Carters and coal holes

[Guest MadSnail]

I was doing a bit of family history research and found that in 1851 my great-great-grandfather, William Green, was a coal dealer in Netherthorpe. I took this to mean that he would have used a horse and dray to carry bags of coal from one of the Sheffield collieries to houses in his trading area. It struck me that, since Sheffield, like Rome, is built on seven hills, the poor old horse would have had a bugger of a job once it got away from the level suburbs by the Don.

I can vaguely remember "coal holes" and chutes going from the pavement to the cellar, but I can't remember much about horse-drawn stuff (except for the rag-and-bone man).

I'd be interested in comments from anyone else who has looked into the subject.

[dunsbyowl1867]

I was doing a bit of family history research and found that in 1851 my great-great-grandfather, William Green, was a coal dealer in Netherthorpe. I took this to mean that he would have used a horse and dray to carry bags of coal from one of the Sheffield collieries to houses in his trading area. It struck me that, since Sheffield, like Rome, is built on seven hills, the poor old horse would have had a bugger of a job once it got away from the level suburbs by the Don.

I can vaguely remember "coal holes" and chutes going from the pavement to the cellar, but I can't remember much about horse-drawn stuff (except for the rag-and-bone man).

I'd be interested in comments from anyone else who has looked into the subject.

My grandparents had a grate at the front of their house on Jenkin Road, Brightside. That was inded a bugger of a hill! The coalman would come and tip the coal straight into their cellar through the opened grate. The cellar was a spooky place. After the houses were demolished it was quite sad to see the coal grates still there in the pavements.

My great grandad was a carter and lived on Hawke street. Luckily he had a clever horse who when after a session, my G-Grandad was in his "cups", the horse would make its own way home whether he was conscious or not!

[Guest skeets]

HI, I can recall living at4 houses that had coal chutes, [coyle olyes] the coal grate had a ring on the inner side, with a chain that was hooked to the wall of the cellar,these grates were fitted in a rebate, in a large slab of stone, in my early days we lads used to earn a penny or so[ if the person had lost or misplaced their key] by squeezing down into the cellar chute and up into the house to let them in that is if the gratechain was off, which most were, even if this chain was on with countless bags of coal hitting the stone slab the rebate was worn away so with a bit of [jiggerling theres an old Sheff; saying] we were able to get down the chute, these grates were used for other things like throwing at shop windows and such like, l remember a bloke on our street being locked out, blind drunk, throwing one though the window and climbing in, he was not in a position to do it again for along time, as l recall, even when people advanced? to the estates, with a coal store at the side under the stairs it was still called the[coyle oyle] Happy days Skeets

[dunsbyowl1867]

I was doing a bit of family history research and found that in 1851 my great-great-grandfather, William Green, was a coal dealer in Netherthorpe. I took this to mean that he would have used a horse and dray to carry bags of coal from one of the Sheffield collieries to houses in his trading area. It struck me that, since Sheffield, like Rome, is built on seven hills, the poor old horse would have had a bugger of a job once it got away from the level suburbs by the Don.

I can vaguely remember "coal holes" and chutes going from the pavement to the cellar, but I can't remember much about horse-drawn stuff (except for the rag-and-bone man).

I'd be interested in comments from anyone else who has looked into the subject.

From a scrapbook of NE Sheffield History pub 1983

Hope this of interest?

[SteveHB]

In the area I was born all the houses had a cellar grate, what we and most other neighbors did, was to lift the grate

wrap some sacking or canvas round it and then put it back in place.

It helped to stop drafts blowing up the cellar steps.

I came across these today on Priestley St, S2.

This large grate was the type most often seen on shop fronts or the larger houses.

[dunsbyowl1867]

In the area I was born all the houses had a cellar grate, what we and most other neighbors did, was to lift the grate

wrap some sacking or canvas round it and then put it back in place.

It helped to stop drafts blowing up the cellar steps.

I came across these today on Priestley St, S2.

This large grate was the type most often seen on shop fronts or the larger houses.

Slightly different design - Owler Lane

[ukelele lady]

Slightly different design - Owler Lane

I know of some that when locked out use to lift the celler gate and slide down into the celler,

up the steps and into the kitchen.

Also my mother use to talk of the " celler grate gang" apparently they use to fight with them.

I can sing and play the old George Formby song Down the Old Coal Hole, very funny lyrics. lol