[21906] New Bolsover

New Bolsover, Derbyshire, 1891-1894.

These houses form part of the 'Model Village' built by the Bolsover Colliery Company to house its workforce, following enlightened Garden Suburb principles of planning and design.

Grade ll listed.

 

In 1890 the Bolsover Colliery Company Ltd sank Bolsover Colliery and in 1891 started construction of a Model Village at New Bolsover in the fields below the Castle. This was the first of a series of Model mining villages developed by the Company and the first “Model” mining village built on “garden city lines” in the country. Mr JP Houfton, the Managing Director, was quoted in the Times in 1913 as saying “the Company have tried to make the lives of the workmen as pleasant as possible, and to give them such an interest in the place in which they live that they are content to spend their leisure in their own village”.

 

Emerson Bainbridge, the founder of Bolsover Colliery Company, had strong social views demonstrated in building the model village and the higher standard of living conditions and wages compared with other colliery villages. He even built an orphanage for the miners' children.

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Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge (1845-1911) was born at Newcastle on Tyne and educated at Doncaster and at Durham University. He was articled to mining engineering with the Marquis of Londonderry in Durham College. In 1870 he became manager of the Sheffield and Tinsley Collieries, and soon afterwards he was in charge of the Nunnery pits on behalf of the Duke of Norfolk. These were turned into a limited company in 1874, and he then became managing director with a controlling interest.

 

In 1889 Bainbridge obtained a lease from the Duke of Portland for the Tophard or Barnsley coal, under areas of land in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. He then founded the Bolsover Colliery Company to take over the lease, and to mine the coal. He was entirely responsible for the development of Bolsover with regard to both the colliery and the New Bolsover model village. Bainbridge was also interested in local railways, and held many directorships including the Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway, the Sheffield District Railway, New Hucknall Colliery, Yorkshire Engine Company and Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery. He was a great supporter of the project for an East to West railway from Sutton-on-Sea to Liverpool, of which only the eastern portion was completed He also supported the Sheffield Canal, and in 1889 lectured in the town on the possibility of bringing large vessels up the canal into Sheffield.

 

Bainbridge was known as a philanthropist. He provided money for the YMCA scheme at Sheffield, leading to the establishment of the Association Buildings Co. Ltd. and the headquarters buildings. In 1881 he entertained all the members at Chatsworth. He built and founded the Jeffie Bainbridge Home for Waifs and Strays at the corner of Norfolk Street and Surrey Street in Sheffield in memory of his wife, the building being opened by the Duke and Duchess of Portland.

 

At the 1895 general election Bainbridge was elected as Member of Parliament for Gainsborough, but lost the seat in 1900.

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