Devon Colliery

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Adamson, Alexander, 08 Feb 1883, aged 33, Pitheadman, He went down the pit with a telegram, and in ascending his head struck the side of the shaft and he fell out

Adamson, Robert, 18 Jun 1910, aged 57, Repairer, The oil in an electric controller connected to a pump motor became by some means ignited, and Adamson and another man who were on the in-bye side of it endeavoured to make their way through the resulting smoke to the shaft by the intake. Adamson failed to do so, being overcome and suffocated. The other being younger was able to make his way out and was not much worse [More information ...]

Allan, David, 26 Mar 1897, aged 29, Drawer, Inrush of water from back workings, caused by the bursting of the manhole door in a dam, Rupture of door or valve in a dam [More information ...]

Allan, Peter, 26 Mar 1897, aged 42, Oversman, Inrush of water from back workings, caused by the bursting of the manhole door in a dam, Rupture of door or valve in a dam [More information ...]

Anderson, David, 04 Sep 1897, aged 22, Drawer, Deceased had gone inbye to a working place for a tub, and while the miners were completing the loading of it, he began to shear the coal. A large block came away suddenly from a foul cleavage plane and rolled over him, fracturing his pelvis. The miner had sounded the coal immediately before, and believed it to be safe

Black, Andrew, 24 Aug 1913, aged 50, Labourer, He was tipping ashes with another man on the dirt bing when a portion of the ashes broke away, and he rolled to the foot of the bing, sustaining very severe burns. He died about 1½ hours later

Blair, George, 26 Mar 1897, aged 46, Fireman, Inrush of water from back workings, caused by the bursting of the manhole door in a dam, Rupture of door or valve in a dam [More information ...]

Christie, William, 22 Mar 1909, aged 20, Hanger on, Deceased who worked at the bottom of a two tub incline, was found dead near two empty tubs about 30 yards up. His face and shoulders showed that he had been caught, but it is not known how. The roof is very low and he seems to have been doing something to the tubs when the accident occurred

Cook, J., 09 Jul 1937, Miner, Killed by a runaway hutch [date of report]

Cook, James, 25 Aug 1882, aged 31, Stone miner, Struck by stones from a shot which he thought had missed fire

Davidson, George, 19 Apr 1890, aged 52, Pitwright, Sudden death from natural causes

Dawson, Peter, 28 Feb 1911, aged 28, Brusher, Killed by an electric shock

Dawson, Thomas, 21 Apr 1907, (accident: 19 Apr 1907), aged 44, Fireman, Deceased was repairing the rails, on a horse road at a part where a "dyke" was crossed, when a stone fell away from the side, and fatally injured him ; he died two days later

Drummond, Andrew, 16 Jan 1903, aged 46, Miner, Deceased and his three sons were taking a 13 ft. cut off the lower side of a stoop, in a 5 ft. 6 in. seam, holed near the centre. The cut had been holed to a depth of from 2 to 3 ft. across its whole width, and deceased was completing the holing at the nose while his son was drilling a shot hole near the fast side, when a piece of coal 6ft. 0in. by 1ft. 6 in. by 2ft. 0in. suddenly burst off and fell on deceased, killing him almost instantly. No rances or holing props appeared to have been set

Dunsmore, Adam, 07 Aug 1903, aged 23, Miner, Deceased was holing at the face, when the fireclay roof above suddenly fell on him, causing instant death. The fall came away from a keen lype

Frazer, William, 04 Jan 1905, (accident: 24 May 1902), Pony Driver, Received an injury while at his work, and died from its effects on 4th Jan., 1905 [fatality reported during the year but not classified as a reportable accident]

George, John, 22 Apr 1914, aged 23, Brusher, He was holing under a "lypey" roof with insufficient timber set when a fall took place killing him on the spot

Gilliespie, David, 08 Nov 1888, aged 29, Collier, Fall of roof. At face; long wall

Grant, William, 26 Mar 1897, aged 22, Haulageman, Inrush of water from back workings, caused by the bursting of the manhole door in a dam, Rupture of door or valve in a dam [More information ...]

Hall, Francis, 06 Oct 1908, aged 16, Miner, Deceased was sitting resting against a prop set to the roof, when a mass of roof suddenly fell and killed him

Harrower, Andrew, 08 Apr 1901, aged 17, Miner, Deceased worked in a place 17 feet wide going to the rise in in a seam 4½ feet thick. The coal had been holed and a shot fired which did not bring it down, and they appear to have been improving the holing previous to firing another shot when the coal came over [More information ...]

Harrower, James, 08 Apr 1901, aged 23, Miner, Deceased worked in a place 17 feet wide going to the rise in in a seam 4½ feet thick. The coal had been holed and a shot fired which did not bring it down, and they appear to have been improving the holing previous to firing another shot when the coal came over [More information ...]

Hunter, Adam, 22 May 1902, aged 45, Miner, Deceased and his brother were taking out the last few props from a finished "lift" in the stooping when the roof suddenly fell, and the end of the stone striking him caused fatal injuries. The stone broke over the "breakers" set up to protect the roadway

Hunter, James, 15 Jun 1887, aged 50, Roadsman, Went into a place for rails where there was gas, with a naked light. Fireman convicted

Hunter, John, 13 Nov 1895, 8.45 a.m., aged 23, Miner, Fall of stone

Hunter, William, 10 May 1889, aged 40, Miner, Fall of coal

McEwan, Alexander, 29 Oct 1910, aged 63, Roadsman, He was following a rake of ten full hutches up the haulage road when the first coupling broke and nine hutches ran back and caught him

McEwan, Thomas, 15 Mar 1901, (accident: 14 Mar 1901), aged 16, Pin boy, Deceased had been endeavouring to unhook a miner's pin or token from a nail underneath the body of a loaded tub. While crossing in front of the tub, his foot was caught by the creeper chain which dragged him down, fracturing and tearing off the leg below the knee. He succumbed to his injuries on the following morning

Mitchell, James, 07 Feb 1897, (accident: 20 Jul 1896), aged 18, Pony driver, Run over by his horse rake. Died 7th February 1897

Mitchell, John, 14 Aug 1900, aged 65, Repairer, While a bogieman was riding in front of a set of loaded tubs on an engine dook 1,100 yards in length, he observed deceased standing on the right side of the road. Immediately after passing him he heard a cry, and at once jumped off the bogie and signalled to stop the set. His lamp having been extinguished, he went down the dook for a short distance to get a light, and on returning found deceased on the left side of dook about 10 yards above the point where he had passed him, and in the act of crawling from between the fourth and fifth tubs of the set. Deceased stated that while the set was passing him his foot slipped, and he fell against the electric signal wires, receiving a shock which caused him to recoil and fall between the tubs. From the relative positions of deceased, some pump pipes, a wire rope,and the signal wires, it appeared to be much more probable that he had been attempting to get upon the tubs or the couplings between them in order to ride up the dook, a practice which, although forbidden by the Special Rules, was evidently somewhat prevalent in the mine at the time. Deceased succumbed to his injuries nine days afterwards

Moir, Robert, 04 Feb 1911, aged 31, Haulage Engineman, When unloosing the end of the hauling rope inside the drum, in order to allow of its being spliced, the engine suddenly moved and he was crushed between the spokes of the drum and an upright post and instantly killed

Moodie, William, 05 Jan 1881, aged 56, Manager, Washed off a bunton into 50 fathoms of water. The pump had ceasd to discharge water, and the sinkers we going to look at the bucket at the clack door, which had been taken off. When the bucket was lowered to the door water rushed out on him unexpectedly

Morgan, John, 03 Aug 1901, aged 43, Miner, Deceased and several others were widening out a 12 ft. place in a seam 3 ft. 9 ins. in thickness, and transforming it into a longwall heading. He was lying holing at a point about six or eight feet from which a shot hole had already been drilled and charged, when a piece of coal, 6 ft. 5 ins. by 2 ft. 5 ins. at extremes, suddenly burst off the face and fell upon him, causing injuries to which he succumbed the same day

Morrison, William, 02 Apr 1886, aged 25, Drawer, Fall of roof. On drawing road; stoop and room

Muir, Henry, 03 Mar 1890, 8.20 a.m., 4th hour of shift, aged 33, Fireman, Explosion of firedamp

Nichol, John, 26 Mar 1897, aged 45, Miner, Inrush of water from back workings, caused by the bursting of the manhole door in a dam, Rupture of door or valve in a dam [More information ...]

Paterson, Alexander, 27 Dec 1892, 3.15 p.m., 10th hour of shift, aged 14, Miner, Fell from cage

Patterson, James, 24 Mar 1885, aged 27, Collier, Fall of roof. At face; stoop and room

Robertson, Walter, 24 Oct 1884, aged 33, Bottomer, Crushed by cage while drawing off the second hutch after signalling for the ascent of men, and before getting the return signal

Sharp, Andrew, 23 Sep 1913, (accident: 17 Sep 1913), aged 56, Wagon Setter, He stepped out from behind the screens on to the running line just as a locomotive was passing. He was knocked down and sustained such severe injuries that he died six days later. He was very deaf

Sneddon, William, 13 Jan 1885, aged 39, Collier, Fall of roof. On incline place; stoop and room

Stansbury, Thomas, 02 Apr 1900, aged 37, Miner, Deceased was holing, when a piece of head coal burst out from the solid, and striking his head, inflicted such injury.,that he died three days afterwards

Taylor, Charles, 26 Mar 1897, aged 57, Roadsman, Inrush of water from back workings, caused by the bursting of the manhole door in a dam, Rupture of door or valve in a dam [More information ...]

Watt, Thomas, 04 Oct 1911, (accident: 12 Sep 1911), Repairer, He was braking a full hutch down a cousie brae, when the empty hutch caught the timber ; the resulting jerk pulled out the wheel tree, which struck him behind the ear and fractured his skull. He died on 4th October