These letters and map are from the Gloucester archives. They are about a dispute that took place in the 1860s between the owners of Darkhill Endeavour and Darkhill Colleries over the boundaries of their gales. One of the signatories of the letter was Thomas Constant from Noxon Farm and the other was George Atkinson from Perrygrove Farm. The letter appears to have been drawn up at Perrygrove, which is just outside Coleford.
Here is an attempt to transcribe them.
Perrygrove
October 6 1868,
Dear Sir,
Mr W James of Bream has told me that you ignore the arrangement partially entered into between yourself and Mr James and Titanic Steel and Iron Co. to working the Darkhiill Endurance and Darkhill deep levels as to avoid any dispute arising out of a trespass committed by your former lessee and the consequent damage and injury done to the workings of the Darkhill deep level and that you have given him (Mr James) instructions to work the coal 65 yards to the side from your level road.
This I beg to say is at least about 20 yds further than the arrangement to referred to will give you. I wish therefore to know positively from your stance whether you intend to abide by the former boundary as set by me on your joint requests or intend to claim as you say 65 yds as I must in the latter case report this affair to the Titanic Steel Company that they may take their own course in the matter. I wished the affair settled amicably and thought that you had agreed to it previously (?) the Titanic Co to this effect.
Thomas Constant, George Atkinson and others.
The Constants were free miners who mined coal and iron ore in Noxon Park and elsewhere. They were also tenants of Noxon Farm near Bream which was owned by the Clearwell Estate before it was bought by the Crown in 1919. The Constants held the tenancy of Noxon farm from about 1650 until 1869. The tenancy of Noxon Farm was held by Israel Constant (1741-1790) and then by his son John Constant (1771-1851). After the death of John Constant his son, Thomas Constant (1820-1869), inherited the tenancy.
In the 1770/80s Israel Constant and Joseph Constant worked a pit called New Work in Noxon Park. In the 1790s, Israel Constant mined coal with others in Noxon Park at levels called Dog Kennel and Merry Way.
When Israel’s son John Constant registered as a free miner in 1838, he was mining coal at Nags Head and Stoning Stile Level. In 1841, he was mining Endeavour Level at Dark Hill and Drybrook Folly level. There is no record of Thomas Constant registering as a free miner.
George Atkinson was a mining engineer and colliery owner from Wallsend near Newcastle upon Tyne.