Dalbeath Colliery

Overview

Two pits sunk in 1886-87 north of Hill of Beath village by the Adams family, bought by the Fife Coal Company in 1889 and connected by roads to Kirkford; they outlasted the old Hill of Beath pits and closed in the early 1930s after employing over 600 people in 1908.

History

The Dalbeath Nos. 1 and 2 pits were sunk in 1886-87 on the Hill of Beath estate, north of the village; a newspaper of March 1888 reports a miner injured at the Dalbeath pit 'where sinking operations are going on'. In February 1889 the Fife Coal Company bought the West, Engine and Dalbeath pits from David Adams, and when Kirkford (Cowdenbeath No. 10) was sunk in 1896-98 roads were quickly driven from it to Dalbeath. Around the turn of the century the Hill of Beath and Dalbeath workings began to be recorded as two separate collieries.

Employment at Dalbeath was 280 underground and 86 on the surface in 1904, 307 and 65 in 1905, 413 and 191 in 1908, 372 and 123 in 1911, 422 and 152 in 1918 and 208 and 97 in 1928, when it worked the Lochgelly Splint, Glassee and Kinglassie Splint for household and steam coal and blaes. William Riddell managed it in 1904-07, Thomas Borland in 1908-09, James Erskine in 1918-19 and William Paterson in 1926, with Charles Seaman as under-manager in 1918-28. The Five Feet and Dunfermline Splint seams were recorded as abandoned in 1912 and 1919, the Little Splint and Gorman in 1927 and the Little Splint again in 1930.

The Dalbeath pits probably closed in the early 1930s. Reported accidents include James Ditchburn, who stepped on to a cage leaving the bottom of No. 2 Pit on 31 December 1902; James Paterson, a machineman, suffocated by a roof fall in the Kinglassie seam in April 1916; Daniel Kean in May 1920; and Peter M'Gonegal, a brusher killed when a shot he thought had not been lit went off, in November 1923.

Geology

Coal of the Lochgelly series. The Lochgelly Splint, Glassee, Kinglassie Splint, Rough and Five Feet coals were worked in the 1910s and 1920s, with the Dunfermline Splint, Little Splint and Gorman named in abandonment plans and the Kinglassie seam in No. 2 Pit.

Workings

Dalbeath Nos. 1 and 2 pits, with roads to Kirkford (Cowdenbeath No. 10) and connection to the old Hill of Beath workings.

Closure

The Dalbeath pits probably closed in the early 1930s; the Engine Pit's coals had been worked through them until 1930-31.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Related mines

• Hill of Beath Colliery — Dalbeath was sunk on the Hill of Beath estate in 1886-87, bought with the West and Engine pits in 1889, and the Engine Pit's workings were worked through the Dalbeath pits until 1930-31.
• Kirkford Colliery — Connecting roads were driven from Kirkford to Dalbeath when Kirkford was sunk in 1896-98.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• The Dalbeath Nos. 1 and 2 pits were sunk in 1886-87, and sinking was still going on at the Dalbeath pit in March 1888. ^1,2
• The Fife Coal Company bought the West, Engine and Dalbeath pits from David Adams in February 1889. ²
• When Kirkford (Cowdenbeath No. 10) was sunk in 1896-98, connecting roads were quickly driven to Dalbeath, Mossbeath, Lindsay and Cowdenbeath No. 7 collieries. ³
• Employment at Dalbeath was 280 underground and 86 on the surface in 1904, 413 and 191 in 1908, 372 and 123 in 1911, 422 and 152 in 1918 and 208 and 97 in 1928. ²
• The Dalbeath pits were probably closed in the early 1930s. ²
• James Ditchburn, junior, a Dunfermline miner, died after stepping on to a cage as it left the bottom of No. 2 Dalbeath Pit on 31 December 1902. ⁴
• James Paterson in April 1916, Arthur Kingsford in September 1917, Daniel Kean in May 1920, Thomas Cowan in June 1920 and Peter M'Gonegal in November 1923 were killed in the Dalbeath pits. ⁵
• Canmore records Dalbeath Pit as NT19SW 46. ⁶

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Fife Accidents 1871 to 1900 (Scottish Mining Website) — Scottish Mining Website
2. (secondary) Fife Pits: Hill of Beath Colliery — Fife Pits
3. (secondary) Fife Pits: Cowdenbeath No. 10 (Kirkford) Pit — Fife Pits
4. (secondary) Accidents 1901-1914 (Scottish Mining Website) — Scottish Mining Website
5. (secondary) Accidents post-1915 (Scottish Mining Website) — Scottish Mining Website
6. (secondary) Dalbeath Pit (Canmore) — Canmore (Historic Environment Scotland)

Record created: 30 September 2026 · Last researched: 30 September 2026