​The West Cumberland Ore Boom: A Study of Montreal Mine

The Montreal iron-ore mines in Moor Row were developed in the mid-19th century, evolving into a vast mining complex by the late 1800s. Operated by the Stirling family, the "Montreal" group consisted of several numbered pits opened from the 1860s onwards. These workings were the lifeblood of the village, creating a unique landscape where multiple shafts lifted ore from directly beneath the residential streets.

Most of the Montreal pits utilised a combination of open-cast and deep-shaft methods. While many shafts operated simultaneously, the entire complex largely ceased production by 1925. 

In total, about six main shafts operated under the village. All the Montreal pits used both open-cast and deep-shaft methods – at its peak Moor Row had multiple shafts lifting ore right within the village.

  • Montreal No.1 Pit (Montreal Mine): Opened 1862, closed 1925.
  • Montreal No.3 Pit: Active by late 19th C; closed 1925.
  • Montreal No.4 Pit: Similar timeline, closed by 1925.
  • Montreal No.5 Pit: Late-19th C start; closed 1925.
  • Montreal No.9 and No.12 Pits: Also operated into the early 1900s.

Other shafts: (Moor Row Pit Nos. 1–6, 8, etc., existed under various companies; Moor Row Pit No.6, for example, was known as Postlethwaite’s Mine from 1874–1925).

🔍 Archive Deep Dive

To understand the geological complexities and the operational legacy of the Montreal Iron Ore Works, explore the specific analysis of Montreal Pit Number 4. This study examines the unique haematite deposits and the engineering challenges faced during the late 19th-century expansion that established Moor Row as a pivotal hub in West Cumberland’s mining history.

Ownership and Management

​Throughout the 19th century, the mines were synonymous with the Stirling family.

  • ​John Stirling (1820–1907): A prominent industrialist who founded the Montreal group in the 1860s.
  • William Stirling: John’s son, who took over active management by 1870 and ran the operation until the early 20th century.

​While the Dalzell family originally owned the land, the mining rights were leased to the Stirling company. Following William Stirling’s death, the mines were managed by trustees until their final abandonment in the mid-1920s.

Newspaper and mining-register accounts list the Stirling name on mining leases at Moor Row up to WWI. In practice each pit had a mine “captain” and engineers on site, but the Stirling firm provided overall finance and management. 

(After William Stirling’s death the mines were run by trustees until final closure.)

Work and Working Conditions

Miner crews in Montreal mines worked long hours underground in difficult conditions. The ore was hauled from the depths by steam engines, winchmen and pony-gins; both open cuts and deep shaft workings were employed. 

Men and boys handled heavy kidney ore by hand and primitive rail wagons. Conditions were damp, cold, and poorly lit by today’s standards. Safety was minimal – roof timbers were scant and pumped water constantly. A geological survey notes that haematite ore roofs were brittle, so falls of rock were the chief danger. 

Unlike coal pits, there was little firedamp, so gas explosions were rare, but roof collapses were common. For example, 13 men died at the nearby Sir John Walsh iron mine between 1859–1904 – almost all from sudden roof falls. 

Contemporary reports also record individual fatalities at the Montreal shafts (e.g. in 1891 a miner died underground at Moor Row).

In sum, miners accepted high risks for steady work; wages were low by modern standards and there were virtually no other jobs in the region, so entire families – including young boys as “trappers” – were drawn to the pits.

Major Accidents and Incidents

The Montreal mines were noted for a few serious incidents. Aside from routine roof-falls, one notable event (at Cleator Moor’s Montreal Colliery) occurred in November 1894 when an overwinding accident at No.5 pit broke a water barrel, injuring two miners. 

At Moor Row itself, newspapers of the era mention mining fatalities (e.g. James Higgins, 1891) and minor rescues, reflecting the constant hazards. However, iron-ore shafts generally had fewer mass-casualty events than contemporary coal mines.

Nevertheless, the threat of sudden collapse was ever-present; the scarcity of alternative work meant miners often toiled without complaint despite the dangers

Production and Output

By the late 19th century Montreal was Moor Row’s dominant industry. At its height the Montreal mines produced about 250,000 tons of haematite per year, making it the largest mine in the Whitehaven/Furness region after Hodbarrow.

Over the 19th century the Montreal pits supplied ironworks in Cumberland and beyond with “kidney ore” needed for steel. In total several million tons were extracted; for instance, Stirlings’ records (for their Cleator Moor Montreal Colliery) report ~2.3 million tons in the 1870s alone.

By the 1890s output was declining but still substantial. Up to 1,000–1,200 men worked in the Moor Row pits in peak years. 

These employees included many local villagers and numerous recent immigrants. In particular, by the 1870s large numbers of Cornish miners had moved into Moor Row to work the ore fields – so many that one new street was even named Penzance Street in their honour. 

The mining economy drove Moor Row’s demographics and housing: by 1891 the village had roughly 291 households (≈1,200 people) packed along streets like Dalzell and Church Street.

Moor Row’s Growth and Community

Before mining, Moor Row was little more than scattered farms (“Low Moor Row” and “High Moor Row” on estate maps). The village grew rapidly once iron ore was discovered. Moor Row owes its existence to the 19th‑century iron ore boom.

From around 1859 onward, the company built miners’ cottages along new streets. Dalzell Street was named after the local Dalzell landowner family.

By the 1870s–1880s whole rows of housing (e.g. Penzance Street, Fisher’s Court) appeared. The railway junction (Whitehaven Cleator Egremont line, opened 1855) further anchored Moor Row as a mining settlement. 

Schools, chapels and shops sprang up to serve the boom; at one point nearly every street had a mine shaft beneath it. In short, the iron industry created the village: streets, pubs, a school and even a cricket field emerged in direct response to the mining population. 

Economic & Social Impact After Closure

After 1925 the Montreal mines declined and finally closed, and Moor Row’s economy unraveled. Without the pits, local jobs vanished. 

By mid-20th century most shops, small businesses and railway services had gone. Suburban growth was a corollary to the destruction of local amenities – today only a school and a working-men’s club remain of the once-thriving village economy.

Many families moved away or took commutes to new industries. The physical legacy of mining also affected the village long-term. 

When the pumps were switched off, the labyrinthine tunnels beneath the village flooded with "cankered" (polluted) water. This underground "honeycomb" remains a permanent, invisible scar on the landscape.

John Stirlings Montreal Mines
John Stirlings Montreal Mines
Location: Moor Row CA24, UK

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ARCHIVE HIGHLIGHTS

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