Public appeal after former miner’s tag found at Brinsley Headstocks site

The miners tag found at the historic Brinsley Headstocks site.
By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter

A public appeal has been launched to uncover the history behind a miner’s tag discovered during the restoration of the Brinsley Headstocks site.

The tag was discovered in the dirt by a dog walker on October 3, who found it because of the ongoing improvement works at the heritage site.

Little is known about who the tag belonged to, but the chair of the Friends of Brinsley Headstocks group is hoping for the public’s help.

Ken Hamilton, who chairs the group, said: “If anyone’s got any information regarding that tag, who it might belong to, it would be very helpful to us.

“I’m going to do further investigations.”

Kennith Hamilton, Chair of Friends of Brinsley Headstocks, hopes the public may be able to help trace the tag’s history.

Tags were used in mines to keep track of people who had used the shaft to go underground and in the event of an accident.

The Brinsley tag was discovered by 37-year-old dog walker James Rogers, who’s also supporting the campaign to track down its original owner.

He said: “I noticed they were doing work on the nature reserves, I saw the old footings and I kicked around I came across this thing.

“I just saw this hole in the top of it, I gave it a clean and there it was.”

James is from a family of miners, with his father Alan, and his grandfather and his great-grandfather, all working in the pits.

He added: “I rang my dad, and he was saying he has his old tags, he had his grandad’s old tags, too – so it was nice.”

James Rogers with his father, Alan, at Brinsley Headstocks.

James said he’s tried to track down its original owner but is having no luck with the records at Brinsley Colliery.

He also said there could have been alterations to it, since it was first used.

“It looks like it’s been struck or [it could have been] reissued to give to another miner – maybe no one had that tag,” he added.

The Brinsley Headstocks site is currently under a revamp project which was first approved by Broxtowe Borough Council in July.

That decision allowed the full wooden replacement of the headstocks, costing up to £220,000.

It followed the old wooden structure – which dates back to the 1800s, being deemed as unsafe after inspections.

A wildflower meadow and a memorial orchard to remember the 27 miners who died in the Colliery are currently in the works.

Two mine shafts were rediscovered at the site about two weeks ago using old maps.

One is understood to be located underneath the planned remembrance orchard patch.

The discovery is not expected to delay the rebuilding of the headstocks but might delay the orchard, with investigations needed to assess whether the tunnels are capped off.