of us corvers. I being the youngest of the three. My father did not long survive this event. This change would take place in about 1836 or 7. At that time there was one coke oven built at the Pegge Pit near to Philadelphia which belonged to Lord Durham. Mr Crawford his head viewer had not been successful in making coke from it. I applied to the gentleman to let me the said coke oven which they did. This was in the year 1838. Of course I had to pull this coke oven down and build 2 on the same spot of ground. From these 2 coke ovens I made good coke. The small coals were from the Lambton Colliery pits. I sold the most of the coke I made to a Sunderland Brass Founder and some to Mr Robinson, Brewer and Maltster of Houghton le Spring.

Soon after I commenced, a gentleman built a few coke ovens at Hendon near Sunderland. In consequence, I lost my trade from that quarter. Soon after this my brother John got an agreement with a gentleman well known in the district viz. Tom Harrison Esq., to build coke ovens at Annfield Plain on condition that he got his coals from them that was the Loud (?) Pit and he would take his coke for the Stanhope & Tyne Railway Engines. My brother Peter and I made the coke at these said ovens for some years.

In the year 1847 there being an advertisement in the papers for a Coke Manager at the Mickley Coke Ovens. I applied for the situation and got it. I finished off making coke in the year 1880. I may here observe that when I went to Mickley there was only 60 coke ovens - when I left there was 330.

When I commenced to manufacture Coke I knew of no coke ovens in the county of Durham. I think the first commencement would be by Messrs. Straker & Love.

From my small beginnings was the means of Lord Durham and the Marquis of Londonderry did follow suit and build many coke ovens. Previous to this the bulk of small coals was burned in large heaps to no purpose and I think all the Collieries in the county of Durham has coke ovens connected with them.

My eldest son John is superintending 300 or more at Hamsteels Colliery and has done ever since it commenced.

W Thompson,

Croft House
West Ryton
April 19th, 1887