North Biddick Colliery

Opened before 1710, closed March 1935. Little Pit was sunk in 1894. Victoria Pit was at NZ 317 543. Owned by Sir George Elliot, Bart, then Lambton Collieries Ltd, then Lambton and Hetton Collieries Ltd. On November 17 1771, North Biddick, Chartershaugh and Low Lambton Collieries filled with water. Over 30 horses drowned, the wagons were swept away and the fire engines destroyed. Whellan reported in 1894 that there were two upcast and three downcast shafts at this colliery. Daily output was 940 tons of coal. 600 workers on the Maudlin seam and 350 on the Hutton seam. An explosion on 28 January 1743 killed 17 miners. Another on 6 December 1773 killed 19.