The Marland Family

Marland places: Bower Pit

One of at least two coal pits known to have been owned and managed by members of the Marland family, the site of Bower now lies under the M60 motorway, near to the Rochdale Canal. The family home is now the Bower Hotel.

The brief history below is condensed from John Berry's account of his forebears, "The Marlands and The Bower". The photographs were kindly supplied by Geoff Marland.

The Marlands and The Bower

The story of the Bower Pit in Hollinwood is the story of the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of James Marland and Betty Marland (nee Buckley). For some members of this extended family, the ownership of the Bower brought considerable wealth. For others it brought simply a job working in the same pit.

James Marland was born in about 1783; his life as a Collier at Hurst followed the pattern of several generations of Marlands before him in both occupation and location. Of the five sons of James and Betty, the four living in Hurst Nook, Ashton under Lyne, were Coal Miners.

By 1851 all had moved away from Hurst Nook but continued to be Coal Miners. John Marland died in 1854; all his five sons worked at the Bower but were never owners. Jonathan Marland, the second son, sailed to Australia in 1856. Robert Marland and James Marland (and perhaps William Marland) also went to Australia, but returned to England by 1860.

Gerry Fanning of Oldham is producing a history of mining in the Oldham area. He has found that, for at least the period 1858 to 1866 the Honeywell Lane Colliery (also known as the Cross Colliery) was owned by Booth, Marland & Co. Since the colliery was at the junction of Honeywell Lane and Broadway Lane, it must be assumed that James and William were owners. In addition, the Oldham Times report of 30th March 1861 shows Booth, Marland & Co. taking ownership of the Bower Lane Colliery, Hollinwood. However, a different mine record for 1861 shows the proprietors of Bower Colliery as Marlands, Bailey and Booth.

It appears that James, William and Robert had acquired sufficient capital by the late 1850s to invest in the Bower in the early 1860s. Having only just acquired the Bower, they had not moved to Hollinwood and Failsworth by April 1861. James lived at Bower Lane in 1863 (according to the Burgess Roll) and was at The Firs, Ashton in an 1871 Directory and when he died in 1872. In addition, his eldest son John had three sons born in the Oldham area in the 1860s and was probably at The Grange, Hollins. I suspect that they were all still involved in the Bower in 1871. His fourth son Robert is described as a Colliery Proprietor, presumably of the Bower.

The second son of James and Betty, William Marland, lived close to the Bower at Olive House and was a Colliery Proprietor. However, his eldest son is described as a Colliery Manager there.

The references to James. William and Robert Marland as owners of the Bower Pit continue until at least 1883. becoming W and R Marland by 1889. James Marland died on 12th July 1872 and was buried at St Margaret's Hollinwood; in his will his executors were his sons John, Robert and James, all described as Colliery Proprietors. The success of the Bower is indicated by the fact that he left a sum of just under £14,000. Following his death, there is evidence that his sons sold their interest in the Bower to William and/or Robert with three of them (Robert, James and Jonas) going to New Zealand (Oldham Evening Express) and the fourth using his inheritance to buy a mine in Llandaff, South Wales (1881 Census).

The Bower Pit prospered. The wealth of the owners increased and the numbers working in the pit climbed to nearly 300. Of the two remaining brothers who had seen the Bower grow from 1861, Robert Marland was the first to die. His death on Boxing Day 1890 is described in the Oldham Chronicle. Although the article describes him living at Earnshaw House, Chadderton, his will refers to Henshaw Lane House. Hollinwood. He left £127,793.9s.1d with his sons Robert and William (both described as Colliery Proprietors of Henshaw Lane House) as executors. Ironically his son William did not enjoy his inheritance, dying only 6 months later at Earnshaw Lane House and leaving £24,412.14s.7d

The second original owner, William Marland, died in 1899. He lived at Olive House, Failsworth (though the Bower Colliery Chadderton is also referred to in his will) and left £62,675.19s.6d. His executors included his son Amos, who died in 1915, and Amos's wife in 1917. Both lived at Olive House and both included an executor George Collett, Cotton Spinner.

Ironically it was George Collett who was to end the story of the wealth created by the Bower and to leave a sum of £600.000 many years later.

Of John Marland's family, who worked in the Bower but never owned it, in 1900 John (a son of John Marland) died at 384 Hollins Road, Hollinwood leaving £1,550 (still a considerable sum) and in 1906 Robert (the youngest son of John Marland) died as an Engine Minder at 61 Bower Lane, Hollinwood leaving £290.2s.0d.

The only Marland to die at the Bower was Joshua (another son of John Marland) who was injured on 11th January 1887 and died 11 days later "aged 44, night fireman, injured by a fall of stone from the side of a gig-brow". He was buried in St Johns Failsworth.

The Bower Colliery closed in 1922.

John Berry June 2001

This photograph below shows the mine's workers. The man towards the left in the bowler hat is said to William Marland, the owner. If so, it dates from before 1899, the date on his grave.

The picture below is presumed to be a photograph of members of the Marland family from Bower, but a firm identification would be welcome.