Wigan Album
Bickershaw colliery
8 Comments
Photo: Rev David Long
Item #: 23800
The miniature was made by a worker at Bickershaw who turned them out for his workmates. The centre circle is probably a blank pay-check - perhaps from pre-nationalisation days, as they were usually stamped NCB afterwards.
The Protector Lamp Company are/where still going a few years ago. I went there to buy a spare glass for a lamp I have
my dad has lots of lamps like these, he was in charge of the lamp room at Parsonage pit
The intricacy of opening up the lamp, and the reassembling of it, is quite a little puzzle, to anyone unfamiliar with the lamp. A special gauze separated the flame from the outside methane gas, but ignited the gas that infiltrated through the gauze, into the confines of the gauze, alerting the miner to the presence of gas. It was really an ingenious, and fool proof safety device. Invented by Sir Humphry Davy, in 1815/16.
I have a similar lamp to this which I bought in 1975. It cost me £17.00 then. I also have an ancient lamp from Blundells Colliery and the glass is identical to the one in the modern lamp.The modern lamp is so constructed that if it is unlocked and an attempt is made to open it, the flame is extinguished before it can be opened.
My neighbour told me that when he bought it new from the makers it cost him £27.
This lamp is the same as the Deputies carried - it had a mechanism whereby it could be relit by the holder if it went out. Ordinary pitmen's lamps could not be relit by the men themselves - they had to go to a dedicated underground station where it would be relit for them. This was to prevent them relighting them in a gaseous atmosphere where they might cause an explosion.
Once battery-powered lamps came into use these lamps were only carried as gas-warning instruments, rather than as lamps to work by. Apart from the Deputies, there would usually be only one man on a face who would have one - and the men in the headings, where there was probably the greatest risk, would also carry one. The only time I handled one underground was when I was working with the surveyors - holding it at a given height to enable them to take their readings.
Has anyone seen one of these Lamps Made in Wigan. by Naylors I have a relative who worked there and claims they are now a rare momento.
Yep lamps made by Naylor's are quire collectable I've seen them sell for £50+
I Googled the Protector Lamp Co. - this lamp now costs £300+VAT - and the glass alone is £22.40+VAT !
From the prices on the parts list I'd guess it would cost a hundred quid to put this one back into commission - new seals, flints, etc..