Benwell Colliery

Barrett, T., 21 Feb 1938, aged 32, Miner, killed by a fall of stone

Clark, William, 18 Aug 1837, Hewer, he was killed this morning at Benwell Colliery by a fall of stone in his board, in the East Way, Beaumont Pit. Deputy and James Davison, putter were in the place at the time. He was preparing to set a prop under the stone at the time when it fell — he was partially covered by it, and severely crushed, and the boy Davison's foot was nearly severed from the leg. It took 3 hours to break the stone by wedges to extricate the boy's foot, and some time longer to get Clarks' body which was crushed quite flat from under it (NEIMME Ref: Bud-48-7-31)

Connoly, John, 19 Mar 1907, 5:40 p.m., aged 16, Timber Leader [More information ...]

Cram, James, 22 Aug 1828, rope broke, fell down shaft [More information ...]

Davison, William, 13 Feb 1839, Hewer, killed by a stone falling upon his head in in the face of his board (NEIMME Ref: Bud-48-10-85)

Emmerson, James, 19 Aug 1840, aged 12, Rolly Driver, killed by being crushed between two tubs, when the rollies were running down a descent in the road (NEIMME Ref: Bud-48-12-154)

Featherstone, William, 12 Feb 1900, aged 42, Hewer, The place was closely timbered, but a "cauldron bottom" fell, breaking a crowntree and prop. There was plenty of loose timber in the place. [Inspection made & inquest attended]

Hailes, Robert, 01 Feb 1900, aged 45, Labourer, A full set of tubs had been hauled out of the mine, but failed to run clear of the "knock-off" apparatus. The deceased uncoupled the last few tubs, and was about to push them back, when the fore part of the set ran back owing to the greasy state of the rails and crushed him against the knock-off bar. [Inspection made & inquest attended]

Halliday, William, 26 Oct 1902, aged 46, Hewer, on the 25th October deceased got his foot crushed by a full tub, and a small bone was broken ; the accident happened about 4 a.m., and he continued at work till 8.30 a.m., the end of his shift, and walked to his house near the pit and was attended by a doctor ; on Sunday, the next day, he died at 7.15 a.m. ; an inquest was held and a post mortem examination made, and the doctor who had attended him stated death was due to apoplexy, and not from any accident or violence, and the jury so found

Hazon, Thomas Henry, 08 Mar 1902, aged 36, Shaftman, while employed renewing and repairing the timber in a shaft which had been deepened from the Beaumont to the Brockwell seam, they were suddenly precipitated down the shaft owing to a side "bunton" giving way which was partly supporting the temporary scaffold upon which they were working ; an examination afterwards proved that this bunton was only secured to the deals by a nail, after the men had sawn through the wooden guide to which the bunton had been bolted ; they had been repeatedly warned to examine the buntons on which the scaffold was placed, and also to use a check scaffold six feet below, but they do not appear to have adopted the latter precaution in this case [More information ...]

Heppell, Francis Thomas, 25 Aug 1899, aged 29, Hewer, He was working in a place nine feet wide when a "cauldron-bottom" fell and caught him. The working was considered to be well timbered, the deputy having set some three times within the previous five hours [Inspection made & inquest attended]

Heppell, Thomas, 12 Jul 1934, aged 47, killed by a fall of stone

Hepple, George, 12 Sep 1908, (accident: 08 Jul 1902), aged 24, Hewer

Hepple, T., 07 Apr 1934, (accident: 18 Jun 1934), aged 47, Miner, killed by a fall of stone

Homewood, John, 29 Nov 1917, (accident: 20 Jun 1910), aged 44, Miner

Jobling, William, 21 Jan 1898, aged 62, Boiler Fireman, He was found dead with his face in water in a small sump. It is supposed that the deceased had taken a fit [Inspection made & inquest attended]

Johnson, George Thomas, 19 Mar 1907, 5:40 p.m., aged 17, Sheaves lad [More information ...]

Kirk, Richard, 19 Mar 1907, 5:40 p.m., aged 55, Deputy [More information ...]

Oliver, John Hunter, 08 Mar 1902, aged 35, Deputy, while employed renewing and repairing the timber in a shaft which had been deepened from the Beaumont to the Brockwell seam, they were suddenly precipitated down the shaft owing to a side "bunton" giving way which was partly supporting the temporary scaffold upon which they were working ; an examination afterwards proved that this bunton was only secured to the deals by a nail, after the men had sawn through the wooden guide to which the bunton had been bolted ; they had been repeatedly warned to examine the buntons on which the scaffold was placed, and also to use a check scaffold six feet below, but they do not appear to have adopted the latter precaution in this case [More information ...]

Parker, Robert, 19 May 1930, (accident: 06 Jan 1916), aged 36, Engineman, Knocked his Knee

Pearson, Wheatley, 29 Oct 1894, aged 45, Hewer, died suddenly at the pit bottom, on returning from his work, from heart disease [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Peel, William, 27 Oct 1826, explosion of gas [More information ...]

Potts, William, 16 Jun 1929, (accident: 15 Jun 1929), aged 14, Screener, Crushed by Machinery

Pyle, Ralph, 22 Aug 1828, rope broke, fell down shaft [More information ...]

Richardson, William, 16 Feb 1906, aged 38, Deputy Overman, killed by a fall of roof [More information ...]

Robson, Archibald, 19 Mar 1907, 5:40 p.m., aged 55, Deputy [More information ...]

Rutherford, Thomas, 28 Oct 1837, aged 11, smothered in the small coal trunk at Benwell Old Engine, by a shoot of small coals falling upon him, when playing with some other boys about the trunk. He was not missed for 3 hours, and when found was quite dead (NEIMME Ref: Bud-48-7-81)

Scott, Adam, 10 Aug 1929, aged 27, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, his father (Frank) was killed in the same pit in 1935

Scott, Frank, 07 May 1936, aged 57, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone whilst clearing a previous fall, his son (Adam) was killed in the same pit in 1929 [More information ...]

Shephard, W., 05 Mar 1922, Surface Worker, caught by set of tubs

Smith, Francis Thomas, 28 Nov 1924, (accident: 05 Nov 1924, 4.30 p.m., 7th hour of shift), aged 52, Back Overman, fell into sump [More information ...]

Strong, George, 24 May 1893, had just come up the Benwell Pit, after finishing his day's work, when he fell dead from "heart disease" as he was crossing the gangway to the lamp cabin

Tweddle, John, 29 Apr 1816, Rolly Driver, killed in the Delaval Pit, Benwell, by a stone falling upon him as he was taking the traces off the rolly at the crane. It was a thin leaf and falling upon his head while he was stooping killed him on the spot (NEIMME Ref: Bud-30-p40)

Whitfield, Joseph, 27 Oct 1826, explosion of gas [More information ...]