This, one of the larger collieries in the Rochdale-Oldham area, was sunk alongside the L&YR Oldham and Rochdale Branch by Evans, Barker & Co. around 1845. At first it worked the ‘Mountain Mine’ at a depth of 96 metres. This was probably the Upper Mountain, because the Lower Mountain was later worked at a depth of 296 metres. The colliery eventually had long banks of coke ovens.
The Oldham, Middleton & Rochdale Colliery Co. Ltd took Jubilee over in 1865 and by 1866 it was being linked with Park Colliery at Crompton Fold. The latter was closed soon afterwards. By 1883 Platt Bros & Co. Ltd were working Jubilee. They were an Oldham company of iron founders which made textile machinery. Between 1895 and 1930 Platts employed an annual average of 176 men worked underground at Jubilee, with 42 on the surface.
In the early 1920s an underground link was established with Platt’s Butterworth Hall Colliery at Milnrow, presumably to take its coal to Jubilee. The latter closed in April 1928. In was followed by Jubilee in 1932.
Sources:
- NMRS Records, Gazetteer of British Collieries
- Fanning, G. Oldham Coal (British Mining No.68, 2001)
- BT31/1163/2487C (1865) Oldham Middleton & Rochdale Coal Co. Ltd
