The things you come across when you're looking for something else. Mr Kingscote of the colliery was in a court case in 1840: Smith v Kingscote. It was another one about the development of the colliery, being damage to fields belonging to Mr Smith. The railroad to Amble was built over two of his fields, despite a shepherd warning them off!
One bit of interest is the evidence from a John Thurlow:
"Has lived a long time at Amble. The new colliery is in the township of Hauxley. At the end of the field in which the pit has been sunk there is a highway. To the north the high road leads to Amble Moor House. The two fields in question are in the township of Amble. About 43 years ago, there was a pit in Hauxley. It was worked by a gin. They conveyed their coals by the highway."
That would put it about 1797, if my maths is right. Don't we have an engraving of Radcliffe with a gin somewhere?
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