Dear List - Does anyone have any documentation, old photos, or anything related to Wheal Friendship & Wheal betsy Mines, Mary Tavy, Devon please?

Myself and others are considering putting together a publication on these mines. So far we have copies of almost all material in Exeter, Plymouth & Truro Record Offices, along with hundreds of newspaper reports, including the Mining Journals.

Anything relating to the water-power used, water-wheels etc would be very welcome. We have acquired a report on the water-wheels from archive.org along with an article on the incline shaft (Saturday Magazine).

Any assistance would be gratefully received, and recognition will obviously given in any publication that may be compiled.

Kindest regards Tin Miner

Tin Miner, my father was an Assistant Transmission Engineer for the CEGB in the 1960s and 1970s and in the course of his work was responsible for the switchgear and protection equipment at Mary Tavy, Morwellham and Chagford hydroelectric power stations. As you may be aware, and as he educated me, the common factor across these sites was their prenationalisation ownership by the West Devon Mining and Power Company, a subsidiary of Christy Brothers of Chelmsford who converted the mining leats, reservoirs, canal and tunnels to feed two of these sites. WDMP Co also held the associated mining rights at Wheal Betsy and Wheal Friendship in the 1930s among other sites and if you haven't done so, a search of the WDMP records may be instructive.

Kind regards,

Alec K

---

As you can see, I have uploaded four plates of Devon Wheal Friendship in the archive album. You may use these if you so wish

---

Alec - Many thanks for your input. We've already acquired the prospectus of the West Devon Electric Supply Co., Limited from The Times newspaper, along with other reports of that time.

If there's anything that you or your father could add verbally or copies of documents, photos etc we would be very grateful. Recognition would obviously be given in any publication.

Kindest regards Tin Miner

Spitfire - The 4 images you have uploaded under Wheal Friendship must be paintings of the mine with artistic license.

They're very good and clear. May I enquire the source of these paintings, and dates please.

To be honest I don't recognise anything in the photos that I could relate to the area today.

Kindest regards Tin Miner

I think I have a letterhead from Wheal Friendship, I will look when I get back from holiday next week. Also try the London Gazette archives there are several legal notices as long as they are the " right " Wheal Friendship that is!!.

---

I have no idea from where they come from as they have been in the family longer than I have. :lol:
All I can say is they are titled: Engine shaft, Ventilation shaft,
Mill site and General view of Wheal Friendship ( Devon )
All of them have Wheal Friendship Mary Tavy on the back.
I agree with your comment on artistic license

---

Mike - Many thanks for your suggestion - Have copied all the legal notices of the London Gazettes.

Kindest regards Tin Miner

Spitfire - Many thanks for your reply. They're very interesting as in the amount of detail they contain. I would hazard a guess of a period of between 1790 to 1820 unless you can shed any light on the period.

Would it be possible to acquire your name please for our records so that if we use those photos in our publication we can credit you by name, unless you would prefer a pseudonym? You may send your name/pseudonym private if you so wish

Kindest regards Tin Miner

It might pay to put a reference on the forum about the London Gazette archives , I think there is a lot of interesting stuff on it!!, I found it by accident while doing some research for work.

---

Hi Spitfire -

Tried to send you a 'Private Message' but for some unknown reason it has lodged itself in my 'Out box'

Many thanks for your assistance in my research of mines of Mary Tavy district. I have acquired an article that includes a reasonable picture of the incline of Wheal Friendship from the 'Saturday Magazine' off archive.org.

If you have a better one... I would like to see it please. If you wish to email me better copies of the Friendship pictures please do. I'll contact you before anything is put into print so that you can approve or disapprove of the pictures etc.

my email address is:

[email protected]

Thank you for your time and effort to assist me in my research, kindest regards Tin Miner

In Mary Tavy, near Tavistock, is in clay slate and worked to a depth of 200 fathoms entirely by water power; for this and the adjoining mine Wheal Betsy, a fall of water of 526ft in height is employed in giving motion to seventeen overshot wheels; eight of them performing the duties of pumping from a depth of 200 fathoms; the dia' of the largest of these being 51ft with a breast of 10ft within the rings; the smallest of the eight being 32ft. Four other wheels give motion to machines drawing up the ores to surface, their dia' ranging from 40 to 26ft; and the five remaining are employed in mills for crushing and stamping the ores. In addition to all this power, a steam engine, with a cylinder of 80" cylinder and 10ft stroke, is provided in case of drought or frost. The principal workings are at the 150 level east of engine shaft 160 level west; the 128 at Brentons shaft and the 70 and 80 driving east
They sold in the year ending 31rst Dec' 1841 tin & copper to the value of £31,836 9s 2d leaving a profit of £4893 2s 9d 150 persons are employed.
Description of mine 1841 Mining pamphlets pub 1876
I hope this is of some help

---

Temperatures in Wheal Friendly 1843
Eastern cross course moderate stream 47f level 55deg'
" " " two large streams 75f level 54deg'
" " " moderate stream 115f level 64deg'
Large stream off lode " " 60deg'
Small stream off lode 135f " 691/2 deg
Drawn to grass by engine from 135f 62deg'

Source RGS Vol 5
PS I have uploaded picture of incline shaft.

---

Wheal Betsy 1841
Is 110f deep worked by water power and returning 45 tons of lead per month. she is barely paying expenses. The amount of ore sold in 12 monthe end 31rst Dec 1841 was 663 tons 2 qrs for £ 7,207 3s 9d whereas the cost for working amounted to
£7,196 9s 2d

---

Tin Miner, through no fault at all of your own, you're a little too late to access the recollections of Christy Brothers employees, sadly, as most if not all may have passed away. My father died over a decade ago, and the 'Christy Men' at Mary Tavy and Morwellham were approaching retirement age when he was working on the 33kv switchgear and protection. As a youngster, I was fortunate to meet Bruce White and 'Dynamite' Frank Clarke, both of whom were then employed by the CEGB and resident in former WDESCo houses. You referred only to WDESCo in your reply, but that Christy Brothers offshoot is only part of the story as I indicated initially - you really have to unearth the West Devon Mining and Power Company, formed by Christy Brothers as I understood it to secure the watercourses and mineral rights, including those to Wheal Jewell and Wheal Friendship/Wheal Betsy. Through this route, it came to pass that the late Fred Jackman, Superintendant of Mary Tavy Power Station in CEGB days, actually had responsibility for Wheal Betsy Engine House. I do remember from research of my own years ago that WDMPCo's registered offices were on the first floor of 4 West Street, Tavistock. I got no closer to WDMPCo than that - but access to archives was not as easy in 1966 as it is now!

You may wish to enquire in Tavistock or Mary Tavy whether there are any relatives of former 'Christy Men' who would be able to assist you - it's a pretty unique story.

Kind regards

Alec K

---

Tin Miner, two relevant contacts for you:

South Western Electricity Historical Society
www.swehs.co.uk
This website is a wonderful source of information on the industrial history of electricity generation and transmission in the SW region. In their archives is, I am pretty sure, a history of the installations and companies created by Christy Brothers. I suggest you contact the SWEHS Archivist via the website.

South West Water
SWW's Hydro Manager Steve Cryer gave a detailed presentation to the Dartmoor Association a few years ago on the Mary Tavy, Morwellham and Chagford power stations as are now vested in the water supplier rather than one of the energy companies. It may be a good idea to check with SWW to see if Mr Cryer is still in post with them.

Kind regards,

Alec

---

Also try chapter 4 of British Mining no 44 (one of the best ever!) MINES OF DARTMOOR AND THE TAMAR VALLEY AFTER 1913.... BY P.H.G RICHARDSON... lots of later stuff and maps!
This is a magic publication!

---

Dear Alec & Iclok

Alec:
From my understandings ‘Christy Brothers & Co., Ltd.’ was a subsidiary company who undertook all the required work in erecting buildings, laying pipes, cable etc. If you would like an electronic copy of the prospectus I can email it as I’ve transcribed it from The Times newspaper (Wed. 15 Nov. 1933). Please email me on [email protected] with your request.

Thanks for the two contacts, although Steve Cryer is no longer there (I know him well). I’ve tried unsuccessfully to contact the new manager at Mary Tavy Power Station. Regarding the Dartmoor Association; is it possible that this was the Dartmoor Society? If so, I maybe able to contact their Chairman when he returns from holiday.


Iclok:
Thanks for your input – Have got that book, along with permission to use any of the photos as P.H.G. Richardson is a life-long member of the DTRG.

Your photo with the double flat-rods in the hedge… Would you be so kind at to let me know exactly where these are sited, as I would like to record them, that’s if it’s not too late already.

Many thanks to you both for your input, kindest regards Tin Miner.

Tin Miner,

I would urge you to contact the SWEHS as their archives may lead you to a different conclusion about the Christy Brothers 'empire'. They installed the 33kv overhead, for example, from the Tavistock area to North Devon, and owned a number of small generating companies, including the ill-fated hydro plant at Lynton, that was later swept away in the flood disaster there.

All the best

Alec K

---

The flat rod ends are all but impossible to find having tried some 5 weeks ago, I gave up as was limited on time doing a whistle stop tour of this and other sites nearby.... All are deteriorating very quickly!!!! The rods are somewhere just inside the fence adjacent to the overgrown arsenic works in the valley bottom! I'll just get you a snap shot with were they are off GE. By the way the wheelpit with the Flat rod crank end is also now almost impassable to get to due to gorse which almost hides the wheelpit so please if anyone is exploring that area take great care as there are some nasty drops and open pits.

---