	Dearham Colliery	Index	Dearham Colliery

Dearham Colliery

Location:	Dearham, nr. Maryport 12½ miles [20 km] NNE of Whitehaven
Map Ref:	(Sheet 89) NY067364, 54° 42' 50" N, 3° 26' 54" W
Maps:	1860s map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey
Opened:
Closed:
Pits:	Folly Pit
	Lonsdale Pit, locn: (Sheet 89) NY068357
	Lowther Pit
Owners:	1860s - John & Thomas Walker
	1880s - John Osmaston Esq.
	1880s - The Morgagees, Dearham Colliery
Output:	1855 - Coal.
	1860 - Coal.
	1865 - Coal.
	1882 - Coal.
	1883 - Coal. Fireclay.
	1884 - Coal. Fireclay.
	1888 - Folly Pit - Coal. Fireclay.
	1888 - Lonsdale Pit - Coal. Fireclay.
	1890 - Folly Pit - Coal. Fireclay.
	1890 - Lonsdale Pit - Coal. Fireclay.
	1894 - Coal: Household.
Employment:	1894 - 26 [Preparing to sink]
	Colliery Management (prior to 1970)
	Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Dearham Colliery
Notes:	1894 - Ten Quarter, Rattler, Metal, Canel, Yard, Little Main, Fireclay seams abandoned - Not profitable
	1910 - No name seam abandoned
	1932 - Yard, Cannel, Metal, Rattle, Little Main, Ten Quarters, Lickbank seams abandoned

Description

Disasters (5 or more killed)

24th

Aug

1844

Shaft accident, 5 lives lost (Show Names)

Names of those killed at this colliery

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

						Allen, Robert, 17 Sep 1844, killed by falling planks in the shaft
						Bell, David, 16 Jul 1887, aged 47, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal
						Callthorpe, William, 24 Aug 1844, aged 17, rope broke, fell down shaft, bother-in-law of Thomas Ostle, Buried: Dearham Churchyard [More information ...]
						Cameron, Andrew, 16 Dec 1871, aged 47, Shifter, caught by incline endless chain
						Donald, Jonathan, 25 Mar 1882, aged 18, Trailer, explosion of firedamp
						Donald, William, 05 Nov 1882, aged 52, Furnaceman, fell down shaft from seam
						Fletcher, Joseph, 05 May 1853, aged 66, Miner, he was killed by a corve on an iron plate that could not be managed by his co-worker William Smithson (the younger) and it slipped and crushed him against the driftway ; he died later the same day at his home
						Graham, Henry, 24 Mar 1891, 2:00 p.m., 1st hour of shift, aged 28, Hewer, deceased was working in a part of the pit where safety lamps were used, and he seems to have contrived to open his lamp and use candles, which he concealed about him, and at which the gas ignited [Inspection made & Inquest attended] [More information ...]
						Graham, James, 16 Feb 1871, aged 16, Driver, crushed between tub and roof
						Hamilton, Joseph, 12 Jan 1847, aged 13, fell down the shaft
						Harrington, Thomas, 30 Apr 1844, aged 17, crushed between coal waggons
						Highmore, Robert, 09 May 1881, (accident: 04 May 1881), aged 28, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: St. Mungo's Churchyard, Dearham
						Hutchinson, William, 15 Jul 1845, aged 24, killed by a fall of roof
						Lancaster, James, 28 Aug 1868, aged 26, Banksman, crushed by cage
						Lister, Benjamin, 24 Aug 1844, aged 12, rope broke, fell down shaft, Buried: Dearham Churchyard [More information ...]
						Lister, Jonathan, 30 Jun 1846, Fireman, died from injuries after being struck on leg by a fly wheel
						Lister, Wilfred, 24 Aug 1844, aged 8, rope broke, fell down shaft, Buried: Dearham Churchyard [More information ...]
						Metcalf, Benjamin, 28 Nov 1879, aged 23, Hewer, explosion of firedamp [More information ...]
						Murray, William, 24 Aug 1844, aged 39, rope broke, fell down shaft, left a wife and five children, Buried: Dearham Churchyard [More information ...]
						Nixon, Robert, 07 Aug 1837, Miner, while engaged in lining the pumps, the rope broke, and a man named Robert Nixon, who was coming up the shaft on some of the pipes was precipitated to the bottom and thereby killed
						Osborne, William, 11 Aug 1884, aged 21, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal
						Ostle, Hewetson, 09 Dec 1862, crushed by tubs, left a widow and three children
						Ostle, Thomas, 24 Aug 1844, aged 24, rope broke, fell down shaft, brother-in-law of William Callthorpe, left a wife and three children, Buried: Dearham Churchyard [More information ...]
						Pattinson, Robert, 17 Aug 1837, Miner, overcome by foul air, Buried: Dearham on 19 Aug 1837
						Smith, John, 09 Apr 1886, aged 51, Waggon Rider, two waggons supposed to have passed over him
						Vickers, John, 07 Apr 1886, aged 29, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal, Buried: St. Mungo's Churchyard, Dearham
						Vickers, Jonathan, 18 Jul 1863, Miner, killed by a fall of roof
						Young, James, 09 Oct 1870, aged 45, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal, Buried: St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Medomsley

						28 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.

Some of the names of mining fatalities on this web page have been kindly provided by The West Cumbria Mines Research and are marked with .

more information on some of the fatalities shown above

The following unnamed fatalities are listed in the Mines Inspectors Reports, once again this collection is not complete!

Date							Inspectors Remarks
11 Apr 1853	1	–	–	–	–	1	manager per cage
05 May 1853	–	–	–	–	1	1	tubs undergound
02 Jul 1855	–	–	–	1	–	1
04 Jul 1859	1	–	–	–	–	1	rope coming off roll, More information ...
09 Nov 1862	–	–	–	–	1	1	machinery above ground

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Dearham Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Dearham Colliery

Credits

Sources:

1868 Mines Inspectors Report, Northumberland, North Durham and Cumberland District by George William Southern, H.M. Inspector of Mines
1870 Mines Inspectors Report (C 456) Where to find this report
1871 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 653), Northumberland, North Durham, and Cumberland District by George William Southern, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1879 Mines Inspectors Report (C 2604) Where to find this report
1880 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1881 Mines Inspectors Report (C 3241)
1881 Mines Inspectors Report (C 3241), Newcastle District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1882 Mines Inspectors Report (C 3621) Where to find this report
1884 Mines Inspectors Report (C 4429), Newcastle District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1886 Mines Inspectors Report (C 5090) Where to find this report
1887 Mines Inspectors Report (C 5450) Where to find this report
1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1890 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1891 Mines Inspectors Report (C 6625), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1894 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
Contributions by members of the Public
Headstone(s) in St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Medomsley
Headstone(s) in St. Mungo's Churchyard, Dearham
Information supplied by West Cumbria Mines Research
Mineral Statistics for 1855 (Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, and of the Museum of Practical Geology), compiled by Robert Hunt, F.R.S.
Mineral Statistics for 1860 (Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, and of the Museum of Practical Geology), compiled by Robert Hunt, F.R.S.
Mineral Statistics for 1865 (Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, and of the Museum of Practical Geology), compiled by Robert Hunt, F.R.S.
Mineral Statistics for 1869 (Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, and of the Museum of Practical Geology), compiled by Robert Hunt, F.R.S.
Mineral Statistics for 1883 - Government report from the Mines Department (C 4058), published in 1884 — includes List of Mines and Mineral Works
Mineral Statistics for 1884 - Government report from the Mines Department (C 4430), published in 1885 — includes List of Mines and Openworks
The Times Newspaper