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Coal mining footerill near Red Street, Chesterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme

 

Coal mining footerill near Red Street, Chesterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Coal mining footerill near Red Street, Chesterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme

photo: Ken & Joan Davis - mid 1960's

 

Coal mining in this area has been carried out since Roman times. 

The area around Red Street (itself a Roman name) has had large, deep mines such as Holditch [Brymbo] and Parkhouse. 

It has also had a lot of much smaller Bell pits and Footerills (Foot rails) such as this one.

 

 

Red Street, Wolstanton, Staffordshire.

Simeon Shaw says that a hundred years before the time of Dr Plot's visit to Staffordshire (i.e. about 1577 the potters of Red Street were producing 'considerable quantities of all kinds of vessels then used' (History of the Staffordshire Potteries, 1829).

During the eighteenth century the potters of Red Street, Elijah Mayer (who perished near Ulverston) and Moss 'fabricated greater quantities of pottery than any others of the whole district'. Probably the stabilising of the cream-coloured earthenware body killed the trade in the Red Street country crockery. 

The Moss family were the last in Red Street to make crockery, but abandoned it about 1845 for bricks and tiles which they had been making from the eighteenth century. 

Thomas and Henshall Moss are listed as early as 1796 as manufacturers of earthenware, bricks and tiles. 
Henshall Moss also kept the 'Wheat Sheaf' in Red Street. He died in 1833 at the age of 78 (Staffordshire Advertiser, 3 March 1833) and was succeeded by other persons of the same name who made bricks and farmed land in this area until 1889 or later.
Richard Moss made earthenware and Egyptian black at Red Street where he also kept the 'Crown Inn' in 1834. He died in 1847 aged 64 (Staffordshire Advertiser, 4 November 1847).

Samuel Riles, potter, occupied a potworks in Red Street until 1815 when it was offered for sale (Staffordshire Advertiser, 11 February 1815). It was stated to be 'on the line of a road which cannot fail to command and ensure an excellent ready Money Retail Trade from Travellers'. This factory was probably taken over by Benjamin Myatt who is recorded here in 1818.

Staffordshire Advertiser;  Directories;  Simon Shaw - History of the Staffordshire Potteries, 1829; Mankowitz & Hagger – English Pottery & Porcelain.

 

c.1890 map of the Red Street area
c.1890 map of the Red Street area 

 


Google map (2010) of the same area
many roads and features can be located on both maps
Dean's lane is highlighted in red

 


contents: 2010 photos