Explanation of Colliery Accounts | Output by Individual Colliers
Explanation of payments made to colliers and 'oncost payments'
The weekly accounts consisted of two separate parts. First the payments to colliers for the coal produced, then all the other expenses (known as 'Oncost') incurred in running the colliery.
During the week ending 29 August 1812, money received from coal sales, payment of debts and house rents by colliers amounted to £284 2s 4d while expenses were £298 14s 4d giving a loss of £13 1s.
Output of Coal by Individual Colliers:
This is an example of the 'Cheque Coal Bill' . The daily output of 'great coal' for each collier, is recorded separately each day, and the total for the week of all types of coal (great, seam and wood) is also included.
See full details of the output of coal by individual colliers
Oncost Payments
All payments made in running the coalworks except those to colliers for coal produced, are called 'oncost'. These payments have been recorded in detail on the opposite page from the one showing the output by colliers and summary of coal sales.
Part of the page showing coal sold, colliers debts and part of the payments for No.1 Pit.
See full transcript of oncost accounts
Why did I choose 29 August 1812?
Soon after Archibald Hope leased the coalworks in 1808, there was a drop in production and just a few colliers were employed; possibly due to flooding? Over the next few years more colliers were taken on. The example from 1812 is when the number was near it's peak. That week there were also a large number of 'bounty' payments to named colliers in the oncost accounts.
Most pages in the ledger are written with a very fine nib and are extremely difficult to see on a photocopy (I have manipulated the illustrations above extensively with grahics software to make them readable).
In places where I have been unable to read a name, the gap is shown by square brackets - [ ].
This Sheriffhall Colliery Account Book (Reference GD.377/379) covering 1808-15 is part of the Hope of Craighall collection (GD.377) at the National Archives of Scotland
Explanation of Accounts | Output by Individual Colliers