in the upper part of these measures, and in the lower part of them there are sometimes ironstone nodules, which are called either Lambstone[1] or Heathen coal stone.
16, 17, 18. (XVI) Heatgen Coal,[2] intermediate measures and (XVIL) Rubble Coal.—I take these two coals and their intermediate beds together, because I believe that the Rubble coal of the northern part of the district is the second or Lower Heathen of the southern part.
The Heathen or Upper Heathen coal is a very well marked bed over nearly the whole of the coal-field; it varies from 14 to 4 feet in thickness; its usual thickness being about 3 feet. Even as far north as the Brown Hills, in the deep pit of the Cathedral colliery, there is a coal which is called Heathen coal, and I believe rightly so called. It has there a thickness of 2 feet 6 inches.
In the district around Congreaves, Cradley, and south of Brierly Hill, there is always mentioned a second or Lower Heathen coal, about 2 feet thick, and from 10 to 20 feet below the first or upper Heathen coal. The beds between the two thicken to the south, and at Mr. King's pits at Netherend are 43 feet thick, chiefly sandstones: they thin out to the north, and about Corbyns Hall. Shut End, and Kingswinford they first of all thin to 1 foot, and then disappear altogether, the two Heathen coals then being considered one coal, and having a thickness of from 5 to 7 feet. Just on either side of Dudley there appears to be neither Lower Heathen nor Rubble coal, but from Tipton northwards around Bilston and thence to Wolverhampton, there is almost always a Rubble coal varying in thickness from 2 to 4 feet, and in depth below the Heathen, from 7 to 24 feet. The interposed materials contain always clunch and other argillaccous matters, and often some sandstone, which occasionally thickens out, and causes the variations in thickness between the two coals. I believe, therefore, that what is called Rubble coal in the district north of Dudley is the same bed with the Lower Heathen coal of the district south-west of Dudley. There is, however, no mention of any Rubble coal beneath the Heathen in the Deepfields sections, nor does it appear to exist in the Bentley district.
19. (I. 6.) Measures between the Heathen and Rubble coals and the New mine ironstone, containing at Bentley the ironstones known there as the Lambstone and Brownstone.—These beds, in the great majority of instances, wherever they are known, are composed of rock, peldon, and rock binds; that is to say, some variety of sandstone. Sometimes, however, they are said to consist more or less of binds, elunch, or clod, and in a few instances to be entirely composed of those argillaceous materials. Their thickness varies from 10 feet to upwards of 30 feet, the average and by far the most usual thickness being between 15 feet and 20 feet. In some cases, as at Baremoor in the Congreaves district, they contain ironstone, there called "Ballstone," as also at Coseley, Gornal, and in the Chillington field, in which latter place there are two courses of ironstone called "Bindstone."
- ↑ "Lambstone," I am inclined to suppose to be a corruption of "loam stone;" or it is perhaps another form of the same word, and ought to be written "lam."
- ↑ This is now the customary orthography of this word in the district. I have, however, seen it written "eathen." The presence or absence of the aspirate is of no account in the matter, as most of the colliers would speak of "a hegg." I believe, therefore, that this term is a corruption of "earthen" as in the case of the "broad heath," &c., mentioned before. Probably the coal when it was first got had an earthy quality or appearance. Mr. Keir, however, writes it "heathing" coal, and it may very well be derived from some obsolete word with which I am not acquainted.
