Elgin and Wellwood Colliery

Overview

A Dunfermline colliery begun at Wellwood in 1827 by James Spowart, joined with the neighbouring Elgin Colliery between 1869 and 1880, which lost three men to an underground fire in the Derby Pit in 1884 and closed in 1950 after a pithead fire.

History

James Spowart of Venturefair, a coalmaster, fitted out the Wellwood Colliery north of Dunfermline, east of Baldridgeburn, in 1827, and in October of that year announced to the public in The Scotsman that its extensive coal-works were in full operation, offering a hard splinty coal that suited steam vessels and could be shipped from Brucehaven-Limekilns. In 1833 he began working Halbeath coal as well, shipping at Inverkeithing, while Wellwood splint coal went from Charlestown harbour. The neighbouring Elgin Colliery was managed by James Grier in 1829-42 and Thomas Grier in the 1850s and 1860s, and Thomas Spowart and Company held Wellwood from the 1850s. The two joined, between 1869 and 1880 by Canmore's reckoning, into the extensive Elgin and Wellwood Colliery, which opened pits north of Dunfermline and north of Townhill, among them the Albert, Balmule, Derby, Leadside, Lindsay's, March, Prince of Wales, Spowart, Union and Wallsend pits.

Falling stones in the Balmule Pit shaft killed three men in 1859, and a fire in the Derby Pit suffocated three in 1884 (see Disasters, below). Earlier deaths were also reported, including the brothers Sinclair, aged ten and twelve, under a four-ton fall in November 1858 and the brothers Chalmers, aged 14 and 17, in June 1859.

Robert Muir is named as manager in 1858 and 1873. In 1896 the colliery had 133 underground and 40 on the surface, rising to 259 and 51 in 1911 under Robert Stanners and then William Wilkinson. Canmore records a single shaft 73 m deep, an average and peak workforce of 214 in 1947, and in 1948 an output of 220 tons a day and 55,750 tons a year from 242 employees, with a Dickson and Mann bash tank washer, a canteen, and steam and electric power. A pithead fire closed the colliery in 1950, and many of the miners were moved to the Aitken. An associated brickworks ran from 1934 to 1981.

Geology

Splint, parrot and other coals of the Dunfermline area; the returns describe household, manufacturing and steam coals.

Workings

Many pits on the north side of Dunfermline: Wellwood's Albert, Balmule, John, Leadside, March, Tom, Union, Venture Fair, Victoria and Waterloo, and Elgin and Wellwood's Arthur, Derby, Lindsay's, Prince, Prince of Wales and Wallsend pits among others; by the end a single 73-metre shaft at Leadside, also called Wellwood.

Closure

The colliery closed in 1950 after a pithead fire, and many of the miners were moved to the Aitken Colliery.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

An associated brickworks operated from 1934 to 1981.

Related mines

• Lassodie Colliery — Thomas Spowart and Company worked both, and William Wilkinson moved from managing Lassodie to Elgin and Wellwood in 1908.

Disasters & major incidents

• Elgin Colliery Balmule Pit accident, 1859
  28 December 1859 · Winding / Shaft Accident · 3 fatalities
  On 28 December 1859 four colliers were being drawn up the Balmule Pit of the Elgin Colliery near Dunfermline when stones fell on them from the side of the shaft. Two died at once and a third days later. The underground manager and the pit's roadsman were tried for culpable homicide and acquitted.
• Wellwood Colliery Derby Pit fire, 1884
  30 March 1884 · Fire · 3 fatalities
  On the night of Sunday 30 March 1884 fire broke out around the underground haulage engine of the Derby Pit at Wellwood Colliery, Dunfermline. Three men who went 500 yards in through the smoke to open a trap door and clear the air were suffocated; the search party that found them barely got back.

Recorded claims

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

• James Spowart fitted out the Wellwood Colliery near Dunfermline in 1827 and announced in The Scotsman on 6 October 1827 that its coal-works were in full operation. ¹
• In April 1833 Spowart began working Halbeath coal extensively and shipping it at Inverkeithing, Wellwood splint coal continuing to be shipped at Charlestown harbour. ¹
• Wellwood united with the Elgin Colliery about 1870, Canmore saying the two merged between 1869 and 1880. ^1,2
• Canmore records Elgin and Wellwood (also known as Leadside) as begun in 1827 and closed and abandoned in 1950, with one shaft 73 m deep and an average and peak workforce of 214 in 1947. ²
• In 1948 the colliery produced 220 tons a day and 55,750 tons a year with 242 employees, a Dickson and Mann bash tank washer and a canteen. ²
• The colliery closed in 1950 after a pithead fire, many miners moving to Aitken; an associated brickworks ran from 1934 to 1981. ²
• Employment was 133 underground and 40 on the surface in 1896, 164 and 43 in 1902, 191 and 39 in 1904, 208 and 47 in 1908 and 259 and 51 in 1911. ¹

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Fife Pits: Wellwood Colliery, Dunfermline — Fife Pits
2. (secondary) Elgin And Wellwood Colliery (Canmore) — Canmore (Historic Environment Scotland)
3. (secondary) Accidents 1855 - 1870 (Scottish Mining Website) — Scottish Mining Website
4. (secondary) Fife Accidents 1871 to 1900 (Scottish Mining Website) — Scottish Mining Website

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