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	9492
	1780 - 1936
	Collection
	The collection comprises personal and business records relating to Cossham, collieries and lands
	Handel Cossham was born in Thornley on 31 March 1824. In 1848 he married Elizabeth Wethered and through a partnership with her family, began Parkfield Colliery at Pucklechurch in 1851. As a caring employer, Cossham also built houses and a school for his colliery workers at Parkfield. The partnership opened several other coal pits, initially under the name of Cossham and Wethered Ltd and from 1867, the Kingswood Coal and Iron Company Ltd. The business came under control of Handel Cossham and Charles S Wills after 1879 when the Kingswood and Parkfield Colliery Company Ltd was formed. In 1862, Handel Cossham built the British School in Thornbury, which remains today. The Cossham Hall, which was built as a Wesleyan chapel, was purchased and donated to Thornbury by Cossham in 1888. Cossham represented St Paul's ward on Bristol City Council as a Liberal during the 1860s. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament at Nottingham in 1866, at Dewsbury in 1868 and at Chippenham in 1874. He was Mayor of Bath from 1882 to 1885. At the 1885 general election he was elected Member of Parliament for the newly created Bristol East and retained the seat in 1886. In 1890, whilst in the library of the Houses of Parliament, Cossham was taken ill and died the following day. An estimated 30,000 people lined the streets on the day of his funeral. His estate amounted to £59,127. In 1900, his collieries were sold at auction for £61,000. The Cossham Memorial Hospital in Kingswood, Bristol is a memorial to Handel Cossham, who instructed in his will that his estate be used for the building of a hospital. Information taken from Wikipedia article about Handel Cossham
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Papers relating to collieries Memoir of Handel Cossham, MP The late Handel Cossham, Esq, MP - Sketch of his Life Life, Death and Funeral of Handel Cossham, Esq, MP Lectures delivered at the Bristol Mining School by Handel Cossham and others On the northern end of the Bristol Coal-fields - a paper read by Handel Cossham Prospectus of the Mangotsfield Collieries Company Limited Prospectus of Siston Hill Colliery Company Limited On the existence of the coal measures east and south of the Bristol Coalfields - a paper read before the Bristol Mining School, by Walter Saise Faults in the Bristol Coalfields and how caused; with special reference to lateral pressure - by Handel Cossham, coalowner A Survey of the Bristol Coal-Field embracing its mining industry and also its potential value to the Port of Bristol, by W Morgans, Bristol The Award of the Dean Forest Mining Commissioners .... as to the coal and iron mines in Her Majesty's Forest of Dean ... with preliminary observations.... by Thomas Sopwith Shackleford, Ford & Company Limited - Report of the "Committee of Investigation" A Rudimentary Treastise on Coal and Coal Mining, by Warington W Smyth The Law of Collieries: A handbook of the law and leading cases, edited by JC Fowler and D Lewis The Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Company Limited 1864-1914, by Thomas Powell Report of special meeting of shareholders of the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Company Limited Lydney District Collieries - Offer for sale of stock Lydney District Collieries - Plan Somerset Collieries Limited - Prospectus for issue of stock Report of the Royal Commission on the Coal Industry (1925) Volume I Miscellaneous papers and plans Handel Cossham's Diary or notebook relating to colliery matters Small pad notebook 11 plans, late 19th century, many marked with name of J Sherborne Miscellaneous papers Paper wrapping which contained 9492/16a-w inscribed "Maps, Plans and Reports on Parkfield, Coal Pit Heath and Mangotsfield Collieries; also Handel Cossham's Diary 1851-2-3" Certificate of Bristol Trade School granted to Hubert Cramer Monks Certificate of Bristol Mining School granted to Hubert Cramer Monks Envelope containing Certificate of Science and Art Department of the Committee of the Privy Council on Education granted to Hubert C Monks in mining subjects Bristol Trade & Mining Schools: List of Prizes and Certificates Bristol Savings Bank Book: Hubert Cramer Monks Bristol Savings Bank book: Jas. Green Craymer, coachmaker, Warmley 'In memoriam' card for Charles Monks 'In memoriam' cards for Ann Kerby (wife of Aquila P Monks) Small unidentified photograph of a lady Correspondence between HC Monks and FC Sadler respecting Tennis Court Colliery 'Some particulars of the Soundwell Collieries which John M Stone endorsed on an Ordnance Survey Map and some which he gave verbally to HC Monks in 1914' Copies from the Proceedings of the Chemical Engineering Group of the Society of Chemical Industry, Vol. 20, regarding spelter manufacture in the neighbourhood of Kingswood Cuttings from the "Financial News" regarding attempts to establish the South Parkfield Colliery Company by Richard Nokes Some rough notes regarding Bristol Coalfield 'Prices prepared by consultation with Mr Catley at his house in Golden Valley' Copy of Tithe Act 1891 (54 Vict. ch.8.) Blank forms of application for redemption of tithe rentcharge Plan of the North Branch Workings of Speedwell Colliery Plan of the North Branch, Speedwell Pit, Kingswood Colliery, Hubert C Monks Section of the Great Over-Thrust at the Kingswood Colliery, discovered 1884 Section of the Kingswood Seams Section showing the true position of the coal seams in the Kingswood District Section. Strata of Test Hole when boring for New Well Map of the Bristol Coalfields, Geologically surveyed by William Sanders Geological Survey of England & Wales. Sheet XXXV. 1866 with additions 1872 Map of the Environs of Bristol by Lavers & Co., Bristol Ordnance Survey Maps of the Coalfield area (scale 1/2500): Gloucestershire Sheet LXXIII.5 Ordnance Survey Maps of the Coalfield area (scale 1/2500): Gloucestershire Sheet LXXII.4&8, 2nd ed. Ordnance Survey Maps of the Coalfield area (scale 1/2500): Gloucestershire Sheet LXXII.12 Three Geological charts Aerial photographs of central Bristol Particulars and Conditions of Sale, including Collieries Houses and lands in Bitton and Mangotsfield Houses and lands etc. in Bitton, Mangotsfield and St George Arable and pasture lands and houses in Bitton Houses in Bedminster and lands in Bitton Houses and lands in Bitton and Mangotsfield Crown Colliery, Warmley, with mines, lands, houses Property in Siston and Mangotsfield Property in Keynsham, Hanham and Oldland Mayfield Park Estate, Fishponds Land at Warmley Hill, Grimsbury Road and Tennis Court Road, Kingswood Lansdown House and building land, Warmley Houses and lands at Parkwall, Willsbridge and Warmley, the estate of JJ Haskins, including Park Farm and Cidermill Farm Kingswood and Parkfield Collieries, 2nd edition Coalmines and property in Oldland - Plan Siston Court Estate, 2nd edition plans Oldland Collieries including minerals, plant and machinery - Plan Schedule of machinery and plant to be offered with the Oldland Collieries (at California Colliery, Cowhorn Hill Pit, Brook Pit and Cadbury Heath Colliery) Plans of freehold properties and ground rents at Kingswood Hill, the estate of Robert Churchill Building land at Two Mill Hill, St George Houses and lands at Kingswood Hill, the estate of John and Mary Haining and others Farm, lands, etc. at Kingswood - Plan Residence, lands, etc. in Warmley Hill, Madefor-Ever, and Hanham, Kingswood, the estate of George Fussell 'Bottoms Farm' in Wick and Absom - Plan Plan of Siston Hill Farm, the estate of William Boult and Rebecca Boult Cherry Orchard Farm - Plan Stoke Gifford Estate (70 lots) by direction of Duke of Beaufort 2 houses etc. at Mount Hill, Kingswood - Plan Residence and grounds in St George, pasture land in Kingswood, shop property in Staple Hill and St Philips, and shares in Bristol Butchers' Hide and Skin Company Limited Land and houses at Warmley Hill and Mount Hill, Kingswood - Plans Smallholding with house and land etc. at New Cheltenham, Kingswood Business properties and cottages in High Street, Wells Ashcombe Estate, including 9 dairy farms, lands, cottages, etc. Farm and lands in Pucklechurch and Mangotsfield. Hanham Court Farm and lands in Hanham Abbots - Plan Warmley House Estate including residence houses, cottages, small holding, brickworks, pottery, etc. Dairy farm with land, "Cann Farm", Wick - Plan Siston Hill Farm at Mangotsfield and pasture land at Siston Common - Plan Clutton Estate, including 12 farms, village properties, etc. By direction of Earl of Warwick Freehold property, including 2 residences and pasture land - Plan The Ashlands in Warmley, the estate of WW Douglas 308 Freehold rents out of properties in Knowle and Bedminster, also building land - Plan Estates in Brislington, Bishopsworth, Whitchurch and Bedminster (60 lots) Detached residence and gardens, pasture land and cottages at Kingswood and Warmley - Plan Detached residence, dwelling houses and pasture land at Kingswood & Warmley - Plan Shop, dwelling house and land at Warmley Tower and Cadbury Heath (12 lots) - Plans Enmore House, Court Road, Kingswood and building land and factory premises in Kingswood - Plan Market garden and building estate between Downend and Mangotsfield known as Stanbridge - Plan Wick Farm at Westerleigh near Downend - Plan Hill House Building Estate at Staple Hill - Plan Hanham Green Farm, Hanham - Plan A select collection of hymns to be universally sung in all the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapels