Burnhope Colliery

1847 - A series of boring operations from the surface was in progress on Burnhope estate.

1850 - Burnhope Colliery was sunk from the surface to the Hutton Seam.

1864 - Boring operations from the surface by G. R. Stott were in progress in the neighbourhood of Burnhope Colliery, proving the Busty Bank Seam.

1893 - A boring was put down below the Busty Bank Seam at the Fell Pit, Burnhope Colliery, proving the Brockwell Seam.

1900 - A series of borings by Coulson was put down in the vicinity of Burnhope Colliery, proving the Brockwell Seam.

1929, 17 May - Five Quarter seam abandoned

1934, 01 Jun - Shield Row seam abandoned

1947, Dec - Hutton seam abandoned

1949, Jul - Annie/Betty: Brockwell seam discontinued

Allen, Samuel, 07 Jan 1924, aged 55, Hewer, he was found sitting holding his head in the Cuckoo Drift; he said a piece of coal had cut his temple, but when the deputy examined him he could see no mark; he was taken to bank and died about two hours later; death was due to a ruptured blood vessel from natural causes [Date of Inquest]

Battensby, Edward William, 09 Sep 1922, (accident: 18 Jul 1921), aged 30, Joiner, He had hit his thumb with a hammer on 18th July. He was off work two days, then resumed and continued until 28th August when the thumb began to swell, the swelling eventually extended up his arm and affected his throat. He was taken to Newcastle Infirmary where he died from heart failure and tetanus on 9th September. In the opinion of his doctor, it was probably caused by some dirt getting in his thumb.

Bennett, John Marshall, 17 Nov 1934, aged 32, Bargain Man, killed by a fall of stone

Bird, Thomas, 23 Jan 1893, (accident: 06 Dec 1892, 11:00 p.m., 6th hour of shift), aged 48, Stoneman, Severely burnt about face, arms, and body, by firing three cartridges lying loose on a tram. Died January 23rd, 1893.

Brown, John, 22 Mar 1946, aged 62, Compressor Attendant, Buried: Memorial Gardens, Burnhope

Bruce, Robert William, 29 Oct 1937, aged 51, Stoneman, killed by a fall of stone

Bruce, Thomas, 19 Jul 1899, Hewer, Died today from alleged injuries received while at work in the pit more than two years ago, but at the inquest there was no evidence of his having received any injury, and the jury returned a verdict of "Death from natural causes."

Burdon, Edward B., 09 Oct 1918, aged 14, Driver, his head jammed between the top of the tub and a prop. Death was due to a fracture of the base of the skull [More information ...]

Cairns, James Peter, 28 Sep 1910, aged 16, Driver, He was found lying dead with his head under the first of 7 full tubs which he had driven out to the landing. His pony was standing quietly 3 or 4 yards away and none of the tubs were off the way. He had probably slipped after loosing his pony off and fallen in front of the tubs, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope

Casson, Thomas Henry, 30 Jul 1891, 1:00 p.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 20, Hewer, fall of a very large stone in a gateway

Charlton, George, 15 Jan 1915, aged 30, Buried: Memorial Gardens, Burnhope

Clarkson, Oswald, 18 Jun 1900, aged 14, Driver, He was driving his first set in from the landing when the pony kicked the first tub off the way and dragged it for nine yards. which displaced some timber, and this caused some stone to fall and kill him.

Costello, Matthew, 26 Dec 1878, aged 19, Waggon Rider, fell before a coal waggon, was run over and killed while taking it into the fire-hole at the railway engine on the line at Burnhope Colliery

Cummings, John William, 18 Feb 1921, (accident: 22 Dec 1920), aged 28, Hewer, blow on head by a baulk

Daley, Patrick, 02 Sep 1896, aged 48, Hewer, Spine fractured by a fall of stone from two slips in his working place

Dixon, James, 17 Oct 1909, (accident: 14 Jul 1909), aged 40, Shifter, A stone fell off a kibble and crushed the end of his finger. He died 17th October, 1909, from diabetes

Dobson, George, 11 Jul 1900, aged 60, Hewer, While he was working off the loose stones from a shot in the face of his place a fall of stone from roof caught and so severely injured him that he died shortly afterwards., Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope

Elsdon, James, 06 Oct 1865, aged 13, Wailer, scalded at end of sludge pipe

Flood, John, 06 Feb 1877, (accident: 30 Jan 1877), aged 75, Screener, thrown down by hauling engine rope which broke his leg

Gales, John, 19 Oct 1891, 1:45 p.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 32, Hewer, broken leg; fall of top coal while kirving

Garbutt, George R., 24 Sep 1890, aged 20, Onsetter, Fell from Harvey to Busty Seam, a distance of 40 yards. He ran a tub into the wrong side of shaft and was carried with it. The cage was at the other side [More information ...]

Geddes, John, 26 Jan 1918, aged 41, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone

Gibbons, George, 20 Oct 1875, aged 38, Hewer, Chester Ward Coroner's Inquest, place: Burnhope Colliery, cause: fall of stone, Busty Bank seam, Burnhope Colliery (DRO Ref: COR/C/2/423)

Gibson, James, 27 Sep 1899, aged 22, Shaftman, When he was examining the upcast shaft a piece of stone weighing 28 lbs. fell out of the shaft side about 40 yards from the surface, and hit deceased 120 yards lower down, and killed him., Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope [More information ...]

Glasgow, Thomas, 01 Oct 1906, aged 41, Stoneman, He had four holes lighted up at one time in a place going through a hitch. Three exploded, and he then went in towards the face of the place. The fourth exploded as he approached and killed him. [More information ...]

Green, William, 17 Apr 1864, aged 15, Flat Boy, crushed by tubs

Hall, John, 23 Nov 1893, 9:15 p.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 31, Shifter, While descending the Fell pit, the winding rope broke, when they had got about 30 yards from the surface, and they all fell to the bottom of the pit, about 150 yards. [More information ...]

Hepple, Thomas, 26 Oct 1856, aged 45, Engineer, head shattered by being thrown off railway waggons after crashing into a stationery one; left a wife and a large family

Heslop, Edward, 24 Jul 1906, aged 23, Hewer, He was killed by a fall of roof in his working place. He had neglected to set timber in accordance with the Special Rules., Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope [More information ...]

Hobbs, William James, 17 Jun 1914, (accident: 22 Sep 1912), aged 54, died from spleno medullary leukaemia (cancer of the blood), it is alleged that death was the result of an injury received by Hobbs on September 22nd, 1912, when his foot was bruised by a fall of stone, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope

Hockaday, J. W. C., 14 Nov 1945, aged 50, Wagon Rider, crushed by wagons

Holt, George, 23 Nov 1893, 9:15 p.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 60, Master Shifter, While descending the Fell pit, the winding rope broke, when they had got about 30 yards from the surface, and they all fell to the bottom of the pit, about 150 yards., Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope [More information ...]

Hood, Samuel, 13 May 1919, aged 55, Wagon Top Leveller, killed through being run over by a wagon

Hopper, Thomas Reed, 29 Sep 1909, aged 24, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope

Hovells, John, 10 Jun 1924, aged 60, died suddenly while at work in the Five Quarter seam, he had worked there for many years as back overman

Howden, C., 26 Oct 1944, (accident: 05 Oct 1944), aged 37, Bargain Man, killed by a fall of stone

Howe, Thomas, 11 Jul 1899, aged 31, Hewer, Hewing in a narrow winning in the Brockwell Seam, and was lying on the canch, when a large stone fell from the roof and killed him.

Hughes, William, 01 Jan 1912, (accident: 29 Dec 1911), aged 38, Hewer, he was hewing with another man in a longwall gateway in a seam 1 foot 10 inches thick; for some reason or other he was coming away from the coal face with his pick in his hand, probably to set more props, when a stone 13 feet long, 4 feet wide and 16 inches thick fell on to him; he died on 1st January, 1912 from his injuries; the stone fell from between two slips running parallel with the barrow-way and another one crossing it; the place was not timbered as it should have been if the Special Timbering Rules (by which the maximum distance was fixed at 4 feet) had been observed

Hunter, James, 22 May 1888, (accident: 21 Dec 1887), aged 29, Hewer, died from the affects of injuries to his back and legs by a fall of stone

Hutchinson, Robert, 30 Apr 1897, aged 39, Deputy, Killed by a large fall of stone upon him while drawing timber from a broken jud [More information ...]

Jackson, Robert, 12 Mar 1895, 3:00 p.m., 9th hour of shift, aged 18, Putter, while riding on the engine set, contrary to rules, he was crushed to death, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope

Jose, James, 09 Jan 1907, aged 42, Hewer, when walking outbye, he struck his head against a roller

Lawson, Joseph Clarence, 08 May 1910, (accident: 05 Apr 1910), aged 18, Putter, He was hand putting when the full tub he was bringing out got off the way at the front end and ended up. He struck his head against the tub, and although he put it on the way without help, and completed his shift, he complained of pain in the head and neck. He did not work again and died on May 8th from meningitis, brought about by the simple accident described above

Lawson, Thomas, 02 Mar 1858, aged 37, Hewer, crushed by tubs from rope breaking in incline plane, Buried: All Saints, Lanchester

Laycock, Aaron, 23 Nov 1893, 9:15 p.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 41, Shifter, While descending the Fell pit, the winding rope broke, when they had got about 30 yards from the surface, and they all fell to the bottom of the pit, about 150 yards. [More information ...]

Leonard, Thomas, 22 Jun 1912, (accident: 18 Jun 1912), aged 14, Pony Driver, the deputy noticed that the boy was leaving the landing with one tub instead of three, and on calling to him, the boy (who was sitting on the limbers), raised his head, with the result that it was crushed between a balk and the top of the tub; he died from his injuries four days later

Liddell, Matthew, 08 Mar 1890, aged 48, Hewer, fall of a very large stone while at work, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope

Logan, John Joseph, 04 Mar 1921, aged 31, Assistant Motor Driver, A set of four waggons was travelling on the incline plane to the engine house at the bank head. A man shouted to the driver, William Bennett, "There's a man on the fore-end of the set in a fit." He jumped off and ran to the front, just in time to see Logan fall downwards between the waggons. Logan was killed instantly. [Date of newspaper report]

Lot, Henry, 31 May 1908, (accident: 29 May 1908), aged 55, Hewer, when going inbye he fell down in the flat on the approach of a pony ; his picks which he was carrying pierced his abdomen and he died two days afterwards

Makepeace, J. J., 24 Jun 1891, (accident: 23 Jun 1891, 1:00 p.m., 10th hour of shift), aged 16, Timber Leader, broken leg by fall of stone while assisting deputy to draw a jud in brokens; the stone fell from a parting

Marsten, James, 04 Mar 1918, (accident: 26 Feb 1918), aged 18, Pony Putter, died in Durham County Hospital. He had been severely injured when his pony turned round suddenly and he was caught in the groin by the limbers

McDuff, James T., 09 Nov 1910, aged 39, Stoneman, He was killed and his brother seriously injured by being struck by stones from a shot whilst working near a previous charge which had not exploded [More information ...]

McGrail, Robert Heslop, 24 Aug 1927, aged 15, Driver, crushed by tubs, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope [More information ...]

Milburn, Nathan, 31 May 1897, aged 13, Screen Boy, While improperly riding on a tram, he fell off, and was crushed to death, Buried: All Saints, Lanchester [More information ...]

Mordue, W. J., 07 Mar 1933, (accident: 01 Oct 1930), aged 22, Putter, fall of stone, died from injuries received

Morrison, Joseph W., 06 Mar 1946, aged 41, Surface Hand, runover

Patterson, Henry, 31 Dec 1911, aged 32, died from injuries received, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope

Pattinson, John, 28 Aug 1895, 3:00 p.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 43, Hewer, fall of top coal while taking out a sprag so as to get the band and coal down

Petre, Thomas, 19 May 1944, aged 64, Datal, killed by a fall of stone

Peveller, George, 10 Aug 1899, aged 51, Stoneman, Committed suicide by placing his head on the rail of a private branch railway when six empty waggons were approaching, and they ran over his head and killed him.

Robinson, George, 22 Mar 1911, (accident: 12 Sep 1910), aged 54, Deputy, he had been drawing a jud and was possibly rather tired, and when on his way out to the flat he slipped on a tram rail and fell on his head; he suffered from slight concussion and continued to improve for about five months, but afterwards began to get rapidly worse and was unconscious for two weeks before his death, which occurred on 22nd March, 1911

Robson, Henry, 14 Jan 1913, aged 56, Hewer, deceased was engaged taking a strip of coal at the side of his bord for stowage purposes, when he was killed by a fall of roof; slips running in all directions were visible after the fall; he had doubtless taken out the coal which acted as a partial support to the stone

Ross, Edward, 13 Apr 1910, aged 16, Driver, He was about to drive away with four full tubs, and after hanging on his pony he put in his cotter. Whilst deceased was sitting down on the limbers driving the pony the nut came off the bolt end inside the tub and Ross fell to the ground. The tubs passed on to him and his skull was smashed. The nut had apparently worked loose and come off the bolt end inside the tub. After the accident the bolt ends on all tubs were hammered down so that the nut could not become unscrewed, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope [More information ...]

Rowell, John, 27 Jan 1868, aged 34, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone

Sands, William, 19 Jan 1898, aged 30, Hewer, when travelling out-bye by a day drift which passes the upcast shaft, he opened a door into the shaft, and slipped in and fell to the bottom of the shaft, a distance of 516 feet, and was killed instantly [More information ...]

Selway, William, Jun 1939, aged 48, died from injuries received [approximate date]

Shaw, George, 23 Nov 1893, 9:15 p.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 23, Shifter, While descending the Fell pit, the winding rope broke, when they had got about 30 yards from the surface, and they all fell to the bottom of the pit, about 150 yards. [More information ...]

Siddons, William, 22 Mar 1869, aged 46, Screenman, run over by 3 empty waggons

Simpson, A., 28 Jul 1945, aged 61, Datal, caught by haulage rope

Simpson, Thomas, 30 Apr 1852, crushed between a tub and a prop [Inquest date]

Smith, Thomas, 25 May 1901, (accident: 23 May 1901), aged 30, Waggon Rider, he was taking a set of six trucks from the colliery to a siding 2¼ miles away, and on reaching the siding the rope broke close to the socket, and in trying to stop the set he got under the trucks which passed over and took both his legs; died in Newcastle Infirmary two days afterwards

Souter, John Ayre, 25 Sep 1918, aged 57, Stoneman, crushed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope

Stafford, Matthew, 07 Feb 1867, aged 49, Screen Inspector, run over by an empty coal waggon

Talbot, Joseph, 04 Nov 1922, aged 55, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope

Teasdale, Harry, 02 Dec 1904, aged 41, Master Shifter, suffocated by stythe when examining a place in the Maudlin Seam [More information ...]

Tyson, John, 04 May 1901, aged 48, Hewer, While hewing in Busty Seam a fall of ramble stone took place and killed him, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope

Wallace, Thomas, 15 Sep 1888, (accident: 07 Sep 1888), aged 30, Hewer, severe internal injuries caused by a fall of stone from between two chocks from a slip in a broken jud

Walton, Thomas, 15 Jun 1859, aged 15, Pony Driver, crushed by a tub

Watson, George, 20 Aug 1908, aged 14, Driver, He was driving a set from the siding to the staple top in the Barrier Way, Low Main Seam. Apparently he had just started outbye with a full set of three tubs and was sitting on the limbers, when he leaned sideways to take the "drag" out. On regaining his sitting position his head was crushed between the tub and a caunch which happened to occur at this point

Waugh, William, 15 Sep 1915, aged 45, Buried: St. John's Churchyard, Burnhope

Willey, George, 14 Nov 1898, aged 54, [Not Employed - Farmer], while passing over private branch railway was caught and killed by a set of waggons

Wilson, Robert, 18 Dec 1877, aged 36, Shaftman, fell from Harvey seam down to Busty seam, 34 yards