Markham Main Colliery Band

A brass band formed in 1924 as the Markham Main Colliery St John's Ambulance Brigade band at Armthorpe, near Doncaster, which reached the National finals in the 1960s and still keeps the colliery's name, long after the pit closed.

The mining history in this record

Markham Main Colliery was sunk at Armthorpe from 1916. The band was formed in 1924 as the Markham Main Colliery St John's Ambulance Brigade brass band, and has also been known as Markham Main Ambulance and Markham Main Colliery Ambulance. It first rehearsed in its own room within the colliery grounds, moving to the larger Ambulance Brigade Hall as numbers grew. It played on through the Second World War and by 1947 had won many prizes; in the 1940s the local branch of the National Union of Mineworkers granted it a weekly sponsorship of a halfpenny, and women, not then allowed to play alongside the men, had a separate section.

In the 1960s the band reached the National finals at the Royal Albert Hall and released several LPs of its contest performances.

People

Unknown.

Legacy today

The pits funded the band until they closed, and since then it has depended on concerts, local engagements, fundraising and a patronage scheme launched in 2022. It calls itself one of the last colliery bands in the country, keeping the Markham Main name as a mark of respect for the miners who supported it, plays at Armthorpe's annual Miners' Memorial service, and marked its centenary in 2024.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each tagged with how solidly it's grounded and attached to the source(s) that support it. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• The band was formed in 1924 as the Markham Main Colliery St John's Ambulance Brigade brass band. (contemporary account) ^1,2
• It has also been known as Markham Main Ambulance, Markham Main Colliery Ambulance and Markham Main St John's Ambulance. (documented fact) ²
• The band first rehearsed in its own room within the colliery grounds. (contemporary account) ¹
• In the 1960s the band reached the National finals at the Royal Albert Hall and released several LPs. (contemporary account) ¹
• With the closure of the pits the band's main source of funding disappeared, and it now depends on concerts and fundraising. (contemporary account) ³
• The band plays at Armthorpe's annual Miners' Memorial service. (contemporary account) ³

Mines

• Markham Main Colliery — South Yorkshire
  Formed in 1924 as the colliery's St John's Ambulance Brigade band, it rehearsed in the colliery grounds and was funded by the pit until its closure.

Real-world mining concepts used here

Colliery, Colliery Band, National Union of Mineworkers

Sources

1. (secondary) About Us - Markham Main Colliery Band — Markham Main Colliery Band
2. (secondary) Markham Main Colliery Band — Brass Band Results
3. (secondary) Support Us - Markham Main Colliery Band — Markham Main Colliery Band

Record created: 19 October 2026 · Last researched: 19 October 2026