Bettisfield Colliery

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Bellis, Edward, 01 Sep 1879, aged 30, Collier, He went in front of his tub which had stuck fast as he was jigging it down an incline when the chain broke and his head was caught between the tub and a low bar

Bellis, William, 27 Jan 1901, (accident: 07 Jan 1901), aged 48, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. When in the act of setting a bar near the face of his roadway a piece of roof coal fell upon him from a slip. He succumbed to the injuries received on the 27th instant

Bennion, Hugh, 12 May 1903, aged 60, Pumpman, Inspection made and inquest attended. The deceased had been attending to the underground pumps, after the men were out of the pit. The engineman received signals from deceased, that he was about to ascend, but he must have fallen into the sump, as the cage came up empty, and he was found dead in the sump

Davies, Edward Simon, 05 May 1927, (accident: 26 Apr 1927), aged 61, Collier, Injury to spine by fall of roof. Died 5th May

Davies, John H.G., 13 Apr 1888, aged 18, Hooker on, Inspection made and inquest attended. The jigger had brought out a loaded tub and after putting a sleeper across the rails at the top of the jig turned the tub on the plates and in so doing knocked the sleeper away when the tub overpowered him and running down the jig crushed deceased against the empty tub. The manager promised to use more efficient stop blocks in future

Davies, William, 21 Jul 1908, aged 52, Collier, A fall of roof occurred in a roadway, from an old break, capping a bar, and fatally injuring deceased

Dicken, John, 01 Apr 1885, aged 18, Filler, Inspection made and inquest attended. A small stone fell from between two slips knocking deceased down with his forehead against a shovel which cut into his brain. The place was well timbered but the stone fell out from between the bars

Edwards, Joseph, 29 Dec 1879, aged 56, Dataler, He had got down some coal from the side of the road baring a slip in the roof from which a stone fell on him

Edwards, William, 13 Oct 1887, aged 42, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. They were working out a pillar next to the waste when a sudden gulch came and the top coal fell in drawing road capping 4 or 5 props and a bar and falling on the deceased who had been filling a tub. Recommended them to use bars in similar places in future

Evans, Evan, 05 Feb 1891, 3 p.m., aged 16, Horsedriver, Inspection made and inquest attended. Deceased was riding on a full tub and was crushed between it and a low bar. Riding was strictly prohibited and the deceased knew the rule

Evans, Robert, 03 Jan 1878, Collier, Fall of roof whilst drawing timber

Foulks, Joseph, 17 Dec 1914, (accident: 11 Dec 1914), aged 18, Lasher-on, Deceased was attending to the endless rope haulage, where the tubs are coupled to the haulage rope by clips on lashing chains. Owing to a clip coming loose on the rope a full tub ran amain on a gradient of 1 in 9 and caught the deceased before he was able to enter a refuge hole. The refuge holes were 9 yards apart on this portion of the haulage road. He died on December 17th from the effects of the injuries received

Furival, James, 01 Jul 1895, aged 35, Repairer, Inspection made and inquest attended. They were ripping and repairing the main road and while in the act of setting a pair of timbers a portion of the top roof fell upon them suddenly which they had previously failed to draw down [More information ...]

Griffiths, John, 01 Jul 1895, aged 47, Repairer, Inspection made and inquest attended. They were ripping and repairing the main road and while in the act of setting a pair of timbers a portion of the top roof fell upon them suddenly which they had previously failed to draw down [More information ...]

Harry, William, 11 Sep 1882, aged 43, Overman, Inquiries made. Deceased was crossing the pit bottom instead of going through the road made for the purpose of passing from one side of the shaft to the other when the cage came down upon him

Howells, Samuel, 11 Dec 1909, aged 25, Labourer, Through the jig rope chain getting somehow unhooked from the empty tubs at bottom of self-acting jig when starting jigging, it caused the full journey of tubs to run into the main haulage level, striking the endless rope running at right angles, and the jerking of the endless rope fatally injured the two deceased persons, in the main haulage level [More information ...]

Hughes, Hugh, 22 May 1909, aged 19, Shunter, When lowering railway waggons he appeared to have been sitting on the brake lever, and fell under the moving waggons and was killed

Hughes, Joseph, 20 Oct 1893, aged 15, Pony driver, Inspection made and inquest attended. Deceased was in the act of coupling full tubs in a shunt when he got crushed between the tubs which were being shunted by a pony

Hughes, Joseph Peter, 02 Jun 1924, 4.30 a.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 35, Shotfirer, The deceased was assisting a fireman to retimber a roadway and make more height. They had set three temporary props for safety and attempted to withdraw a prop by means of a Sylvester. Failing in this, they were sawing the prop out when the roof commenced to weight, and the deceased, moving forward instead of retreating, was killed by a fall of roof which displaced one of the old bars and two props which supported it

Hughes, Thomas, 25 Nov 1878, aged 35, Collier, Deceased was getting his coals down, when a stone fell from a slip on to him

Hughes, William, 30 Mar 1933, aged 51, Collier

Jones, Charles, 07 Apr 1898, aged 58, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. A ripping shot had been fired on the jig in the night shift and cleared and while the deceased was preparing to clear and pack the remainder a stone fell upon him from between two slips in the back end of where the shot was fired. The place was propped on each side but not barred

Jones, Cornelius, 06 Jun 1887, aged 17, Labourer, Inquiries made and inquest attended. The boy was passing between some waggons to lower them down to the coke ovens when the engine pushed some more against them and he was caught between the buffers. The engine man whistled but owing to the noise about the screens they had evidently not heard it

Jones, David, 09 Apr 1913, aged 42, Collier, Whilst the deceased was travelling outbye along the endless rope haulage level, he got run over by a set of full tubs. There appeared to be an empty set of tubs passing the full ones at the point where the accident occurred. The refuge holes were about 10 yards apart, but it was thought that he attempted to get between the full tubs where the first four tubs were attached to the remainder of the set by a lashing chain, when he probably slipped and fell and got fatally crushed. The tubs were travelling at the rate of about 2 miles per hour

Jones, Edward, 10 Jul 1884, aged 36, Collier, Inspection made. The men had got down the top coals and were loading them up when a piece rolled off the side on to deceased. The men said they had examined the place after the shot went off, but they had evidently not examined it closely enough

Jones, Edward, 04 Jun 1887, aged 33, Collier, Inquest attended. Deceased and his mate had drawn all the props but one from under the top coal to allow it to fall during the week end. Deceased was then knocking this last prop out contrary to the advice of his mate when the top coal suddenly fell upon him

Jones, Frederick, 15 May 1932, aged 44, Collier

Jones, James, 13 Feb 1894, aged 70, Roadman, Inspection made and inquest attended. The deceased was clearing dust on the main horse level on a curve and was knocked down by the horse and trams whereby he sustained a shock to the system. The nearest manhole was about eleven yards from that point. Another manhole to be made for safety on the curve

Jones, John, 17 Mar 1876, aged 19, Drawer, Run over on incline by loaded tram

Jones, John, 07 Nov 1878, aged 24, Collier, Deceased climbed over a fence, and walked into some firedamp, where he was found suffocated some time afterwards. He had left his lamp outside the fence. Deceased and his brother were driving a road to clear away this gas

Jones, John, 13 Oct 1910, aged 50, Labourer, When travelling to his work along an endless rope haulage road rising one in twelve, a set of empty tubs ran back, through clip getting loose, and fatally injured him

Jones, John E., 26 Sep 1919, (accident: 21 Jun 1919), aged 32, Byeman, Caught by tubs — fractured pelvis. Died 26th Sept

Jones, Peter, 21 Nov 1893, aged 47, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. The deceased was a contractor working pillars out in the 5 yard seam. He had set two sprags under a piece of top coal which he had attempted to get down when a squeeze came over the road and portion of the coal fell upon him

Jones, Peter, 21 Mar 1910, aged 40, Airway-man, When repairing an airway and when in the act of setting a girder, a stone fell from the roof upon him

Jones, Thomas, 06 Dec 1876, aged 17, Drawer, Fall of roof [More information ...]

Jones, William, 06 Dec 1876, aged 33, Collier, Fall of roof [More information ...]

Leighton, Edward, 04 Jan 1881, aged 51, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attend. A small piece of top coal fell from the side as he was taking his clothes off preparatory to commencing work

Lewis, Isaac, 24 May 1890, aged 17, Pony driver, Inquiry made. A stone fell from the side of the waggon road and caught the deceased

Lloyd, Peter, 24 Jan 1883, aged 35, Collier, Inquest attended. Deceased had been repairing a road, and was pulling a piece of coal from the side to fill up a hole between the rails, when a piece suddenly fell from a "slip" against his pick, which ran into his face

Lloyd, William, 27 Aug 1889, aged 42, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. There was a sudden "crunch" in the roof, and a piece of top coal, a few pounds in weight, was forced off the side and struck deceased, who fell with his back on the rails, injuring his spine. He died the following day

Lloyd, William, 30 Jan 1928, aged 23, Filler, Killed by a fall of roof — dislocated neck

Morris, Robert, 07 May 1877, aged 15, Pony driver, Caught by trams on engine plane through rope breaking

Oare, George, 23 Mar 1889, aged 15, Hooker-on, Inspection made and inquest attended. He had sent a loaded gang away from the shunt, when one of the couplings breaking, the tubs ran back and crushed him against the side. He had neglected to attach the "dog" to the back of the gang

Parry, David, 14 Aug 1893, (accident: 11 Aug 1893), aged 30, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. The deceased was barring the coal down when a portion fell against him fracturing his leg which had to be amputated. Died on the 14th inst

Parry, John E., 23 Mar 1881, aged 18, Dataller, Inspection made and inquest attended. He and his father were engaged in timbering a road when a sudden fall of top coal came from between two "slips"

Pickering, John, 12 May 1911, aged 32, Taker-off, When putting empty tub on rails in jig, he got between the tubs, and owing to a movement in the journey, his head got jammed between a roof girder and a tub

Powell, Edward, 26 Aug 1876, aged 19, Labourer, Part of a brick fell from surface, striking deceased

Price, Robert, 02 Oct 1884, aged 28, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. Explosion of gas [More information ...]

Price, William, 19 Jan 1881, aged 17, Pony driver, Inspection made and inquest attended. The deceased after his lamp had been examined ran past the hooker-on to cross the pit bottom, in spite of his endeavours to stop him, and he was caught by the descending cage. Proper roads for passing round the pit were provided, but the hooker-on appears to have been rather lax in enforcing the rule with regard to their use

Pritchard, David, 02 Oct 1884, aged 42, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. Explosion of gas [More information ...]

Pritchard, Edward, 12 Feb 1887, aged 32, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. The two men were sending timber down the pit and finding it to be too long to go into the cage signalled to the engineman to lift the cage from the bottom landing (level of the ground) to the top to enable them to remove the cage cover. By some means the cage was carried with great velocity into the headgear and the safety hook failing to act the rope broke and the cage with the two men in it fell to the bottom of the pit [More information ...]

Pritchard, Thomas, 27 Oct 1924, 9.0 a.m., 2nd hour of shift, aged 65, Collier, The deceased was engaged in making a lid with which to set a prop, about 6 yards from the face, when a fall of roof occurred and a piece of rock, measuring 7 ft. by 4 ft. 10 ins. thick, fell on him and crushed him, causing injuries from which he died on the same day. One prop was displaced by the fall. The fireman had examined, the place only 20 minutes previously and considered it safe

Roberts, Daniel, 12 Feb 1887, aged 30, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. The two men were sending timber down the pit and finding it to be too long to go into the cage signalled to the engineman to lift the cage from the bottom landing (level of the ground) to the top to enable them to remove the cage cover. By some means the cage was carried with great velocity into the headgear and the safety hook failing to act the rope broke and the cage with the two men in it fell to the bottom of the pit [More information ...]

Roberts, Edwin, 18 Mar 1893, aged 36, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. Deceased was crushed by portion of top coal falling on him while attempting to get it down

Roberts, Emlyn, 30 Jun 1933, aged 41, Collier

Roberts, Robert, 08 Dec 1890, aged 50, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. A fall of stone from between two slips close to the edge of the roofing down. A prop was set but the stone broke off close to the prop

Roberts, Thomas, 09 Feb 1878, aged 55, Timberman, Deceased was returning along tunnel from his work, and, on stepping aside to allow a train of tubs to pass, was knocked down by a horse going in the contrary direction

Roberts, William T., 11 Dec 1909, aged 28, Bricklayer, Through the jig rope chain getting somehow unhooked from the empty tubs at bottom of self-acting jig when starting jigging, it caused the full journey of tubs to run into the main haulage level, striking the endless rope running at right angles, and the jerking of the endless rope fatally injured the two deceased persons, in the main haulage level [More information ...]

Sandham, John, 02 Aug 1921, aged 48, Collier, Killed by a fall of roof at face while preparing for a prop

Sparkes, Willie, 30 Nov 1883, aged 16, Shunt minder, Inspection made and inquest attended. Deceased was going up the engine plane and was followed by the loaded journey, which, as it approached, he attempted to avoid by crossing to the refuge place, but his light going out he stumbled over the rope, and before the gangrider could signal to stop, the journey was upon him. Deceased was hurrying to get to bank

Taylor, John, 19 Oct 1908, aged 46, Collier, Deceased informed the shotlighter he would go to the next face (in advance) to warn the men that a shot was about to be fired, and was stated to have said alright. He apparently, through a misunderstanding, returned, and got injured fatally by the shot

Thomas, William, 24 Mar 1925, aged 44, Collier, Killed by a fall of roof

Watson, Edwin Charles, 23 Nov 1912, aged 41, Locomotive Engine Driver, He was driving a 5-ton steam travelling crane, which was lifting and swinging around a 3½-ton coil of rope. When the crane had swung around to an angle of 180 degrees, the crane and bogey tipped over sideways. Watson fell off and was caught and crushed by the footplate and killed. The crane had been worked at too great a speed, and the load was swinging at the time of turning. The bogey wheels should have been temporarily lashed to the rails

Wilkes, Timothy, 24 Mar 1927, (accident: 23 Feb 1927), aged 19, Assistant jigger, Struck by runaway tubs. Died 24th Mar

Wilkinson, Edward, 27 Oct 1891, aged 16, Horsedriver, Inspection made and inquest attended. He was bringing a set of full tubs outbye and he seemed a longer time than usual on his journey another horse driver went to see where he was and found him lying dead with the first full tub partly upon him

Williams, Peter, 04 Jun 1930, aged 67, Timberman

Williams, Robert, 30 Apr 1901, aged 48, Collier, Inspection made and inquest attended. His drawer was taking a full tub out along the level, when the tub got off the rails and struck against a bar leg. Deceased came and assisted him to get the tub on the rails, and stated he would make the place right by the time the drawer returned, and when repairing the place a fall of roof-coal occurred upon him, the bar having been knocked out

Williams, Thomas, 28 Sep 1882, aged 24, Gangrider, Inspection made and inquest attended. Deceased was taking a journey up the incline, and by some means fell off and was run over. He had been slightly stunned on the previous journey through the tubs getting off the road and it is supposed that he fainted

Wilson, William, 30 Jan 1913, aged 47, Collier, Fall of side. Whilst the deceased was clearing away dirt made by holing under the coal at a Longwall face, a piece of coal 5 feet 3 inches long, 2 feet 8 inches high, and 2 feet thick, came away suddenly from a smooth parting behind. In falling, the coal displaced the sprags and a prop, and inflicted fatal injuries on the deceased

Wynne, Edward, 25 Jun 1909, aged 17, Screen-attendant, He was oiling the screening machinery when in motion, contrary to instructions, when he got fatally crushed