Kerfies, Cleggies and all that.
The Queens Level
Queen's Level was the principal access and drainage adit for the Hurst lead mining field. Driven in the early 1700s, it became the main artery of the mine complex, cutting through major veins of Wellington, Cleminson, and Redshaft.
The level was about 700 fathoms (roughly 1280 metres) long and served as the main haulage route, with ore trammed out to dressing floors powered by waterwheels. These floors were highly efficient for their time, using crushers, jigs, and slime pits to process the ore before it was transported to the smelt mill at Marrick.
The mine was a hive of underground activity, with multiple levels stacked vertically and connected by shafts and rises. In 1863, around 67 men and boys worked underground, in tough conditions with poor ventilation and exposure to carbonic acid gas.
The area is open access so you can see all the industrial past—shafts, spoil heaps, and the remnants of dressing floors. A stark reminder of Hurst's mining heritage.
The location of this and nearby sites are marked on the Buddlepit Mine Database.
Queen's Level Miners
The following people from our tree worked underground at Queen's Level in 1863. Some were boys as young as 11.
There were about 67 in total underground workers and more, some women, working on the surface. The men had to buy their own candles from the mine owner who made about 30% profit on the sales!
| Name | Lifespan | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Francis Alsop | b. Abt 1825 | ~38 |
| Nicholas Alsop | b. 1827, d. 1875 | ~36 |
| Edward Brown | b. Abt 1830 | ~33 |
| John Brown | b. Abt 1833 | ~30 |
| James Clemison | b. Abt 1834 | ~29 |
| George Dolphin | b. Abt 1845 | ~18 |
| John Dolphin | b. Abt 1841, d. 1889 | ~22 |
| George Frankland | b. Abt 1824 | ~39 |
| Henry Frankland | b. Abt 1848 | ~15 |
| James Frankland | b. Abt 1849 | ~14 |
| Thomas Frankland | b. Abt 1830 | ~33 |
| William Frankland | b. Abt 1847 | ~16 |
| George Garthwaite | b. Abt 1848 | ~15 |
| John Garthwaite | b. Abt 1845 | ~18 |
| Thomas Garthwaite | b. Abt 1816 | ~47 |
| Thomas Garthwaite | b. Abt 1842 | ~21 |
| William Garthwaite | b. Abt 1821 | ~42 |
| William Garthwaite | b. Abt 1839 | ~24 |
| John Blenkiron Hawkin | b. Abt 1846 | ~17 |
| John Haykin | b. Abt 1850 | ~13 |
| Nicholas Haykin | b. 1838, d. 1886 | ~25 |
| Edward Hillary | b. 1843 | ~20 |
| George Hillary | b. 1819, d. 12 Jan 1880 | ~44 |
| John Hillary | b. 1816, d. 26 May 1885 | ~47 |
| John Hillary | b. 20 Jun 1843, d. 14 Dec 1915 | 19 |
| Robert Hillary | b. 1828, d. 1898 | ~35 |
| Thomas Hillary | b. Abt 1833, d. Abt 1833 | ~30 |
| Thomas Hillary | b. 1834 | ~29 |
| Edward Hodgson | b. 1814, d. 1870 | ~49 |
| Edward Hodgson | b. Abt 1838 | ~25 |
| James Hodgson | b. Abt 1833 | ~30 |
| Thomas Hodgson | b. Abt 1837 | ~26 |
| Thomas Hodgson | b. Abt 1843 | ~20 |
| George March | b. Abt 1799 | ~64 |
| John March | b. Abt 1828 | ~35 |
| Moses March | b. Abt 1836, d. 1887 | ~27 |
| Christopher Robinson | b. Abt 1852 | ~11 |
| James Robinson | b. Abt 1821 | ~42 |
| Robert Robinson | b. Abt 1833 | ~30 |
| George Siddle | b. Abt 1840 | ~23 |
| John Siddle | b. Abt 1828 | ~35 |
| William Whitell | b. Abt 1807 | ~56 |