General Mining Association

General Mining Association
Industry	Mining
Founded	1827
Defunct	1900
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom

Last updated October 27, 2022

The General Mining Association was a London coal mining company operating in Nova Scotia. It was formed by Rundell & Bridge in 1827. It held a mining monopoly in Nova Scotia until 1858.

History

In 1788, King George III had drafted a lease in favor of his son the Duke of York for mineral rights in Nova Scotia. By 1825 the Duke of York had a significant debt to the London jewelers Rundell and Bridge. After sponsoring a mineral survey in Nova Scotia and finding a great amount of coal, an agreement was made where the lease was modified to include coal and that the lease be transferred to the newly formed General Mining Association, created by Rundell and Bridge, with the Duke entitled to 25% of the profit.^[1]^[2]^{: 399–400}This amended lease was granted in 1825 by King George IV for a period of 60 years.^[3]^: 675

A representative of the General Mining Association arrived in Pictou in the early summer of 1827, and in June a vessel with skilled workers and machinery arrived, beginning work at Albion Mines. In December a 20 horse power steam engine started operation, the first in the province.^[2]^: 400

In 1839 the G.M.A. commissioned the Samson , which was the first locomotive in Canada to run on iron rails.

Popular resentment in Nova Scotia on the G.M.A's monopoly over coal increased throughout the early 19th century. In 1857 the Nova Scotia Assembly authorized two of its members to travel to London and negotiate with the G.M.A. An agreement was made and ratified the following year, ending the monopoly. The G.M.A. was allowed the right to mine coal in 34 square miles in Cape Breton, four square miles in Pictou County, and four square miles each at Springhill and Joggins in Cumberland County. All remaining mines and minerals passed to the Nova Scotia government.^[3]^: 677

In 1871 the Joggins location was sold, and the following year the Springhill location was sold and the Pictou location was transferred to the Halifax Company.^[2]^: 412^[3]^: 678

The Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Co. purchased the remaining mines and mining rights at Sydney Mines in Cape Breton in 1900.^[3]^: 688

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland County, Nova Scotia</span> County in Nova Scotia, Canada

Cumberland County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

Pictou County is a county in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was established in 1835, and was formerly a part of Halifax County from 1759 to 1835. It had a population of 43,657 people in 2021, a decline of 0.2 percent from 2016. Furthermore, its 2016 population is only 88.11% of the census population in 1991. It is the sixth most populous county in Nova Scotia.

New Glasgow is a town in Pictou County, in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is situated on the banks of the East River of Pictou, which flows into Pictou Harbour, a sub-basin of the Northumberland Strait.

Springhill is a community located in central Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The Sydney and Louisburg Railway (S&L) is a historic Canadian railway. Built to transport coal from various mines to the ports of Sydney and Louisbourg, the S&L operated in the eastern part of Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia. The railway uses a slightly different spelling for the town of "Louisbourg".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Dickson Archibald</span> Canadian politician (1813–1890)

Thomas Dickson Archibald was a Canadian businessman, politician, and senator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joggins</span> Community in Nova Scotia, Canada

Joggins is a rural community located in western Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada. On July 7, 2008 a 15-km length of the coast constituting the Joggins Fossil Cliffs was officially inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Sydney Mines is a community and former town in Canada's Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Dominion is an unincorporated community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality. It is located immediately west of the larger centre of Glace Bay.

The Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation was a Canadian coal mining and steel manufacturing company.

The Cumberland Railway and Coal Company is a defunct Canadian industrial company with interests in coal mines in Springhill, Nova Scotia, and a railway that operated from Springhill Junction to Parrsboro.

The Nova Scotia peninsula is a peninsula on the Atlantic coast of North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trenton Generating Station</span>

The Trenton Generating Station is a 310 MW Canadian electrical generating station located in the town of Trenton, Nova Scotia.

Rundell & Bridge were a London firm of jewellers and goldsmiths formed by Philip Rundell (1746–1827) and John Bridge.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Nova Scotia:

The Stellarton Surface Coal Mine is an open pit reclamation coal mine located in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. It is owned and operated by Pioneer Coal Limited.

The Joggins Formation is a geologic formation in Nova Scotia. It preserves fossils dating back to the Carboniferous period, including Hylonomus, the earliest known reptile. In addition to fossils, the Joggins Formation was a valuable source of coal from the 17th century until the mid-20th century.

The East River of Pictou is a Canadian river located in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.

The Middle River of Pictou is a Canadian river located in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.

Springhill Coal Mining is a National Historic Site of Canada located on the corner of Industrial Park Drive and Memorial Crescent in Springhill, Nova Scotia. The Historic Site, designated in 1998, consists of a museum and the land that once contained the Springhill Coal Mines. Springhill was once one of the most important coalfields in Canada, along with those in Pictou and Cape Breton. Springhill coal was shipped and marketed throughout the Maritimes and Quebec. The surviving mining features in Springhill are among the most complete in Canada. The Springhill Mines were made infamous by a number of disasters that occurred underground, including the 1891 explosion, the 1956 explosion and the 1958 bump.

References

↑ Gerriets, Marilyn (1992). "The Rise and Fall of a Free-Standing Company in Nova Scotia: The General Mining Association". Business History. 34 (3): 16–48.
1 2 3 Patterson, George (1877). A History of the County of Pictou, Nova Scotia. Montreal: Dawson Brothers.
1 2 3 4 Shortt, Adam; Doughty, Arthur G. (1914). Canada and its provinces : a history of the Canadian people and their institutions by one hundred associates. Toronto: T. & A. Constable at the Edinburgh University Press for the Publishers' Association of Canada Limited.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Gerriets, Marilyn (1992). "The Rise and Fall of a Free-Standing Company in Nova Scotia: The General Mining Association". Business History. 34 (3): 16–48.

[patterson1877-2] 1 2 3 Patterson, George (1877). A History of the County of Pictou, Nova Scotia. Montreal: Dawson Brothers.

[Shortt1914-3] 1 2 3 4 Shortt, Adam; Doughty, Arthur G. (1914). Canada and its provinces : a history of the Canadian people and their institutions by one hundred associates. Toronto: T. & A. Constable at the Edinburgh University Press for the Publishers' Association of Canada Limited.

[1]

[2]

[3]