	Bunker's Hill Colliery	Index	Bunker's Hill Colliery

Bunker's Hill Colliery

Location:	Talk o' th' Hill 14½ miles [23 km] SW of Bradford
Map Ref:	(Sheet 103 Blackburn and Burnley) SD856208, 53° 41' 0" N, 2° 13' 5" W
Opened:
Closed:
Owners:	William Rigby and Co.
	F. Hulse and Son
Output:	1894 - Coal.
	1896 - Coal: Gas, Household, Steam.
	1900 - Coal: Gas, Household, Steam.
	1905 - Coal: Gas, Household, Steam.
	1910 - Coal: Gas, Household, Steam.
	1915 - No. 3 - Coal.
Employment:	1894 - 409 (308 below, 101 surface)
	1896 - 380 (290 below, 90 surface)
	1900 - 431 (311 below, 120 surface)
	1905 - 330 (238 below, 92 surface)
	1910 - 213 (146 below, 67 surface)
	1915 - No. 3 - 8 (5 below, 3 surface)
	1923 - No. 3 - 3 (2 below, 1 surface)
Seams Worked:	1894 - Seven Feet, Eight Feet, Bullhurst
	1896 - Seven Feet, Eight Feet, Bullhurst
	1900 - Bullhurst, Eight Feet, Seven Feet
	1905 - Bullhurst, Eight Feet, Seven Feet
	1910 - Bullhurst, Eight Feet
	1915 - Ten Feet Seam, Two Row Seam
	1915 - No. 3 - Ten Feet Seam
Notes:	Current Status - Page under construction! and is far, far from complete!

Description

Disasters (5 or more killed)

30th

Apr

1875

Explosion, firedamp, ignition probably caused by shot-firing, 43 lives lost (Show Names)

Names of those killed at this colliery

Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!

						Ankers, George, 05 Nov 1894, aged 26, Loader, Crushed by tub after lifting it on to rails in thirling not having secured chain before doing so
						Ankers, J., 17 Jul 1870, aged 35, Collier, Fall of coal
						Antrobus, Thomas, 22 Jan 1903, 2 p.m., aged 30, Collier, Irruption of water into eight feet Banbury seam [More information ...]
						Ashmore, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Baddeley, C., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Baddeley, George, 22 Jan 1903, 2 p.m., aged 37, Fireman, Irruption of water into eight feet Banbury seam [More information ...]
						Beech, T., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Boston, D., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Boughey, W. H., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Boyd, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Boyson, Thomas, 18 Feb 1899, 12.30 p.m., aged 31, Collier, Fall of roof at working face in pillar workings in 8 feet Banbury Seam. The roof over the whole of the working place, about 7 yards by 6 yards, suddenly collapsed, reeling out the timber. The fall was about 4 feet thick. There was a slip in the roof parallel with, and close to face on, head side. Another man was injured by the fall
						Breeze, G., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Brownsword, S., 08 Nov 1866, aged 13, Driver, Crushed between waggons
						Buckley, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Burton, E., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Carter, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Chadwick, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Charlesworth, D., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Charlesworth, E., 06 Mar 1866, aged 34, Collier, Fall of roof
						Charlesworth, Thomas, 12 Mar 1897, 8.30 p.m., aged 45, Engineer, Fell off top of cage while repairing broken wire rope guide in shaft
						Colclough, T., 24 Dec 1864, aged 28, Collier, Fall of roof
						Cooke, John, 04 Sep 1898, (accident: 22 Aug 1898, 9 p.m.), aged 34, Loader, Crushed by tubs at top of a short steep jig dip. By some means he lost control of the tubs with the brake and the empty tubs dashed on to the landing and struck him. Died 4th September
						Cooper, I., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Dale, John, 24 Feb 1899, 2.30 p.m., aged 49, Labourer, Run over by trucks shoved by loco engine while crossing line on colliery sidings
						Dale, R., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Dean, H., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Dean, T., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Dodd, Robert, 06 May 1880, aged 26, Loader, Fall of roof [More information ...]
						Finch, James, 29 Dec 1893, aged 52, Miner, Fell down a staple pit 20 yds. deep owing to the breakage of a hemp rope
						Fox, D., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Gorman, T., 04 Apr 1870, aged 42, Bondsman, Fall of roof rock in a new mine coal pit
						Hancock, E., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Hancock, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Hancock, W., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Hewitt, J. W., 22 Jan 1903, 2 p.m., aged 31, Loader, Irruption of water into eight feet Banbury seam [More information ...]
						Higgins, J. E., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Hikins, William, 23 Feb 1880, Collier, Fall of coal from sides
						Holland, G., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Holland, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Holland, T., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Jackson, R., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Jones, Evan, 08 Jun 1854, Explosion of firedamp
						Lawton, T., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Lucas, G., 30 Nov 1874, aged 18, Loader, Fall of roof
						Lucas, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Marshall, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Mason, T., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Maxwell, W., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Moore, H., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Moore, W., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Morris, S. G., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Nield, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Parker, W., 27 Jul 1881, aged 19, Loader, Fall of coal
						Peats, T., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Perry, Joshua, 07 Apr 1854, Fall of coal
						Plant, W., 18 Oct 1867, aged 23, Bandsman, Fall of rock from roof at bottom of coal pit. He had neglected to timber
						Proudlove, W. H., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Reynolds, Hugh, 07 Jan 1900, (accident: 04 Jan 1900, 8 a.m.), aged 30, Collier, Fall of coal and stone at working face in a flitching alongside an old level in 7-ft. Banbury Seam while he was getting down coal shattered by a shot. Died 7th January
						Rhodes, George Daniel, 03 Mar 1911, aged 25, Fireman, Deceased was doing something at the cage at the top of the shaft when the engineman. lowered it without a signal. Rhodes was pulled into the shaft by the cage and fell to the bottom. The engineman was subsequently prosecuted and fined for the breach of Special Rule 157
						Riley, T., 14 May 1862, aged 15, Loader, Fall of coal
						Rogers, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Stevenson, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Stubbs, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Sumner, N., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Thompson, T., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Unknown, -, 06 May 1880, aged 24, Loader, Fall of roof [More information ...]
						Wilson, John, 03 Feb 1900, 9.30 a.m., aged 54, Collier, Large fall of roof in 7-ft. Banbury Seam. The fall occurred in a wide heading, where the coal was got out between two faults. When the colliers went to work at 5.30 a.m. they found the place "weighting" : they pulled the rails up as there was little more coal to get, and went to work in an adjacent place. About 9 a.m. the fireman and a contractor examined the place. The fireman did not fence the place off nor give any directions about it. About 9.30 the two colliers returned to the place, and one of them was caught by the fall whicn reeled the timber out
						Yearsley, J., 30 Apr 1875, Explosion of firedamp [More information ...]

						68 names found

If you know of any fatalities missing from the above list then please contact us with the details and we will add them to our database.

Those names marked with , have a web page providing individual details of the accident, the page may also include a photograph of the deceased. Click on the symbol next to the name to see the web page.

more information on some of the fatalities shown above

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Bunker's Hill Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Bunker's Hill Colliery

Credits

Sources:

1854 Mines Inspectors Report, by Thomas Wynne, H.M. Inspector of Mines
1864 Mines Inspectors Report, by Thomas Wynne, H.M. Inspector of Mines
1875 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1499), North Staffordshire District by Thomas Wynne, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1881 Mines Inspectors Report (C 3241), North Staffordshire District by Thomas Wynne, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1894 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1896 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, also available online at Peak District Mines Historical Society Ltd
1897 Mines Inspectors Report (C 8819), North Staffordshire District (No. 10) by W. N. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1898 Mines Inspectors Report (C 9264), North Staffordshire District (No. 10) by W. N. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1899 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 134), North Staffordshire District (No. 10) by W. N. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1900 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1900 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 536), North Staffordshire District (No. 10) by W. N. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1903 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2119), Stafford District (No. 9) by W. N. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1905 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1910 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1911 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 6237), Midland and Southern District (No. 8) by Hugh Johnstone, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1915 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1923 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
OS Grid Reference from Adit Now website