Emma Colliery

1845, Mar 17 - Commenced to sink the Emma Pit, Towneley Colliery ; the shaft was put down from the surface to below the Brockwell Seam.

1850 - A staple was sunk in the Emma Pit workings, north-west of this shaft, from the Five Quarters down to the Brockwell Seam. A boring was put down from the Towneley Seam to prove the Tilley Seam north-east of the Emma Pit shaft, Towneley Colliery.

1962 - Tilley ('P'), Five Quarter or Bottom Busty ('Q2') seams abandoned

1962-66 - Three Quarter ('R') seam abandoned

1963 - Old Five Quarter or Hutton ('L') seam abandoned

1964-66 - Brockwell ('S') seam abandoned

1966 - Towneley or Harvey ('N'), Stone Coal or Top Busty ('Q1') seams abandoned

1968 - Ruler or Plessey ('M'), Crow Coal or Bottom Brass Thill ('K2') seams abandoned

Athey, James, 22 May 1874, aged 34, Deputy, Chester Ward Coroner's Inquest, place: Crawcrook, cause: fall of stone 5/4 seam, Emma colliery (DRO Ref: COR/C/2/63)

Atkinson, George James L., 13 Jan 1944, (accident: 21 Oct 1937), aged 38, Cutter, killed by a fall of stone

Barron, K., 21 Mar 1961, aged 17, [approximate date]

Beevan, W. G., 09 May 1927, (accident: 16 Apr 1924), aged 27, Bargain Man, killed by a fall of stone

Bell, John George, 01 Oct 1897, aged 19, Screener, killed by machinery, Buried: Ryton Cemetery on 03 Oct 1897 [More information ...]

Bell, John William, 09 Mar 1925, aged 49, Filler, killed by a fall of stone

Brown, John, 12 Jan 1870, aged 54, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Carlisle, Joseph, 05 May 1915, aged 20, Putter, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Ryton Cemetery

Chiller, Charles Frederick, 12 Aug 1921, aged 19, Cleaner, amputated leg

Clark, James, 16 Feb 1881, aged 24, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Craft, Robert, 17 Apr 1883, aged 30, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal

Dawson, William, 03 Nov 1925, (accident: 12 Oct 1925), aged 65, Onsetter, pushed towards the shaft by moving tubs and his right leg was caught by the shoe of a descending cage

Dobson, George, 08 Jul 1870, aged 18, Putter, explosion of gas [More information ...]

Easton, R., 21 Apr 1925, aged 56, Stoneman

Eltringham, Robert, 02 Mar 1847, aged 37, Furnaceman, fall of stone [he was grandfather of the George Eltringham who managed Eltringham & Mickley about 1900], Buried: Holy Cross Churchyard, Ryton

Eltringham, William, 12 Feb 1879, aged 15, Driver, crushed by tubs in incline

Fairbridge, William, 09 Nov 1888, aged 16, Assistant Onsetter, fell from "hanging on" to bottom of shaft [More information ...]

Fowler, John, 16 Sep 1875, aged 20, Set Rider, Chester Ward Coroner's Inquest, place: Ryton, cause: fall of stone, five quarter seam, Emma Pit, Ryton (DRO Ref: COR/C/2/394)

Gallon, Robert, 17 Jan 1878, aged 70, Tub Mender, fell on flat sheets and broke his thigh

Hall, John Smith, 12 Oct 1877, aged 20, Shaftsman, whilst examining shaft, by some means fell down about 60 fathoms

Hedley, Ralph, 26 Oct 1871, aged 50, Hewley, killed by a fall of stone

Heslop, Matthew, 30 Jun 1894, 4:00 a.m., 5th hour of shift, aged 61, Shifter, Whilst preparing a place for the hewers which had been standing for some time, a fall of stone caught him [Inspection made & inquest attended]

Hobart, William, 04 May 1867, aged 10, Wailer, crushed by cage

Holder, George, 10 Apr 1895, 3:30 p.m., 10th hour of shift, aged 15, Driver, deceased, in trying to stop some tubs, was knocked down and killed

Hubbick, Alan, 14 Aug 1947, aged 17, Datal, caught by cage, Buried: Ryton Cemetery

Lee, John, 12 Aug 1878, aged 21, Cartman, run over by waggons

Miller, Charles Frederick, 19 Aug 1921, aged 20, Cleaner out, As the coal cutting machine drew coal from under the "cut," it skidded about 4½ feet and trapped Miller. The machine could not be shifted one way of the other without further endangering him, so the doctor decided to amputate Miller's leg; he died the same day in Newcastle Infirmary [Date of newspaper report]

Moffit, John, 16 Jan 1880, aged 31, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone from roof, Buried: Holy Cross Churchyard, Ryton

Musgrave, Andrew, 14 Jul 1905, aged 27, Hewer [More information ...]

Newton, James, 03 Dec 1920, (accident: 19 Jun 1916), aged 39, Stoneman, died from injuries received on 19th June, 1916

Newton, Joseph, 01 Oct 1850, Labourer, crushed by some coal waggons

O'Connor, John, 08 May 1901, aged 25, Stoneman, The deceased and his marrow were shooting down a top canch when an explosion of gelignite took place. There was no evidence as to the cause of the explosion [Inspection made & inquest attended]

Robson, Arthur, 03 Mar 1925, (accident: 02 Mar 1925), aged 16, Landing Lad, crushed

Robson, Edward, 08 Jul 1870, aged 19, Putter, explosion of gas [More information ...]

Robson, William, 23 Sep 1852, Deputy, killed by a fall of stone

Robson, William, 29 Feb 1912, aged 23, Hewer, illegally riding on a set of coal wagons drawn by a rope; it is supposed his foot got fast in some switches, pulling him off; four wagons ran over him

Roddam, William, 01 Dec 1828, aged 60, Furnaceman, drowned along with fourteen horses when the five quarter seam flooded, remains not recovered until 01 Oct 1880 (52 years later), Buried: Holy Cross Churchyard, Ryton

Scott, William, 03 May 1867, aged 19, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone

Sharp, John, 27 Aug 1875, aged 18, Bank head lad, breaking of endless chain at bank top

Telford, William, 04 Jul 1914, aged 43, Deputy, Deceased had been assisting another deputy in getting up some rails, and was returning outbye when he was killed by a fall of roof. The roof was of post, but it was fractured. The stone gave no warning at all so the rolleywayman said (he was standing 2 yards away at the time). The examination by the responsible deputy was not, in all probability, thorough. Familiarity with a road often leads to neglect.

Thompson, Thomas, 23 Dec 1937, aged 58, Filler, killed by a fall of stone, Buried: Ryton Cemetery

Wardle, James, 14 Jul 1924, 11.30 a.m., 2ndnd hour of shift, aged 46, Hewer, deceased was kirving in the fast end of a longwall place in a seam 1 ft. 11 ins. thick, with a post roof. The maximum interval specified for supports was 5 ft., but props, set with headtrees, were placed 3 ft. 6 ins. apart in the rows, the front row being 2 ft. from the face. A triangular stone, 6 ft. in length and from 2 to 8 ins. in thickness, fell unexpectedly between the face and front row of timber, killing him instantly

Waugh, Archibald, 27 Mar 1901, aged 23, Fireman, He descended part way down the shaft with another man in order to turn off a steam valve. This could be done without getting out of the cage, but on this occasion he got out on to a platform, and losing his light fell down the shaft [Inspection made & inquest attended], Buried: Ryton Cemetery on 30 Mar 1901

Wilson, Joseph Codling, 13 Jul 1907, aged 51, Stoneman, killed by a fall of roof [More information ...]