Bestwood Colliery

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Annibal, William, 19 May 1892, (accident: 25 Apr 1892), aged 70, Banksman, Whilst pushing a tub into the slack-hoist the engineman started the engine. The deceased's finger was crushed and erysipelas setting in causing his death on the 19th May

Ball, Henry, 14 Jan 1888, aged 36, Collier, Sitting on a coal tippler waiting to descend the mine when the catch was released by some person causing the tippler to revolve and crush him

Boyard, John, 28 Jun 1915, aged 61, Dayman, Filling a tub with coal at ripping where coal had been taken down when a stone fell from roof and crushed him

Brown, William, 27 Oct 1913, aged 58, Filler, Deceased was standing in a stooping position between a tub and the coal face, and whilst breaking up some coal with his pick, preparatory to filling it, a fall or roof 6 feet by 4 feet by 7 inches occurred and fatally injured him. The shaft of the pick he was using was driven into his neck. The roof was supported by bars 5 feet 10 inches apart set at right angle to, and 4 feet from, the coal face. There was no contravention of the maximum distance fixed by the Manager for setting roof supports

Butler, John, 13 May 1891, 2 p.m., aged 66, Labourer, Crushed by railway waggons which were being lowered from the colliery sidings to the mine

Butters, Richard, 23 Mar 1910, (accident: 21 Mar 1910), aged 67, Banksman, He was taking coal from the belt and placing it in a wagon, when he slipped and tore one of the smaller bowels. He died on 23rd March

Carter, Samuel, 06 Dec 1898, aged 55, Stallman, Fall of roof and side. Deceased was preparing to set a prop at the faceside, when the roof fell and pushed a part of the coal-face over on to him (Top hard coal)

Clamp, Samuel, 09 Dec 1907, aged 36, Dayman, Deceased was using a ringer to get the coal down, and when the coal fell, deceased was struck by it and by a falling prop which the coal knocked out (Top hard coal)

Clarke, Alfred, 12 Aug 1929, killed by a fall of stone [date of report]

Coates, William, 30 Jan 1880, aged 33, Loader, Went under a loose roof when it fell. Had previously been cautioned

Cordon, John, 10 Jun 1890, aged 30, Stallman, Fall of roof. Knocking a prop out with a hammer instead of using his ringer and chain

Crowder, William, 26 Jul 1898, (accident: 19 Jul 1898), aged 52, Dataller, Deceased stated that he had received a slight injury in the mine on the 19th July but he died from natural causes on the 26th [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Dennis, George Bird, 15 Feb 1904, aged 27, Stallman, He left work to go home as he felt unwell, and was discovered dead on the main road underground. The coroner's jury found that he died from natural causes, "syncope" [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Dennison, Robert, 03 Jun 1910, aged 56, Shunter, He was coupling wagons which were being lowered by gravity when the coupling pole stuck in the links and he was thrown under the moving wagons and killed

Dodsley, James, 04 Mar 1896, aged 14, Horse driver, Whilst walking in front of his horse he stumbled and fell. Two full trams passed over him

Elliott, Joseph, 13 Sep 1877, aged 31, Collier, Attempting to get out of the cage before it alighted on the props

Foster, Joseph, 08 Jul 1874, aged 38, Sinker, Fell from movable scaffold

Jones, Isaac, 30 Jul 1877, aged 30, Dataler, In escaping from a fall of bind deceased fell over a lump of coal and fatally injured his skull

Knowles, Thomas, 06 May 1882, aged 16, Incline boy, Run over by tubs while connecting them to the rope

Lacey, Isaac, 07 Mar 1907, (accident: 19 Feb 1907), aged 31, Screenman, Dirt picked from the coal was being thrown from the screens into a hopper, when a piece struck deceased who was at work on the picking belt. The wound was only slight, but erysipelas set in and he died on 7th March

Leatherland, John, 11 Sep 1913, aged 56, Stallman, Deceased was on his knees cutting at the bottom of the seam when a fall of coal occurred from the roof, crushing him to the floor

Miles, Joseph, 22 Aug 1907, aged 55, Stallman, The wire rope working a short jig was broken while the tubs were being worked, and deceased was run over and killed (Top hard coal)

Oliver, Robert, 30 Jan 1875, aged 22, Sinker, Iron bow of sinking tub broke when descending the shaft, and threw deceased out

Oscroft, Frank, 09 Jun 1886, aged 15, Driver, Run over by a train of loaded tubs supposed to have been riding

Pearson, Dick, 02 May 1924, 8.35 a.m., 2nd hour of shift, aged 18, Pony Driver, Deceased was found dead with his head jammed between the corner of the front tram of his drift and a prop. His lamp was found alongside the second tram of the drift on the opposite side of the drift from his body. His pony was standing still clipped to the drift, which had evidently stopped as the result of deceased being caught, but there was nothing to show how deceased came to be trapped

Pendleton, John, 01 May 1895, aged 21, Dataller, Deceased was taking a tram full of dirt into a stall when it overpowered him and crushed him. He was violating a rule of the mine by being in the front of the tram when passing down an inclined roadway

Pike, William, 12 Apr 1907, aged 17, Horse-driver, Fall of roof. Deceased was in charge of a horse and twelve full tubs passing along a roadway, when one of the tubs left the rails and running into a prop knocked it out and a fall of roof killed deceased who was probably riding on the first full tub contrary to the rules of the mine (Top hard coal)

Poole, Samuel, 24 Nov 1899, (accident: Sep 1899), aged 42, Loader, It was stated that deceased had received an injury in the mine in September last, but upon an inquest being held it was found that death was due entirely to natural causes. Verdict of jury "Death from natural causes" [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Poyser, George Leonard, 21 Dec 1908, aged 16, Horse-driver, Deceased attempted to get on to the limmers when the horse was pulling three full tubs. He failed to get on properly and fell under the tubs. Riding is not allowed. He died in the mine (Top Hard Coal seam)

Robinson, Alfred, 20 Aug 1894, aged 29, Dayman, Fall of coal. Deceased appears to have been holing the coal after trying to pull it down and neglected to reset the sprags. The coal fell off and crushed him

Rogers, Obidiah, 01 May 1875, aged 30, Bricklayer, At work bricking the shaft when the brickwork above gave way, falling upon him

Rohun, Denis, 17 Jun 1898, aged 33, Stallman, Fall of roof. Deceased was laying rails in the stall when a heavy fall of roof took place and killed him

Scraton, Joseph Fox, 01 Oct 1879, aged 37, Stoker, Boiler exploded

Sharratt, John, 19 Mar 1885, aged 25, Holer, Fall of coals whilst holing

Shaw, James, 16 May 1884, aged 20, Stallman, Fall of coals breaking over the holing sprags

Slater, James Cyril, 03 Nov 1911, (accident: 11 May 1911), aged 18, Horse Driver, Deceased was found with a broken left thigh in front of a set of six full tubs, and admitted that he had been riding on the crank contrary to rule. The fracture was set, and left him with a considerable shortening of the limb, and as he was anxious to have it put right, he underwent an operation on the 2nd November, and died the next day from shock following the operation

Smith, John, 27 Sep 1878, aged 17, Driver, Supposed to have been riding on a full tub ; found dead under the tub

Smith, Tom, 20 Sep 1905, (accident: 30 Jun 1905), aged 30, Stallman, Fall of roof. Deceased was ripping the roof at the gate-end, when some stone fell from a slip and fatally injured him. He died 20th September (Top hard coal seam)

Varley, Thomas, 05 Jul 1900, (accident: 03 Jul 1900), aged 39, Dayman, Fall of roof. Deceased and the stallman were re-setting a bar which had fallen out during the night, when a fall of roof occurred, pushing out the timber, and fatally injuring deceased. He died on the 5th instant (Top hard coal)

Vickers, James, 06 Mar 1890, aged 20, Loader, Attempting to enter the cage at the pit top whilst the cage was in motion. He was struck by the cage and fell down the shaft

Wheat, Samuel, 31 Mar 1914, aged 54, Stallman, He was ringering down a slab of coal and as it fell it struck a catch prop and knocked it out. This liberated the roof and 2½ tons of bind fell knocking out three more props and smashing a bar. Deceased was pinned down by the end that fell first and killed. The roof had been bad and deceased had commented that they seemed to be getting stronger roof

Williams, T. O., 29 Sep 1936, (accident: 25 Sep 1936), aged 28, he was riding in a tub along the haulage way, when he caught his head on an iron bar in the roof; he received a fractured spine, from which he died four days later

Woodward, Alfred, 12 May 1915, aged 46, Dayman, Filling coal at face of workplace when there was a bump and piece burst off and fell on him. Died same day