South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 19 December 1942

Coal Board Appointments

Mr. T. S. Charlton and Mr. A. Hall

This corner of the Yorkshire coalfield is well represented on the new National Coal Board, whose appointment by Major Gwilym Lloyd George, M.P. Ministry of Fuel and Power, was announced on Wednesday.

On the productive side Mr. T S. Charlton, Brampton House. West Melton, managing director of Cortonwood Collieries is to represent the National Association of Colliery Managers, of which he is President, while Mr. J. A. Hall. J.P., of Rydall Mount, Wombwell, President of the Yorkshire Mineworkers’ Association, and Chairman of the Wombwell U.D.C.. becomes a member by virtue of his being a vice-chairman of North-Eastern Regional Coal Board, as also does the other vice-chairman. Sir William Sutherland, of Birthwaite Hall, Barnsley,

The Board, who have wide powers, will hold their first meeting to-day (Friday).

One of the most notable appointments is that of Mr. T. S. Charlton, as he is not yet forty years of age. He is a son of Mr. W. J. Charlton, 0.B.E., and comes of a family who have been associated with mining on the engineering side for many generations. Mr. W. J. Charlton retired from the position of Divisional Inspector of Mines for the Northern Division some two years ago: He is well known in Yorkshire, where he was Senior Inspector of Mines for many years, with headquarters at Leeds.

Mr. T. S. Charlton is a native of Northumberland, and incidentally was born in the same village (Ashington) as Mr. Ebby Edwards, who represents the Mineworkers’ Federation of Great Britain on the new Board. He was trained in the Yorkshire coalfield and obtained his M.Sc. at Leeds University. Leaving Yorkshire he took up an appointment as under-manager at the Deep Pit of the Shelton Coal and Iron Company, Hanley, Staffordshire, where are the deepest mine workings in the country, a depth of 1400 to 1500 yards being worked. After four years there he took over at Gresford where, following the explosion, in which 265 lives were lost, he assumed responsibility for extremely difficult recovery work, with a specially trained staff, who were experts in recovery work. Started in Feb 1935. five months after the explosion this job was carried through without a casualty and the pit, which at first it was thought might never be re-opened, has now been working normally several years. Mr. Charlton came to Cortonwood in the spring of 1939 as general manager, and two years ago was appointed managing director.

Engineers, a member of the Institute, of Mining Engineers Fellow of the Geological Society, and a member of the Yorkshire Council of the Institute of Mining Engineers. This is his second year of office as President of the National Association of Collier) Managers.

Mrs. Charlton is interested in housing and social welfare, and recently was identified with a housing survey in the county.

Mr. Hall’s record is well known to Yorkshire mining communities.