Cowpits Colliery - Cheque Coal Bill 2 August 1806
Explanation of Accounts

Output by Individual Colliers | Oncost Accounts

Explanation of the Cowpits Colliery Accounts

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.

Output of Coal by Individual Colliers :

This is an example of the details listed for each collier. Their daily output of great coal is shown for each day, and the total for the week also includes the seam and wood coal they produced.

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 oncost payments to those working in the No1 Six foot coal pit. For instance: 'Nanny Moffat 2/6' for bearing

See full transcript of oncost accounts

During the week ending 2 August 1806, money received from coal sales, payment of debts and house rents by colliers amounted to £189 11s 8d while expenses were £246 8 2d giving a loss that week of £56 16 6d.

Why did I choose 2 August 1806?
This week contains a very large number of 'Bounty' payments and loans of money to individual named colliers.

NOTE - 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 or text, the gap is shown by square brackets - [ ].

This Cowpits Colliery Ledger covering 1804-09 (Reference GD.377/374) is part of the Hope of Craighall collection (GD.377) at the National Archives of Scotland.