Brandon Colliery

1842, Oct - Brandon Colliery sunk.

1857 - A new winning was sunk at Brandon from the surface to the Hutton Seam. A boring was also continued below down to the Brancepeth Seam.

1869 - Brandon Colliery sunk from the Hutton down to the Main Coal Seam.

1944 - Three Quarter seam abandoned

1948 - Three Quarter seam discontinued

1950 - Three Quarter & Brockwell seams discontinued

Ainsley, John, 19 Sep 1888, aged 39, Hewer, fall of stone while making ready a place to turn away in a broken jud, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Bailey, John, 28 May 1859, aged 30, Wailer, crushed by surface waggons

Bainbridge, Charles W., 03 Apr 1861, aged 22, Screener, crushed by surface waggons on the branches

Bainbridge, John Carr, 07 Jan 1904, aged 14, Driver, when driving a full set-out a stone fell from a slip and killed him, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Barnes, William, 24 Mar 1904, aged 37, Hewer, when about to set some timber a stone fell away at some slips and caused fatal injuries

Bell, Charles, 13 Jun 1922, aged 43, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone

Bertram, Robert, 10 Feb 1911, aged 28, Hewer, he was hewing in a bordways gateway in a seam only 18 inches thick; the face had advanced past a slip in the roof, running parallel with the coal; the deputy told him to be careful, and left him hewing with a prop close to the coal; he was kirving in the bottom of the seam, and worked back to another slip 3 feet 6 inches from the first, when the weight of stone between these slips burst down the top coal and the stone fell on to him; this stone was 6 feet long, 3 feet 6 inches wide, and 12 inches thick; it had canted out the prop set by the deputy

Boultwood, William, 25 Feb 1925, aged 45, [Not Employed], he died in Durham County Hospital a few hours after he had fallen on the pit heap while picking coal, death was due to a fractured skull and haemorrhage (he was an unemployed labourer)

Bousfield, David, 25 Nov 1913, aged 20, Labourer [More information ...]

Bowes, Frederick, 19 Nov 1938, (accident: 19 Sep 1938), aged 49, Hewer, crushed between tub and roof

Boyle, John, 08 Jan 1920, aged 46, Hewer, fall of stone, "William Colledge, deputy, said he left Boyle after he got his cracket and pick and commenced to hew, and they both passed the remark that it was about the pleasantest place they had been in and was sound."

Brady, Thomas, 27 Feb 1865, aged 27, Hewer, crushed under the cage at the bottom of the shaft

Broadbent, Ralph, 16 Aug 1899, (accident: 15 Aug 1899), aged 53, Hewer, killed in the 1899 explosion, A powder shot, on being fired by the Deputy, William Carr, blew through a parting in the stone and ignited some fire-damp in an old place, and the effects of the explosion caused the deaths of these six men : Enoch Griffiths and Frank Murphy were killed outright, Ralph Broadbent died on the 16th, William Carr and George Robson on the 17th, and Frank Robson on the 18th inst. [More information ...]

Bromley, William, 25 Apr 1944, (accident: 22 Mar 1940), aged 59, Mason, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Burton, George, 16 Dec 1908, aged 47, Hewer, This man and his marrow were hewing in a headways lift — the last of the pillar — five yards wide, when a large frame of post stone fell away from the roof just as they were in the act of setting a prop. The stone fell away from a slip in the roof which had evidently just been exposed by the advancing face. The timbering distance was 6 feet, and the place was not well timbered. The men were, however, just about to put up timber when the accident occurred, and the deputy said that when he examined the place about two hours prior to the accident, the place was then properly timbered., Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Cahill, Paddy, 1925, Hewer, fall of stone - lay seventeen years with broken back [approximate date]

Cairns, John Payne, 15 Apr 1922, (accident: 18 Jun 1920), aged 20, Rolleyway Man, fall of stone in landing, died from shock following an operation for paralysis, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Cameron, S., 30 Apr 1945, aged 38, Filler, killed by a fall of stone

Carr, William, 17 Aug 1899, (accident: 15 Aug 1899), aged 39, Deputy, killed in the 1899 explosion, A powder shot, on being fired by the Deputy, William Carr, blew through a parting in the stone and ignited some fire-damp in an old place, and the effects of the explosion caused the deaths of these six men : Enoch Griffiths and Frank Murphy were killed outright, Ralph Broadbent died on the 16th, William Carr and George Robson on the 17th, and Frank Robson on the 18th inst. [More information ...]

Carter, J., 17 Nov 1944, (accident: 20 Jul 1939), aged 40, Filler, killed by a fall of stone

Cheesey, Alfred, 31 Oct 1882, aged 37, Deputy, fall of stone while drawing chocks out of a broken jud while working with other three deputies

Chisholm, Robert, 02 Jul 1869, aged 63, Enginewright, fell off heapstead

Clennell, Thomas, 10 Nov 1922, aged 15, Drifter, The cause of the accident was as the workers were being conveyed to their working places about a mile and a half from the shaft and at a left hand curve, many of the workers were struck about the head and face by an unseen object. A prompt investigation as to the cause of the accident revealed the fact that a section of the iron band in the 'skeating boards' about 8ft in length had been torn off and was lying in the way, resulting in the injury to some 28 men and boys and the untimely death of 15 year old Thomas Clennell, Buried: Brancepeth Cemetery

Colman, Thomas, 21 Apr 1904, aged 24, Hewer, when kirving coal under a band in the seam a portion of the band stone fell upon and killed him, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Connor, John, 1866, aged 27, Surface Worker, crushed between trucks [approximate date]

Cook, Elias, 18 Dec 1882, aged 55, Shifter, fall of stone while making rolleyway height

Coulson, Christopher, 16 Sep 1873, aged 11, Screen Boy, crushed by a waggon at screens

Crozier, William, 19 Sep 1903, aged 27, Hewer, he was travelling out-bye, on engine plane, and, when he was entering a refuge hole, he was caught by the set and fatally injured, Buried: Brandon Cemetery [More information ...]

Davison, T. S., 20 Mar 1940, (accident: 14 Nov 1939), aged 36, Filler, killed by a fall of stone

Davison, William B., 10 Mar 1943, (accident: 04 Sep 1942), aged 28, Filler, killed by a fall of stone

Dean, William, 30 Mar 1953, aged 48, Shaftsman, he was killed while unloading a steel girder from underneath a cage; the girder had worked loose on its way up and as he reached to pull it in he, and the girder, fell to the bottom of the 396 feet shaft

Dent, J. H., 30 Mar 1945, (accident: 28 Mar 1945), aged 40, Banksman, struck by lever

Dickinson, John, 02 Jan 1883, aged 13, Driver, while driving a set of tubs outbye in the Busty seam they got off the way, turned over, and crushed him against the side

Dodds, Thomas, 27 Jan 1953, aged 33, caught by a fall of stone and fatally injured

Dougherty, G. M., 30 Aug 1913, (accident: 22 Nov 1909), aged 16, Driver, crushed between two tubs and his abdomen and his left leg was injured

Doyle, Michael, 03 Jan 1887, aged 13, Driver, crushed to death by his pony falling on him

Duffy, John, 12 Jan 1932, aged 55, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Evans, Thomas, 20 Jun 1872, aged 12, Driver, horse fell and threw a tub off the way, by which he was crushed against the side

Farrell, J., 28 Oct 1942, (accident: 20 Oct 1942), aged 50, Bankhand, caught by conveyor

Forster, John, 03 Aug 1887, (accident: 02 Jul 1887), aged 43, Hewer, injury to back by fall of stone while setting a prop

Gardner, Albert, 31 Jul 1935, (accident: 23 Jul 1935), aged 48, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Gavin, James, 31 Dec 1886, aged 8, School boy, Run over by locomotive in coke yard and was killed

Goodall, Edward, 25 Jan 1911, aged 53, Hewer, while hewing in a broken working 4½ yards wide, a stone 12 feet long, 2½ feet thick with a maximum width of 4½ feet, suddenly fell from between slips in the roof and killed him; when the deputy had examined the place the last timber was 3 feet from the coal and the roof sounded good and appeared to be safe; at the time of the accident the face had been advanced 3 feet, and according to the distance fixed in the timbering rule, another row of supports was just required; this accident emphasizes the fact that no reliance can be placed in the sound obtained from a stone of the above thickness, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Graham, Robert Joseph, 23 Nov 1912, (accident: 22 Nov 1912), aged 41, Waggon lowerer, while walking alongside three coupled, loaded, coke waggons, which he was lowering from the weigh bridge into the siding, in some way he fell and a waggon passed over his right arm and shoulder; he died next day in Durham County Hospital

Grayson, Frederick, Aug 1957, aged 59, Shot Firer, killed in shot firing accident [approximate date]

Griffiths, Enoch, 15 Aug 1899, aged 22, Hewer, killed in the 1899 explosion, A powder shot, on being fired by the Deputy, William Carr, blew through a parting in the stone and ignited some fire-damp in an old place, and the effects of the explosion caused the deaths of these six men : Enoch Griffiths and Frank Murphy were killed outright, Ralph Broadbent died on the 16th, William Carr and George Robson on the 17th, and Frank Robson on the 18th inst. [More information ...]

Hamilton, William, 15 Oct 1915, aged 65, Shifter, killed by set of derailed tubs, Buried: Meadowfield Cemetery

Harland, Ralph, 25 Feb 1887, aged 40, Deputy, while drawing out the timber from a jud the roof gave way and fell upon him, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Heathwaite, R., 11 Oct 1923, (accident: 09 Jul 1923), aged 21, Putter, died from injuries received through slipping whilst pushing a tub

Heslop, Matthew, 26 May 1891, 1:30 p.m., 8th hour of shift, aged 20, Putter, employed in hewing coal during fore-shift and having some time to spare in afternoon he went back to the same place when a heavy fall of top coal took place; he neglected to set sprags or holing props, Buried: Brandon Cemetery [More information ...]

Hoban, Michael, 23 Jun 1909, aged 32, Stoneman, fall of stone [More information ...]

Holmes, Charles, 07 Mar 1885, (accident: 02 Mar 1885), aged 20, Putter, injury to head and legs by fall of coal; he was hewing and neglected to set a jud prop, Buried: All Saints, Lanchester

Holton, Robert, 03 Oct 1877, aged 11, Wailer, full truck of coal ran over him - he was riding contrary to orders

Hoyle, Joseph, 30 Aug 1906, (accident: 21 Aug 1906), aged 25, Stoneman, He was not prompt in getting out of the set in which he had been riding inbye, and was drawn into a curve. He received injuries from which he died in the Hospital nine days after. [More information ...]

Hunter, Thomas, 12 Jan 1905, aged 43, Deputy Overman, fall of stone when drawing timber; he was a very experienced man and had only drawn four or five props when the roof fell from two slips which were quite invisible before the accident; the hewer who had driven the place was helping him and said he had often jowled the stone and thought it good and had seen no slips, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

James, J. W., 06 Jan 1940, (accident: 02 Jan 1940), aged 46, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Kay, Richard, 26 Jul 1887, aged 15, Coupler, while pushing the empty tubs out of the cage, it was suddenly raised and he was crushed between the bottom hoop and bunton

Kidman, James, 10 Jan 1900, aged 22, Putter, He was sitting beside or on first tub of full set in the landing when the empty set came in off the way and caught the full tubs. He was afterwards found amongst the tubs and some stone which had fallen. [More information ...]

Kirkup, Luke, 1867, aged 50, Plate Layer, knocked down by engine [approximate date]

Lee, John, 14 Mar 1906, aged 27, Stoneman, He and his marrow were wedging down stone on an old wagonway. They bared a slip which let down a piece of roof, killing him and injuring his marrow., Buried: St. Bede's Cemetery, Durham

Lee, Sydney, 18 Jun 1920, aged 17, Pony Driver, fall of stone in landing, another boy, named Cairns, had a narrow escape, but was seriously injured and taken to Durham Hospital

Liddle, James, 16 May 1902, aged 22, Deputy, he was drawing timber in a headways lift when a fall of stone caught and killed him, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Lowden, John Edward, 12 Jul 1914, aged 6, [Not employed], He fell from a plank while playing near the new locomotive shed at Brandon Colliery. He ran away with some other children when one of them shouted that the police were coming and was later found lying dead in the road near some houses. Dr. McIntyre of Brandon Colliery said ' the most probable cause of death was heart failure, accelerated by shock from the fall and the excitement in running away by the alarm of the police'

Lowther, Thomas, 20 Apr 1894, (accident: 22 Mar 1893, 1:30 p.m., 4th hour of shift), aged 28, Hewer, Died from the effects of injuries to back, caused by a fall of stone while attending to his work on 22nd March 1893 [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident], Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Maddison, William, 1952, aged 45, Face Cleaner, fall of stone [approximate date]

Manford, James H., 23 Apr 1942, aged 30, Filler, caught by conveyor

Maughan, Ralph, 25 Jun 1894, 2:00 p.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 32, Hewer, Fall of stone in an old bord where he had gone to be out of the way of his own broken jud falling on him [More information ...]

McGlen, Barnard, 09 Dec 1877, (accident: 23 Nov 1877), aged 31, Collier, severely crushed by fall of stone in Brockwell seam

McGregor, W. T. M., 23 Jan 1899, aged 27, Hewer, He was pushing a full tub, when he suddenly fell down and died half an hour afterwards from heart disease. [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

McGuire, Hugh, 30 Jan 1914, aged 23, Labourer, deceased was lowering two trucks into a siding at 6.45 in the morning; there were not any fixed lights in the sidings, and he carried a hand lamp; he was crushed between his own trucks and a truck standing in the next siding, at a point near where the lines converged, the space between the wagons being only 6½ inches

McKenna, Phillip, 24 May 1905, aged 17, Assistant Onsetter, He was in the cage re-railing a derailed tub, when the cage was lifted, and he, in falling out of the cage was crushed against the shaft framing. A signal for the cage to move was not given, but both the banksman and the engineman say they received one [More information ...]

Michell, Thomas, 26 Feb 1875, (accident: 01 Oct 1874), aged 23, Hewer, killed by a fall of roof

Middleton, Robert William, May 1953, (accident: 05 Sep 1940), aged 63, Stoneman, at the inquest held in May the coroner said the medical report showed that death was 'a direct result of the pit accident in 1940, when Mr. Middleton received a fractured spine and other injuries'

Mills, Joseph, 30 Apr 1884, aged 31, Hewer, severely crushed by the fall of a large stone from a slip

Milner, George, 14 Oct 1873, (accident: 10 Oct 1873), aged 22, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Murphy, Frank, 15 Aug 1899, aged 20, Putter, killed in the 1899 explosion, A powder shot, on being fired by the Deputy, William Carr, blew through a parting in the stone and ignited some fire-damp in an old place, and the effects of the explosion caused the deaths of these six men : Enoch Griffiths and Frank Murphy were killed outright, Ralph Broadbent died on the 16th, William Carr and George Robson on the 17th, and Frank Robson on the 18th inst. [More information ...]

Newton, Alfred, 21 Apr 1953, aged 45, Coal Filler, a stone measuring 8 feet by 3 feet fell from the roof killing him instantly

O'Neil, John, 14 Jun 1909, aged 18, Putter, fall of stone [More information ...]

Parrish, Thomas, 22 Oct 1915, aged 16, killed by set of derailed tubs [approximate date]

Peel, Albert, 03 Nov 1903, aged 13, Belt boy, he was standing by the side of a coal cleaning belt, when he, by some means, got on to the under portion, and was carried round the tumbler and killed, Buried: Brandon Cemetery [More information ...]

Peele, Matthew, 21 Apr 1896, aged 53, Hewer, While taking the last coal off in a broken jud a stone fell from the roof and killed him

Robertshaw, Isaac, 01 May 1906, aged 23, Hewer, He was killed by a fall of stone which came away from "breakers" in the roof.

Robson, Francis, 1958, aged 42, Surface Locomotive Driver, crushed between waggons [approximate date]

Robson, Francis (Frank), 18 Aug 1899, (accident: 15 Aug 1899), aged 22, Putter, killed in the 1899 explosion, A powder shot, on being fired by the Deputy, William Carr, blew through a parting in the stone and ignited some fire-damp in an old place, and the effects of the explosion caused the deaths of these six men : Enoch Griffiths and Frank Murphy were killed outright, Ralph Broadbent died on the 16th, William Carr and George Robson on the 17th, and Frank Robson on the 18th inst., Buried: Brandon Cemetery [More information ...]

Robson, George, 17 Aug 1899, (accident: 15 Aug 1899), aged 18, Putter, killed in the 1899 explosion, A powder shot, on being fired by the Deputy, William Carr, blew through a parting in the stone and ignited some fire-damp in an old place, and the effects of the explosion caused the deaths of these six men : Enoch Griffiths and Frank Murphy were killed outright, Ralph Broadbent died on the 16th, William Carr and George Robson on the 17th, and Frank Robson on the 18th inst., Buried: Brandon Cemetery [More information ...]

Robson, Michael, 21 Jun 1877, aged 35, Collier, fall of stone from roof while working his bord

Rowe, John George, 26 Jul 1924, (accident: 11 Jul 1924, 7.30 p.m., 6th hour of shift), aged 15, Driver, Deceased and another lad were lifting a tub on the way when his thumb was crushed between the tub and the side of the roadway. He sustained a lacerated wound. Tetanus developed from which he died 15 days later

Rumley, Edward, 18 Nov 1903, (accident: 17 Nov 1903), aged 29, Hewer, when travelling out-bye, on engine plane, he was caught by the empty set and killed, Buried: Brandon Cemetery [More information ...]

Rutter, John, 27 Nov 1930, (accident: 21 Nov 1930), aged 36, Coal Puncher, gas explosion [More information ...]

Shaw, Henry, 22 Feb 1923, (accident: 15 Feb 1923), aged 68, Cartman, died from injuries received

Sides, Thomas, 30 Jun 1865, aged 24, Stoneman, powder explosion while stemming

Simpson, Christopher (Kit), 06 May 1919, aged 48, Hewer, knocked down by tub and fatally injured, he died as he was being taken out of the pit, he had worked in the district for over 30 years, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Simpson, J., 02 Oct 1948, aged 58, Datal worker, he was crushed between tubs and the cage and received fatal injuries

Simpson, James, 18 Dec 1888, (accident: 17 Dec 1888), aged 14, Screen Boy, employed at a travelling coal belt when he became entangled in the return drum; there did not appear to be sufficient fencing, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Slack, John William, 30 Jul 1957, (accident: 27 Jul 1957), aged 58, Colliery Fitter, he was fatally injured when he was crushed as he passed between two wagons, he died three days later in Durham County Hospital

Southern, Ralph, 28 Mar 1877, aged 12, Coupler, run over by set of tubs on engine bank ; he ran before the set at a turn

Spirit, S., 14 Dec 1904, aged 15, Coupler-on, crushed between tub and shaft framing when attempting to couple some tubs; he had been cautioned to get out of the way

Staley, Ernest, 12 Feb 1937, aged 19, Shaft Lad, fell down shaft

Stoker, John Nicholas, 08 Sep 1891, 11:30 a.m., 2nd hour of shift, aged 28, Hewer, fall of stone at a breaker when holing into goaf

Stones, John, 11 Jan 1899, aged 22, Putter, With several other lads he had got out of the set, which takes them in-bye, at the South Junction. After the set started again he attempted to get in, and was knocked down and killed.

Storey, James, 18 Jul 1887, (accident: 23 Jun 1887), aged 21, Offtake Man, broken leg and other injuries by being dragged along the road by the engine rope in which he got entangled; he did not keep the winch chain clear

Swaddle, Thomas, 02 May 1889, aged 28, Hewer, fall of stone from between two slips at the face of a broken jud

Swinburne, Ernest, 18 Jun 1900, aged 14, Driver, Bringing full set out to landing when he fell off the tub on which he was riding and was crushed to death under it.

Tarren, William, 06 May 1899, aged 39, Locomotive Guard, When lowering trucks down from the screens he got crushed between a truck and a wall. He was taken to the infirmary at Durham, where he died one and a half hours after admission.

Taylor, Thomas, 15 May 1889, aged 44, Labourer, crushed between trucks in the coke yard

Teggart, W., 25 Mar 1948, aged 58, Filler, killed by a fall of stone

Telford, Frank Love, 31 Oct 1871, (accident: 19 Oct 1871), aged 12, Pick Carrier, playing ; running tubs along a gangway, a tub fell off, the boy being inside

Temperley, Thomas, 18 Dec 1888, aged 28, Hewer, fall of stone while taking off side coal; he met with the usual breaker, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Todd, Adam, 22 Jun 1898, aged 13, Driver, he was standing by the side of the way putting a sprag into his set, when a stone fell from between two slips in the roof and killed him

Turner, James, 09 Sep 1863, aged 13, Horse Driver, crushed by tubs

Tyson, Thomas, 23 Dec 1933, aged 57, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Underwood, William, 20 Sep 1905, aged 28, Hewer, fall of stone from slips in roof whilst kirving; there were slips all round the stone and the timber under it was canted out, Buried: Brandon Cemetery

Vickers, Leonard, 11 Nov 1952, aged 59, Deputy Overman, cage accident, address: Linfield Drive, Meadowfield

Walsh, Alex, 1901, Engine Driver, [approximate date]

Wheatley, Thomas, 09 Feb 1917, he left home at 5 a.m. to go to work and was subsequently found lying unconscious on the road, he died shortly after being discovered, it was though that death was due to heart failure

Wilson, R., 02 Jan 1942, (accident: 15 Jul 1941), aged 55, Hewer, died from injuries received

Wilson, Thomas, 1885, aged 64, Surface Worker, crushed between truck and wall [approximate date]

Wrightson, James, 25 Mar 1901, aged 49, Hewer, died, while following his employment in the mine, from heart disease