Cannock Chase Colliery

Current Status - Page under construction! and is far, far from complete!

Allen, J., 19 Dec 1872, Horse driver, Crushed by a tub

Anslow, Thomas, 17 Jul 1906, 3.35 p.m., aged 33, Loader, Deceased was watching a stallman pulling down a piece of coal off a buttock end in a 5 feet seam. He stood about 4 feet from the coal face and about 8 feet from the stallman. The latter told him to stand back, but deceased said he was "all right." When the coal came away it knocked out a temporary prop set near the face, which struck deceased and knocked him against the corner of the pack, fracturing his skull. Had the stallman exercised ordinary care he would have insisted upon deceased getting out of the way before pulling down the coal

Atkins, Edmund, 15 Dec 1905, 10.45 a.m., aged 59, Fireman, Fall of roof (shale) in air road about 10 yards from face as he was travelling through. The fall came off at a slip and reeled the timber out

Bailey, S., 14 Aug 1873, aged 21, Sinker, Fell out of bowk whilst ascending with two other workmen

Banton, Joseph, 17 Nov 1859, Fall of coal

Bayman, W., 11 Oct 1875, (accident: 06 Oct 1875), aged 27, Pikeman, Explosion of firedamp on the 6th instant. Died this day [More information ...]

Brown, J., 27 Dec 1873, aged 38, Smiths' striker, Whilst placing a plank over pit mouth to support cage he was accidentally precipitated with it down the shaft

Budlow, John, 15 May 1868, aged 60, Whilst descending the wire rope snapped [More information ...]

Burke, John, 03 Dec 1880, aged 26, Loader, Fall of roof from an unseen slip, the result of a bump

Carnall, R., 18 Jul 1865, (accident: 15 Jul 1865), Hooker-on, Crushed by cage at the bottom of shaft. Injured 15th. Died this day

Caswell, James, 27 Oct 1884, (accident: 24 Oct 1884), aged 30, Pikeman, Died 27th October. Strained himself internally whilst lifting some coal

Cheetham, James, 19 Mar 1890, aged 58, Blacksmith, Leg smashed and artery punctured by a large coil of hauling rope being thrown upon him

Collis, George, 23 Dec 1882, aged 50, Fireman, Winding rope broke just as the three men were leaving the surface [More information ...]

Colton, William, 14 Mar 1903, 1.15 a.m., aged 31, Road repairer, Fall of side (stone) from a slip while repairing main drawing road in bass coal seam. Another man was injured by the fall

Conor, M., 26 Jan 1872, Labourer, Crushed between railway waggons

Conway, William, 22 Dec 1881, Driver, Found severely injured under a loaded tub, which terminated in death during the day

Cooper, Elijah, 15 Apr 1882, aged 15, Coupler, When riding in empty tub it ran off the rails and knocked out some timber, this and the following roof struck deceased and killed him

Cooper, S., 13 May 1867, (accident: 29 Apr 1867), Pikeman, Injured by explosion of firedamp 29th Apr. Died this day

Corser, Arthur, 27 Jun 1891, aged 34, Dataler, Fall of roof when preparing to set timber

Cotton, George, 26 Sep 1872, aged 12, Collier boy, Crushed by tub on inclined plane

Croft, William, 30 Aug 1895, (accident: 29 Aug 1895), aged 44, Dataller, Fall of roof. Died 30th Aug

Crystal, C., 28 Jun 1873, aged 31, Sinker, Windless rope broke whilst deceased was descending air shaft to do repairs [More information ...]

Cumberledge, J., 08 Oct 1855, Explosion of firedamp

Dale, Thomas, 23 Jul 1901, aged 51, Stallman, Fall of side. He was drilling a hole in some coal which had been holed when it suddenly fell and killed him. It is probable that he drew the spraggs to see if the coal would fall before preparing a shot and had not reset them

Davis, A., 20 Dec 1935, Miner, he was standing in a stationary tub reaching for a water bottle in a jacket, when a journey of tubs bumped into the tub in which Davis was standing, as a consequence he was forced beneath a girder and crushed

Davis, Edward, 25 Jul 1912, aged 59, Stallman, Deceased was holding a light while his mate withdrew a sprag from a length of holed coal in the Shallow seam, when suddenly the coal rated off from the face and struck the timber, which collapsed, followed by a fall of roof coal and rock about 15 feet long by 5 feet to 3 feet wide by 3 feet high. One end of the fall caught deceased and fractured his neck ; his mate, though partially covered by the fall, escaped unhurt. The fall came from between two parallel slips converging upwards, one of which extended into the roof from the back of the rate of coal, and into which the holing had penetrated. Two bars and a prop and lid were reeled out by the fall

Dennis, J., 28 Oct 1861, (accident: 16 Oct 1861), aged 49, Stallman, Explosion of firedamp on the 16th inst. ; died this day [More information ...]

Dennis, James, 15 May 1868, aged 13, Whilst descending the wire rope snapped [More information ...]

Dennis, William, 15 May 1868, aged 18, Whilst descending the wire rope snapped [More information ...]

Dewsbury, J., 26 Apr 1865, (accident: 08 Apr 1865), aged 21, Pikeman, Explosion of firedamp on the 8th. Died this day [More information ...]

Dewsbury, R., 26 Apr 1865, (accident: 08 Apr 1865), aged 19, Pikeman, Explosion of firedamp on the 8th. Died this day [More information ...]

Duxberry, G., 09 Jan 1861, Furnaceman, Fell into the mouth of the underground furnace and was burnt to death

Egerton, Joseph, 24 Jun 1882, (accident: 21 Jun 1882), aged 54, Stallman, Injured on 21st June when pulling a large piece of coal from a fast end of the working face near a fault

England, William, 14 May 1914, (accident: 17 Feb 1914), aged 72, Road repairer, Deceased was travelling along the main endless rope haulage road to the pit bottom at the end of his shift, when he met two men going inbye. These men were alongside of an empty journey, and deceased stepped into the full side to let them pass, when a full journey caught him and knocked him down. He escaped with slight injuries, but never recovered, and died on 14th May from heart failure resulting from chronic kidney disease, but accelerated by the accident. The road was practically level and the speed of the haulage was under 2 miles per hour. There was a man-hole about 2 yards from the point where the accident occurred, but on the opposite side of the road

Farmer, F., 01 Mar 1872, aged 20, Horse driver, Crushed between a "tub" and a door whilst improperly riding upon the tub

Fellows, John, 28 Mar 1903, (accident: 20 Feb 1903, 11.30 a.m.), aged 62, Labourer, While pushing a tub at canal wharf he slipped and injured hisw ankle. He attended by a doctor, who said that the ankle progressed favourably to from first to last. He died on the 28th March. A post-mortem examination was made by two doctors, who said it was possible that the injury had accelerated his death. The verdict of the jury was that death was caused by cardiac failure due to toxemia, consequent on disease of the pancreas and liver, accelerated by a sprained ankle accidentally caused by his slipping on a stone while engaged at Cannock Chase Colliery on the 20th February, 1903

Fox, John, 15 May 1868, aged 20, Whilst descending the wire rope snapped [More information ...]

Frost, Thomas, 28 Sep 1888, (accident: 25 Sep 1888), aged 14, Coupler, Died 28th September. He put his head between two empty tubs when coupling them just as some other tubs bumped up against them. He was fatally injured

Galvin, D., 02 Dec 1876, (accident: 23 Nov 1876), aged 40, Pikeman, Injured in a waste by explosion of firedamp on the 23rd ultimo. Died this day

Gill, Henry, 10 Sep 1859, (accident: 03 Sep 1859), Explosion of gas on 3rd instant, died on 8th

Green, Edward, 15 May 1868, aged 16, Whilst descending the wire rope snapped [More information ...]

Griffiths, H., 23 Mar 1874, (accident: 17 Mar 1874), Fireman, Slipped down while travelling on inclined plane. Injured 17th. Died this day

Griffiths, W., 29 Jan 1873, aged 23, Miner, Struck by a piece of rock from a "shot" before he could get far enough away

Grimley, Herbert, 23 Dec 1882, aged 26, Smith, Winding rope broke just as the three men were leaving the surface [More information ...]

Guest, J., 22 Mar 1864, Collier, Run over by a coal train [More information ...]

Haines, William, 20 Sep 1859, Fall ofcoals

Hall, Bernard, 29 Aug 1908, aged 18, Horse-driver, Deceased was taking a single empty tub inbye along a nearly level road. He walked at the right side where there was most room, and was holding the horse by the bridle. It bolted and turned into a side road in which it was accustomed to work. The points being set for the straight road, the tub was pulled off the rails and jammed deceased against a post, causing injuries which resulted fatally half-an-hour afterwards

Hall, George, 17 Sep 1908, aged 38, Stallman, Deceased was working at a longwall face in a seam 4 ft. 2 ins, thick with 1 ft. 6 ins. of dirt holing below. A portion of the face, about 10 ft. long, had been left the previous night underholed to a depth of from 9 ins. to 1 ft. On going into the stall in the morning deceased examined this portion, which was spragged at each end, and set a sprag in the centre of it. He then commenced to work at one end of the piece but had only struck a few blows when the rate came off at a "face slip," reeled the sprags out and fell upon him, killing him almost instantly. The coal had evidently "weighted" during the night, and fell as soon as deceased began to work at it, although it appeared both to deceased and the deputy to be safe when examined a short while before

Hartley, Arthur, 13 Nov 1900, aged 19, Wagonmam, Crushed between a loaded truck at rest and three empty ones in motion

Harvey, Charles, 10 Mar 1898, (accident: 01 Mar 1898), aged 30, Roadman, Crushed by tubs on incline. Died 10th Mar

Harvey, Herbert, 13 Jul 1900, aged 35, Stallman, Fall of roof in shallow stall at mouth of a waste when getting top coal down

Harvey, John, 23 Jul 1909, aged 65, Haulage engineman, Deceased was changing a pump bucket in a feed well 30 ft. deep, 5 ft. in diameter at top, diminishing to 3 ft. at bottom. The bucket was drawn up by a rope, and he was following it, climbing by the buntons or stays, which were 2ft. to 4 ft. apart. When nearly at the top he slipped and fell headlong to the bottom, where he was jammed between the suction pipes and the side of the well, his body being entirely under water. His body was recovered about 1½ hours afterwards. The well had been in use 32 years ; deceased was said to have descended it "over a hundred times," and no complaint had ever been made about it. A ladder has since been introduced

Hassall, Edward, 29 Sep 1912, (accident: 28 Sep 1912), aged 38, Stallman, Some pillars in the Deep coal were being extracted by long wall, the old roads being used as stall roads. A bar was being erected at the way-end in one of these stalls by deceased and two others. Deceased and one of the men stood each in an empty tub holding up the bar while a tree was put under it. The tree was too long and the bar was being lowered when a piece of rock, about 3 feet 9 inches square and 13 inches thick at centre, tapering to nothing at the edges, fell from the roof immediately above them. The other men jumped and got clear, but deceased fell, and, the rock striking the tub, glanced off and fell upon his back, injuring him so severely that he died next day. In dressing up the roof for one end of the bar, deceased had apparently liberated one side of the rock which fell from a slippery facing. The roof had been tried before the bar was put up and was thought to be safe

Henry, James, 15 Sep 1884, aged 55, Assistant Banksman, Crushed by wagons at loading stage

Herrington, D., 05 Jun 1862, aged 32, Collier, Crushed in the act of crossing the cage at the bottom of the shaft which was contarary to the regulations of the collery

Hicken, R., 22 Jan 1868, Collier boy, Crushed between tubs

Horton, Frank, 23 Dec 1882, aged 18, Striker, Winding rope broke just as the three men were leaving the surface [More information ...]

Hudson, J., 05 Sep 1866, (accident: 03 Sep 1866), aged 14, Horse driver, Head crushed in gateroad on 3rd. Died this day

Jones, Phillip, 15 Sep 1891, aged 23, Loader, Fall of coal from working face

Jukes, Samuel, 12 Aug 1890, (accident: 11 Nov 1889), Horse driver, Kicked by a horse on November 11th 1889, death resulting from the injury on August 12th 1890

Keating, John, 22 Mar 1890, aged 59, Fitter, He accidentally pulled a loose sand box of 8 cwt. from a locomotive engine frame upon himself, and was fatally injured

Knowles, Richard, 10 Jan 1890, aged 68, Watchman, Blown by a high wind under some moving railway trucks and killed

Lewis, R., 25 Jun 1878, aged 47, Pikeman, Crushed by tub against a tree in a trial head. Deceased had no business whatever in the place

Littler, John, 05 Feb 1908, aged 45, Waggon builder, During the dinner hour a locomotive had drawn some empty trucks out of a repairs siding, and was shunting them back into the main empty road. Before shunting back, the brakesman had looked that the road was clear. Deceased appears to have come out to see what they were doing, and, in attempting to cross immediately in front of the moving trucks, slipped or tripped, and fell across the rails, and one of the wheels passed over his leg. He succumbed on the same evening

Lloyd, G., 11 Nov 1863, Stoker, Fell down pumping pit shaft

Lunn, J., 05 Dec 1887, aged 58, Dataller, Killed by fall of roof over timber in roadway when making height

Marshall, Frederick, 03 Sep 1912, aged 46, Putter, Deceased was engaged at the shaft sidings, his work being to receive full tubs as they left the endless haulage rope and scotch them down to the shaft for cager. For this purpose he usually used a single hand scotch at the last tub of each set, but occasionally he used a double scotch. When the accident occurred he was seen sitting in front of a set of six full tubs with his legs underneath and his hands on the top of the first tub, and he was pushed forward in this position until he was severely crushed against other full tubs which he had previously lowered down. Apparently he had been in the act of pushing a double scotch in front of the first tub with his feet, when the scotch was edged out, his legs went under the tub, and he was unable to extricate himself

Matthews, James, 11 Nov 1895, aged 16, Horse driver, Fell out of cage while ascending the shaft

Mellor, James, 16 Nov 1909, aged 29, Stallman, Fall of Roof. This accident occurred in the Brooch Seam which was 4½ ft. thick and was bannocked in a clod overlying the coal, the bannocking at the time being 3 ft. over the coal, the face of which was within 3 ft. of the cogging. Deceased was shovelling dirt (which lay on the floor at the foot of the coal) into the cog when a piece of rock, 4 ft. long, 2 ft. wide and 6 ins. thick, fell from the roof and knocked him down with his head on the edge of the coal, fracturing his skull, death resulting the same day. Props and lids were set 3 ft. apart, but the piece which fell came from over the lids at its ends. The roof was very loose and jointy at the place, and a foreset from the coal to the roof which was set only 10 minutes before the accident at the edge of the piece which fell (but not catching it) probably shook the piece and set it down

Mitchell, William, 24 Feb 1884, (accident: 09 Feb 1884), aged 19, Loader, Died 24th February. Explosion of firedamp

Pearce, James, 15 May 1868, aged 15, Whilst descending the wire rope snapped [More information ...]

Phillips, J., 05 Dec 1863, aged 17, Horse driver, The deceased was jerked off an empty skip whilst riding thereon. His skull was fractured against a pillar

Phillips, J., 30 Apr 1870, (accident: 19 Apr 1870), Pikeman, Premature explosion of gunpowder whilst ramming or stemming the shothole. Injured 19th. Died this day

Picken, Bert, 17 Mar 1907, (accident: 16 Mar 1907, 11.10 a.m.), aged 14, Dirt picker, Deceased in crossing the sidings between the pit bank and the screens, tried to slip between a railway waggon at rest and the front of a second waggon coming slowly down the rails by gravity. He was badly crushed about the body, and died on the following day

Picken, Thomas, 15 May 1868, aged 21, Whilst descending the wire rope snapped [More information ...]

Poole, William, 28 Jun 1903, (accident: 19 Jun 1903), Boatloader, On the 19th June, at Cannock Chase Canal Wharf (South Staffordshire), William Poole, a boatloader, slipped while pushing a tub and received internal injury. He afterwards worked one hour, stopping work at the same time as the other men. His condition becoming serious necessitated his removal to the Wolverhampton Infirmary on the 26th, where he died on the 28th. No inquest was held. A medical certificate of death was strangulated femoral hernia, seven days. Operation. Toxemia, two days [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

Richards, Thomas, 15 May 1868, aged 40, Whilst descending the wire rope snapped [More information ...]

Rowe, John, 06 Feb 1902, (accident: 20 Dec 1902, 1.50 p.m.), aged 54, Banksman, He injured his head by falling off the buffer of a railway truck. He was in very bad health, suffering from chronic bronchitis. Erysipelas developed in wound on head. Medical evidence was that the cause of death was chronic bronchitis becoming acute and accelerated by erysipelas following a contused wound on head, and that the wound itself, apart from the other conditions, would not have caused death. Died 6th February, 1903

Rushton, William, 12 Oct 1907, 9.30 a.m., aged 20, Driver, Deceased was driving a horse taking two tubs inbye — one loaded with stone — when the horse "jibbed," and then started away suddenly and knocked out a temporary roof bar where the road was under repair, and deceased was jammed between the tub and the bar. The horse was rather too large to be working in this portion of the road. The roof was constantly settling down, owing to the recent working of a seam above, and one below this road, and special care and supervision should have been exercised

Sherridan, P., 15 Dec 1865, (accident: 29 Nov 1865), Bandsman, Accidental explosion of firedamp on the 29th. Nov Died this day

Smith, John, 18 Jun 1890, aged 40, Onsetter, Found in cage hole dead, directly after he had descended from the surface

Tasker, George, 24 Oct 1896, aged 14, Coupler, Fall of roof in main coal

Tasker, James, 07 May 1895, aged 21, Holer, Fall of coal

Taylor, N., 16 Oct 1875, (accident: 06 Oct 1875), aged 30, Pikeman, Explosion of firedamp on the 6th instant. Died this day [More information ...]

Thompson, J., 03 Aug 1873, Pickman, Injured by premature explosion of gunpowder on 22nd ultimo. Died this day. 2 killed [More information ...]

Thompson, Joseph, 22 Sep 1898, aged 54, Stallman, Fall of coal face when in the act of pulling it down

Thompson, William, 10 Feb 1902, 4.30 a.m., aged 18, Driver, Run over by tubs drawn by horse. Having gone on in front to open a door, he lost his light, and was knocked down and run over by the tubs

Watkins, H., 13 Mar 1868, (accident: 12 Mar 1868), Horse driver, Kicked by the horse he was driving on the 12th ; died this day

Webb, H., 02 Oct 1875, aged 15, Driver, Fall of roof in thin mine

Webb, William James, 22 Apr 1911, (accident: 06 Apr 1911), aged 33, Loader, While assisting in the erection of some bars on the engine plane, a small piece of the roof fell and slightly cut the back of deceased's head. He continued to work for a few days, then stayed at home feeling unwell, and was found later to be suffering from erysipelas, from which he died on 22nd April, the erysipelas, in the medical opinion, being probably due to the accident

Westwood, Clement, 27 Sep 1912, (accident: 09 Nov 1911), aged 41, Stallman, This man caught his hand against the coal, which caused a contusion of the second finger. Blood-poisoning set in later, and he died on 27th September, 1912, in Burntwood Asylum, from disease of the brain. There was no inquest, but modified compensation was paid with the sanction of the Court

Whittle, Eli J., 07 Jan 1938, aged 26, killed by a fall of stone [date of report]

Wright, Alfred, 17 Feb 1885, aged 24, Pikeman, He was carelessly standing under a roof from which he had drawn the timber when it fell and killed him on the spot